Upgrading RAM Bad Idea

[nai249]

I am not rolling in dough but I would like to increase my RAM from 8gb to 12gb. However I understand that they have to be compatible and even that does not always guarantee that the will work together. I have two 4GB sticks (DDR3 1600MHz g-skill ripjaw) currently and was wondering if buying

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231313&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Memory+%28Desktop+Memory%29-_-N82E16820231313&gclid=CjwKCAjw47bLBRBkEiwABh-Pket5I7Qxn6xcDpKdkNA0-9gLY_TjjFMBkZDTklFCSkKIbZpxYIspphoCo9YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

would work.
This one is red while the others in my computer are blue, whether that matters I am not sure.
I also don't know how to figure out what my Voltage is nor how many pins. I don't know exactly what I bought and I neither CPU-Z nor Crucial seemed to tell me.

 

[InvalidError]

The problem with mixed memory compatibility is that you won't know for certain until you actually try it. If you are a little lucky, it'll be plug-and-play. If you are less lucky, you may need to manually tweak timings to make it work. If you are unlucky, you may spend several hours trying to find voltage, clock, timing and other settings that will make it work.

DDR3 exists in only two formats: standard DIMM for typical desktop PCs and SO-DIMM for laptops, NUCs and other smaller form factors such as some micro-ATX and ITX motherboard.

 

[nyannyan]

Consider getting a pair of 2GB sticks, that way you'll still have dual channel and more bandwidth.

 

[nai249]

Consider getting a pair of 2GB sticks, that way you'll still have dual channel and more bandwidth.

I considered that but I feel like that just creates more room for things to go wrong. One might work but the other might not.

 

[nai249]

The problem with mixed memory compatibility is that you won't know for certain until you actually try it. If you are a little lucky, it'll be plug-and-play. If you are less lucky, you may need to manually tweak timings to make it work. If you are unlucky, you may spend several hours trying to find voltage, clock, timing and other settings that will make it work.

DDR3 exists in only two formats: standard DIMM for typical desktop PCs and SO-DIMM for laptops, NUCs and other smaller form factors such as some micro-ATX and ITX motherboard.

How difficult is it to tweak it?

 

[robert600]

Speccy will tell you what your existing ram is.

 

[InvalidError]

How difficult is it to tweak it?

That depends entirely on your luck / how (un)cooperative your DIMMs turn out to be. The difficulty can range from plug-and-play to lost cause.

You have an 80-90% chance of getting it to work with little to moderate effort.