If you want to build yourself a new gaming PC or workstation, and wondering which brand of RAM to use, or you can use two different brands, we are here to help. We are here to answer these questions as you might be playing to build a new PC or upgrading your old PC with new RAM sticks and unable to find the same brand already installed in your PC.
There are many RAM brands out there offering different types of RAMs with various frequencies and DDR types. It is always important to get to know every one of your personal preferences based on your usage to select more useful RAM for yourself. Your motherboard’s generation also plays a crucial role in this upgrade or selection.
If you are wondering which RAM brand you should use or if you can use two different brands of RAM in your gaming PC, workstation, or even laptop, we are here to answer all of your questions in this article, so let’s get started without wasting any more time.
Can I Use Two Different Brands Of RAM?
Speaking of using two different brands of RAM, you can still use it because it is not recommended because of the compatibility issues it can cause to your computer system or laptop. When you buy new RAM sticks, it is best to buy them in kits for more compatibility support and fewer issues.
If you want to upgrade your previous RAM, you will have to acknowledge the generation capability of your motherboard and check your previous RAM models and brands. Upgrading RAM memory sticks can be confusing for some users, but we are here to help as we cover every little detail you need to do that yourself.
You can however mix RAM brands as long as they are the same generation and type without causing any type of technical or compatibility issues, but you will surely sacrifice some of the performance if the DDR type is DDR4 or DDR5 because these latest generations of RAMs require the same brands for maximum performance.
You will also have to consider that each brand makes different types of RAMs with various specifications and compatibility. Some of these popular brands make almost every type of RAM, but you may also have to check your previous RAM brand and model to see if the case is the upgrade of your system’s RAM.
Some of the users with old computer systems may find difficulty in locating the old brand of RAM sticks, so we suggest you at least get the same RAM specifications if you can get the same brand because specifications matter more than brand as it differentiates between generations and megahertz. You can do that by verifying their generations and MHz. So, is it ok to mix different brands of RAM? The answer is yes you can.
Generation Of RAM Sticks
Before building your PC and choosing the correct RAM generation for your system, you will have to acknowledge the usage and required performance. Always remember to check the compatibility of your computer’s motherboard before upgrading your RAM because different motherboards support different generations, as we mentioned below:
- DDR1
The very first and oldest RAM generation was introduced in 2000 by JEDEC, which only provided a speed of 400 MHz, with a 64-bit data bus transfer rate, which was revolutionary at that time, but as time progressed, so did the technology. These RAMs are no longer used and aren’t very much recommended anymore.
- DDR2
In September 2003, the DDR2 RAMs were released with a clock speed of 133MHz to 200MHz, providing a much faster data bus transfer rate than DDR1. They were used until the release of DDR3 in 2007.
- DDR3
These RAMs are still being used in different pre-built systems and workstations like Xeon because they were released in 2007 and provide 800MHz to 2133MHz of speed, which is still enough for some software and games. There are tons of brands that manufacture different DDR3 RAMs, but they are not recommended for new gaming builds.
- DDR4
In 2014, the faster version of DRAM memory sticks was introduced with DDR4 technology, which provided 1600 MHz to now an amazing 3200 MHz speed, working with almost every latest motherboard, which provided an amazing performance boost in games and editing software. These are the recommended RAM generations if you want to build a new setup for yourself. You can have 64 GB to 256GB RAM sticks in DDR4.
- DDR5
Recently in October of 2020, SK Hynix released their fastest generation of RAM sticks, DDR5 which is now the latest generation that can provide speed from 4800 MHz to 6400 MHz with much higher speed and transfer rate. To install these RAMs, you are going to need the latest generation of motherboards with DDR5 support.
If you have the budget and are building yourself a new gaming rig, buying a DDR5-supported motherboard with DDR5 RAMs can potentially increase your system’s performance massively compared to DDR3 or DDR4. It will help you to load programs, operating systems, and games much more quickly.
You simply can’t install DDR5 RAM into the DDR4-supported motherboard because they have completely different physical mounting slots and provided cuts. It will not support or run the new generation of RAM, it will also cause too many issues, and your PC will simply not boot up. Increasing your budget to get DDR5 support is pretty worth it in 2024.
Size of RAM Sticks
After the generation, the overall size of a RAM stick matters the most as it shows the size of data that can be transferred through it. It is measured in megabytes or gigabytes, and having the same-sized RAMs installed on your computer is recommended because different sizes can cause compatibility issues.
We all know that RAM saves and transfers data temporarily to increase the storage speed of your computer system, which massively helps in faster operating systems, reducing the launch time of programs and in-game loadings. There are many sizes of RAM but 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB are mostly used worldwide.
You can also buy 64GB RAM sticks for more storage speed and data transfer rate. However, having a higher MHz and the latest generation is also recommended because the latest generation will transfer data much more effectively and faster. Upgrading your RAM size will increase the performance of your computer system.
If you are running a game, RAM saves its temporary data to load shaders and provides storage speed while loading or generating new frames. Higher-sized RAM, with the latest generation and higher MHz, will perform much better in generating more frames in the game while reducing loading times.
Using the same-sized RAM in all of your motherboard’s slots is always recommended because they are going to provide much more effective performance without causing any type of compatibility issues. Putting RAMs in the correct order into the motherboard also increases the performance massively!
So what is better: 2 sticks of RAM or 4? If your motherboard has 4 RAM slots and you only want to add 2 RAM memory sticks, it is best to install them in the same colour or leave 1 slot empty between them. This method is used by professionals to increase the speed while reducing compatibility conflicts.
Frequency Of RAM Sticks
As we mentioned above, the frequency of a RAM is a very important aspect as it shows the speed measured in Megahertz (MHz). Different generations of RAM offer different MHz speeds like 6th generation RAM have 2133 MT/s. If you buy RAMs of the same brands, their frequency will most likely be the same, as they come in a kit set of 4 sticks of RAM vs 2.
If you want to upgrade your previous RAM, just open your chassis and plug out your RAM safely. Read the details and frequency that are written on your RAM, or just open your Windows Taskbar and go to the Performance tab. While scrolling down to the lower-right corner, you can see the speed of your RAM mentioned in MHz.
Conclusion
You can use different brands of RAM, but it is not recommended because it can cause various compatibility issues; if you still end up with different brands or can’t find the already installed brand of RAM, you must install the same generation of RAM with the same size and frequency to increase performance effectively.
Building a new computer with a supported motherboard is recommended in 2024 because it supports the latest DDR5. DDR5 RAM provides much more performance and an effective data transfer rate, which massively increases the overall speed of your computer system and makes it much easier to run operating systems, programs, and games.
You have to install RAM with good size and frequency speed to increase your computer’s performance. A well-known brand is also recommended for better quality and life spawn, so always buy a kit of RAM with two or four RAM sticks of the same brand to reduce the chances of compatibility issues and increase performance.
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