Question Ram compatibilty

[mike13022]

I recently purchased a computer and it has an MSI A320M PRO-VH plus motherboard with a Ryzen 5 2600 CPU. It came with 8GB of GSKILL Ripjaws 5 RAM-Model f4-2400c15d-16gvr. I want to expand it to 16 GBs but the only model i can find is f4-2400c15s-8GVR which looks to be the same but just an 8GB stick. I am new to the world of upgrades and computer hardware so i was not sure if this will be compatible or not as i am not to familiar on the diffrent versions of RAM. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Those sticks MIGHT work together, but they might not. Anytime you mix memory that didn't all come together in a kit, you may have success or you may not. There is no way to be sure other than ONLY using sticks that come together in a kit that have been matched and tested from the factory. Probably, they will play nice together as they are the same series and same timings, but they could have different memory chips, ranks or rows, and still have those things, and not want to work together because there may be substantial differences in the secondary or tertiary timings.

The stick that it came with was supposed to be part of a 16GB kit, so clearly somebody removed (Or they only used one stick out of the set at the builder facility) one stick to use elsewhere. I'd recommend simply buying a 16GB kit and selling your lone stick to save yourself the possibility of any headaches, but that's up to you. Probably those will work together. Possibly, they may not.

The odd man out, or, unmatched memory

At the forefront of many memory issues is a well known and accepted (Throughout the enthusiast and builder communities anyhow) notion that while memory modules that did not come together in a matched set that was tested by the manufacturer to be compatible, certainly CAN still work together, often it does not. Right up front I'll tell you that if you are trying to get sticks to work in the same machine together that were purchased separately, even if they are otherwise identical according to the kit or model number or if they would seem to have identical timings and voltage requirements, there is a very good chance that you simply will not be able to do that. There is also a pretty fair chance that you might be able to if you are willing to take your time, listen to and understand what you are being told and follow the steps necessary to determining if they will "play nice" or not.

A word of advice. If you just purchased this memory, and for whatever reason you bought two separate sticks of the same memory instead of buying them together in a matched set, see if you can return them for a refund or credit towards buying a similar or same set of matched sticks that come together in a kit. It is ALWAYS better to have matched modules because from brand to brand, or even within the same brand, in fact, even when the part numbers are IDENTICAL, there can be anything from simply slightly different memory chips that were sourced from different bins at the end or beginning of a production run to entirely different configurations altogether even though the model numbers seem to be the same. Some manufacturers even reuse model numbers when they discontinue a product. Point being, memory is only the same for sure when all sticks came out of the same blister pack or packaging and were sold as a tested kit.

In order to determine if differences in the memory, or a need for increased voltage when using more than one stick (Especially if you are running three or more sticks) are responsible for the problems you are having you will always want to begin your troubleshooting process by attempting to boot the machine with only a single stick of memory installed. Also, for practically every consumer motherboard that's been sold since at least as far back as about 2014, the A2 memory slot which is the second slot over from the CPU socket, is THE slot that is most commonly designated for the installation of a single memory module. Slots A2 and B2 are almost always the slots specified in the motherboard memory population rules for use with two modules. If you need to install a third module I have no opinion on which of the remaining slots to use for that, but typically since the A1 slot is right next to the CPU socket and often interferes with the CPU cooler or fan, I'd say the B1 slot was probably just as good.

Honestly, I don't ever recommend that you HAVE three modules installed anyhow. Using memory in pairs is always a better option so that normal dual channel operation will occur. And that's another thing. When it comes to memory there are no "single channel" or "dual channel" memory modules. There are ONLY memory modules and the motherboard and CPU architecture will determine whether or not dual, triple or quad channel operation is possible based on the architecture and how many modules are in use. Occasionally though there are situations where it might make sense to run three modules and some boards CAN use three modules in a FLEX type mode where two of the modules will operate in dual channel while the third oddball module will run in single channel. I'd avoid oddball configurations though if possible because many motherboards will simply run ALL modules in single channel mode when an odd number of modules are installed.

If you think you will ever need 16GB of memory, then buy 16GB of memory from the start so you can get it all in a matched set that has been tested, and eliminate a lot of problems right from the start.

 

[MeanMachine41]

Hi Mike You would be taking a risk, some will and some won't.

Best is to get a single 16GB kit and keep the kit you have as spares. Reason being that during manufacture there can be slight variations in Latency and that's why RAM modules are factory binned.
If you add to your existing 8GB, make sure you can return them if they don't work. Some retailers will and some won't accept returns.

Here is a good article to help understand: https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthre...e-memory-kits!-The-meat-and-potatoes-overview

 

[mike13022]

Thanks for the responses. i think i will play it safe and buy a 16 GB kit. Thanks!

 

[Darkbreeze]

That's definitely the best choice of the choices available.

 

[mike13022]

That's definitely the best choice of the choices available.

Now that i have stepped into the abyss of learning about ram i am curious about 2 sets. The price difference is minimal but i am curious on best performance. From what i can read about Ryzen processeors they seem to like speedier ram but the set i found has a slower timing than what i am currently running.My current model is f4-2400c15d-16gvr and the model i am looking at is F4-3000C16D-16GVRB. I am not sure if i should stick with my current model version or move up to the new one. Any thoughts? Your help has been greatly appreciated.

 

[Darkbreeze]

At 3000mhz the CAS16 latency is not going to be a factor in creating a slower true latency. If you were going from 3000mhz CL15 to 3200mhz CL16, then it would probably not be worth it. Going from 2400mhz CL15 to 3000mhz CL16 is definitely worth it, although, for Ryzen it would be MUCH preferred to find a set of 3000 or 3200mhz sticks that are CL14 latency, because to the best of my knowledge in this area, all 3000/3200mhz sticks with CL14 latency are equipped with Samsung B-die memory chips (IC's) and are well liked by the Ryzen memory controller AND are pretty much the highest quality ICs you can get which generally translates to some of the best memory you can get, almost regardless of brand. Nobody is going to use Samsung B-dies on a low end module.

That being said, modules that use Samsung B-dies are also usually a bit more expensive. They are certainly worth it though, regardless of whether they are G.Skill, Corsair, Team, or whoever. These are probably the least expensive 16GB kit of 3000mhz sticks that are CL14, for most regions. Obviously, depending on WHERE you are located, that could be different.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($155.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $155.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-09 15:25 EST-0500


Regardless though, even the sticks you are looking at would be a lot better in terms of performance than what you have currently.