What RAM is compatible with my PC?

From the Windows Start menu, search for System Information on your computer and open the app. Under System Summary, you will find your Processor. Using this information, search for your specific processor on the manufacturer website to see what RAM is compatible with your processor.

How do I know what RAM to buy for my PC?

A good rule of thumb is that if the Available Memory is less than 25 percent of your Total Memory, a RAM upgrade will provide a tangible performance boost for the end user. While in Task Manager, watch RAM performance when you open a new application.

Is any RAM compatible with any PC?

Since each type of memory has different notch locations (which are important for installation), different memory technologies aren't compatible with each other. Motherboards are generally only able to support one type of memory technology.

How do I know if RAM is compatible?

From the Windows Start menu, search for System Information on your computer and open the app. Under System Summary, you will find your Processor. Using this information, search for your specific processor on the manufacturer website to see what RAM is compatible with your processor.

Can I just add RAM to my PC?

You can't just add more RAM to your computer without confirming a few things in advance. Every PC has two limits on its maximum RAM: its motherboard and its operating system (OS). Whichever limit is lower is the maximum RAM for your PC.

What RAM Is Compatible With My System? [Ultimate Guide]

Is RAM compatible with all motherboards?

No, "all RAM" does not fit into "all motherboards". There's DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4 - and various speeds within each of those. The motherboard vendor website should list what's compatible.

How do I match RAM to my motherboard?

First find what the motherboard support for RAM speed is, then check that whichever RAM modules you want to buy are on the motherboards support list. If your board supports 4000 - and runs at 2666 natively, then if you put 4000 RAM with the i9-7900x together, it will run at 2666 initially - until you overclock it.

What RAM will work with my motherboard?

The easiest way to tell if a certain RAM stick will work with your motherboard or not is to look at the motherboard specifications. This should give the details regarding the type, amount and the RAM characteristics that the motherboard can support.

Does RAM work with any CPU?

Thanks! Rule of thumb, if the Ram is compatible with the motherboard, then the CPU is compatible with the Ram.

Can DDR4 fit in DDR3?

DDR4 is not backward-compatible with DDR3 so a DDR4 DIMM will not fit on a DDR3 DIMM slot. Not only is the key notch of each DDR generation different (please refer to Figure 1 above), but the DDR4 pin size and arrangement is different from DDR3.

Can I mix DDR3 and DDR4?

You cannot mix different generations of DRAM. In fact, you can't install a different generation of DRAM in your system at all. The reason is that your motherboard is built to process one generation of memory.

How do I upgrade my RAM?

How do I know my RAM capacity?

Do you need to reinstall Windows after replacing RAM?

No, you don't need to reinstall your operating system.

Can I add 4GB RAM to 8GB?

Yes you can add but, if you have 4GB in slot 1 then second one should also be 4GB in slot 2, to make it 8 GB. Frequency doesn't matter in this case, if slot 2 ram frequency is more then slot 1, then it will be automatically optimized to your slot 1 ram frequency. That means your pc will run with slot 1 ram frequency.

What happens if I put DDR3 RAM in DDR4 slot?

All RAM isn't the same and DDR3 and DDR4 can't be used interchangeably. You can't insert a DDR3 RAM stick into a DDR4 slot because it's not backward-compatible. The stick won't fit into the slot and, even if you did get it wedged in there somehow, your motherboard won't recognize the format.

Is DDR3 good for gaming?

As Linus points out, when tested in very similar performing CPU and motherboards, but one having DDR3 and the other one having DDR4, there was barely a few frames per seconds difference between the most demanding games, something that would be impossible to notice in games.

What is better more RAM or faster RAM?

Faster RAM is better, but not vital

To stress the point, it's always better to have faster components – if you can afford it. But RAM speed is less important for most people than CPU, GPU, and storage performance, and again, it's better to have more RAM than faster RAM.

Can I put DDR5 RAM in a DDR3 slot?

Originally Answered: Can I use DDR5 RAM in a DDR3 RAM slot on a motherboard? You cannot use a different DDR level of RAM memory in any DDR socket. DDR, DDR-2, DDR-3 and DDR-4 RAM memory all have different socket designs and cannot be interchanged.

Can a PC run without RAM?

No, you may be able to turn on your PC without RAM, but you'll immediately hear several beeps that show the RAM is missing. Every computer system needs RAM to send information and instructions to the CPU. If you don't have RAM, your system can't get past the power-on self-test (POST) stage.

Is DDR3 still relevant?

DDR3 in 2021? That's right, the 14-year old DDR3 standard is still alive and kicking in many older servers and IoT devices that can continue to operate without any upgrades for decades.

Is RAM compatible with CPU or motherboard?

Before you start thinking about RAM capacity and frequency, you should ensure RAM is compatible with your motherboard and processor. The wrong type of modules simply won't work, while RAM with the wrong specs for your PC can underperform.

What happens if RAM is faster than CPU?

No, it doesn't reduce lifespan of the ram. And no, there's no throttling (unless overheating is happening). You shouldn't expect your RAM to run at higher speed than the CPU or motherboard speed, it will always run at the lowest speed of those two.

What happens if RAM is faster than motherboard?

Your computer will work just fine if you install the faster RAM. It will simply run at the slower 1333Mhz speed. Your motherboard will recognize those faster RAM sticks as being compatible (because they are) and allow the system to boot up and operate normally after you install them.