Question RAM upgrade from DDR3 PC3-10600 to DDR3 PC3-12800 ?

[fred45694]

I want speed up my PC by upgrading my RAM from PC3-10600 1333MHz DDR3 to PC3-12800 DDR3 which I understand runs at 1600MHz.
Will my i3 CPU recognize the 12800? Will it make a difference?
I don't want to waste my money...

A manual states that the OEM RAM was:

Memory 4GB / 16GB max’/ PC3-10600 1333MHz DDR3, non-parity, dual-channel capable, four 204-pin SO-DIMM sockets

Crucial.com wants to sell me the 12800 only. It doesn't even offer the 10600.

 

[Cyberat_88]

Speed wise no, but 16gb vs 4gb definitive difference.
For example a 50% increase in Ram speed will produce an overall 5% performance increase, which gamers take seriously, but your system is not such.

 

[JPor]

whats your system name/specs please?

Note that 10600 is rarer now and 12800 should just slot in OK but MAY run at 10600 rather than the faster speed

also although some systems state 8GB max in the documentation, I haven't found a two memory slot and up i3 and upwards one yet that wouldnt take 16GB although I note yours said 16GB is Ok

 

[fred45694]

Lenovo ideacentre B520 all in one
circa 2011

 

[JPor]

https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/manuals/um013369-lenovo-ideacentre-b520-hardware-maintenance-manual

You dont say what existing and proposed ram capacities are.

"DDR3 memory controller (up to 1333MHz)"
- Which implies no speed gain

THere seems to be nothing to indicate that your system would run 12800 memory at anything other than 10600, although it might, and 12800 should run at 10600 without issue.
Whether it runs faster or not - I agree with the first response that just replacing same size 10600 ram with faster 12800 is almost certainly a waste of money (IMO)

You system is stated as ddr3, but ddr3l (lower voltage) should also run - just at the higher voltage - I've done that in a few laptops. Worth checking the specific memory is OK to run at the higher voltage if you intend to buy ddr3l
I have a 2nd gen I3 laptop in the family with 16GB of ddr3l 12800 running without issue - at 10600 and all recognised - despite the laptop specs saying 8GB (2*4GB DDR3) max.

running cpu-z or hwinfo freeware utilities (google em) should tell you more detail about the chipsets than that manual

as cyberat says, more memory is pretty much always going to be better - depending on what programs you are running needing it.
What is your original/proposed memory sizes?

addendum
The I3 2100/2120 CPU is flagged as only supporting 1333 speed
- so seems relatively certain faster ram will only run @ 10600

 

[fred45694]

I agree with the addendum.

You say "I have a 2nd gen I3 laptop in the family with 16GB of ddr3l 12800 running without issue - at 10600 and all recognised - despite the laptop specs saying 8GB (2*4GB DDR3) max."

I understand the i3 cpu will only run the 12800 at 10600 speed, but how does a 8gb max machine run more than 8gb total? Is it because it is at the lower voltage?

 

[JPor]

no, I 'm sure the voltage has nothing to do with it.
I think its simply that 8gb was expected at the time, and all they were tested with but many mobos and cpu's were/are capable of more.

My workhorse old machine is another example - old intel t8300, which was an upgrade from an older slower t5*** i think origin processor
Laptop states 4GB (2*2GB ddr2) max memory - and thats the general rule as i understood it.

I got a rare and normally very expensive 4GB ddr2 memory chip and dropped it in with one of the 2gb - amazed to see 6GB of usable memory with win7 64. (cpu-z reports dual sync mode - but that will be the first 2 * 2GB)
4 + 2 still in there.
Screws up some memtests that have 4gb max expections in their code - but others test the lot fine
Complicating it further - the original chip and OS was 32 bit architecture but the board (was always - well with a bios update) and newer cpu are 64 bit


There are a number of wierd setups. my clevo laptop has 3 memory slots, currently holding 24GB in 3 *8GB ddr3l sticks - but the 3rd slot only works with a quad core processor (quad core architecture) (4th gen i7 in there)