Since the time of the ibm 486 this question has been tossed around.
1001 and 1 answers. But does it matter today?
Can you upgrade your Ram with mismatch Ram chips?
8 gig plus 4 gig, 2 gig plus 4gig, etc.
Are speeds that important?
Thanks for your thoughts
Since my 80386 it has mattered but mostly to the motherboard and what it supports. The size of the modules isn't really as important as their specifications, one can have a 4GB and a 2GB module [I have a Notebook with 6GB] but if having 4 or more slots the modules must be properly arranged, for example slots 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 have to be filled. I get the best performance with 2 matching modules so as to attain dual-channel processing instead of only 1 module for single-channel. And by matching it usually does matter if they are from the same source.
There is a lot of questions there.
"Are speeds that important?"
Not really, the memory modules are just one component in a whole system, on it's own not important. I take the view that stability is a lot more important and indeed essential.
"But does it matter today?"
It has always mattered as a component in a system, recently of course is the change to DDR4 memory modules gets the same job done with less power, or higher speed memory for same electrical power.
"Can you upgrade your Ram with mismatch Ram chips?"
Depends what you mean by that. It could mean different sizes of Modules or different electrical characteristics.
Different electrical characteristics comes in to play when you have a MOBO which uses Dual/Quad channel memory modules etc.
In that case it is preferable to buy a Kit of 2 or 4 of the same GB size as those modules will be from the same production batch and similar in electrical characteristic (matched).
A random pair/quad may work just as well, just your chances are better with a kit of 2 or 4.
If you just mean different GB sized modules that depends on the MOBO. The tendency of different sized modules is to flip to single channel operation which is slightly slower but of no real consequence.
As always this is MOBO dependent as to what is acceptable. There is no right/wrong easy answer to a general question like that.
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