Mixing RAM

[Axiarus]

My friend has a Dell XPS and he is upgrading his RAM to 2 Gigs. He is taking his 512 sticks out and putting in 2 1 gigs. My laptop (a hp pavillion dv2000) uses Pc 4200 at 533mhz. His uses Pc 5300 at 667mhz. Would my laptop be able to use his RAM? they are both the same number of pins. Ive heard things online about things like the 667mhz RAM would like slow down to 533Mhz if you do something like that. Im fine with that, what I want to know is will it work and is it safe?

 

[CMH]

different sized RAM. As in, its different sized physically. No way you can use it.

 

[Tedster]

read the installing ram and upgrading guide in the guides forum.

 

[CMH]

Well, yeah. Go read that. But either way, you can't install desktop RAM in laptops, or vice versa.

 

[Tedster]

as the guide states. Laptop ram and desktop ram are very different. And desktop ram varies even more.
It also states never mix brands, types, speed, or size.

 

[CMH]

I think he gets the message

Although I do disagree that mixing RAM brands is bad... it probably isn't the best, but sometime it works

 

[MetalX]

Mixing RAM brands is bad? Not for me... I have 4 sticks from 3 different companies in my computer all running in dual channel mode

 

[Axiarus]

they are both laptops. both 200p memory sticks. same pin number. im just asking if mixing frequencies or mhz is ok.

 

[sghiznaneck]

You guys may be lucky enough to mix RAM and get the system to boot and operate, but somewhere in there, you're taking a performance hit. You may not see it, but it's there.

 

[MetalX]

If you don't see it and don't notice it, it doesn't matter.

 

[Axiarus]

Well im ok with the hit cuz im basically gettting the 512 stick for free. so thats all that would happen? is the faster one would slow down to the speed of the slower one? no misfire and everything frys right?

 

[foozy]

Yeah, the faster one would slow down to 533.

I've never mixed RAM and had anything fry, so to speak. Worst case scenario the thing just doesn't boot back up until you take the new RAM back out.

I notice system instability a lot of the time when I mix RAM, although I usually only do it on older systems I'm repairing.

 

[Tedster]

I think he gets the message

Although I do disagree that mixing RAM brands is bad... it probably isn't the best, but sometime it works

like the guide says.... mixing ram is not recommended. While it may work, at worst it can wreck your system. Usually what happens is poor to no performance.

 

[MetalX]

Where do you get this "wreck your system" stuff from?!? How can mixing RAM wreck your system?

 

[Tedster]

in overclocked systems if using mixed memory, sticks that are mismatched and cannot handle increased voltages will tend to burn out.
the same goes for memory channels.

but we're getting off on a tangent here. The point is not to mix memory.