2 different 8GB sets. Can I run them at the same speed?

[KeyboardDemon]

I think I'll just sell the two sets of 8gb and buy a single 16gb kit, which was my original plan anyway, but lately been feeling too lazy to actually pull myself together and get it done.

[GoNz0]

@watercooled: @GoNz0: Does that mean that if I put the other set of RAM back in my system and set them up with manual settings to all run at the same speeds with the same timings etc... then I should no longer see those issues?

I can't return the more recently acquired RAM, I had been using it in another rig for 6 months before transferring it to this rig.

so long as it is the lower speed as a starting point but I would load BIOS defaults as it should be quite good as sorting it's own mess out

Well you can't choose separate speeds for each DIMM anyway - by default they'll run at the highest commonly supported speed of the modules installed. However it may be causing issues if the motherboard is picking an XMP speed by default. Sometimes that will work, sometimes not.

Unless something is faulty (e.g. a DIMM slot), all 4 DIMMs should run simultaneously but you may have to pick a lower clock speed/looser timings.

What he says, one setting covers all sticks no matter what the stickers say

Indeed - manual timings will help, but you may also need to lower the speeds and/or raise voltages either on the DIMM or the memory controller - working four DIMMs is just more work than two so things need to be relaxed a bit and if anything was near the limit of stability the extra work might just push it over.

this ^

I think I'll just sell the two sets of 8gb and buy a single 16gb kit, which was my original plan anyway, but lately been feeling too lazy to actually pull myself together and get it done.

Best plan all along

[ik9000]

you can't change timings but my mobo is running 4 sticks 2 at 1.65v and 2 at 1.5v quite happily. They have same timings latency, speed etc, just the voltage required is different and my mobo is clever enough to auto detect this and change voltages in the different pairs. Just make sure the two matching sticks are put in the same channel and you're fine. The OP's sticks all run at 1600 but at different voltages. This should work, though I would hesitate to mix brands personally. I just can't see that not causing issues somewhere along the line.

[watercooled]

If they meet JEDEC specs, there's no reason it should cause problems, or at least no more likely than using sticks with different specs from the same brand.

[ik9000]

If they meet JEDEC specs, there's no reason it should cause problems, or at least no more likely than using sticks with different specs from the same brand.

true. But I bet if we tested this in a group test we'd find that wouldn't be the case!

[watercooled]

Well I know it's only anecdotal, but I've never had a problem doing it.

There's a possibility you'll end up with different non-primary timings, but that's just as possible for different ICs from the same brand with exactly the same model number.

It can be more of an issue if you're pushing the timings and/or overclocking, hence 'matched' sets, though I'm not sure how much testing is done in the matching process.

[jamiesthename]

It's always recommended to have the same sticks, I've had a rig running differents brands but same timings and not had a problem.