Windows 7 Mixing memory card brands, dun dun duuun!

Ralph Bromley

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So recently I had to get new hardware for my rig.
My old motherboard sadly died so new processor, new motherboard.
Switched from a AMD Phenom II X6 1055T to a Intel Core i5 4460 and only had an issue due to my motherboard using AHCI and my setup was for IDE but no blue screens after I changed my mode in the BIOS.
But I have done the real unforgivable sin, for my windows side there is no evil greater then mixing memory brands!
Blood will run in the streets, children will be sacrificed, the earth will open and demons shall rise!
Also windows will bluescreen! NOOOOOO!

Well it hasnt done so yet but I know this is something that windows cannot do, sure all cards are DDR3 but they are from different companies...Lets see how fast utter catastrophy happens shall we?
 
If you don't over-clock them then I don't see a problem but if you do yes, IME BSOD will not be far behind.
 
Nah no overclocking, I have a H97 motherboard and I know overclocking isnt in the cards for that mobo.
Its part of the reason why I got my i5, I dint necessarily need a high end processor, I can still probably game on my machine just fine if I upped my GPU.
Heck even the on board GPU is very impressive a Intel 4600, it runs smooth as butter and I can up to AMD crossfire with my mobo.
This is my mobo:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5358#ov

As for ram I have 2 2GB Kingston blue hyper X DDR 3 and just popped in with a pair of Corsair Vengance 4 gig sticks packing now officially 12 gigs of Ram.
A bit overkill methinks as I was doing fine when I was running 8 gigs, I am not planning on buying the new GPU yet as I got to size up my money for one, probably need a new PSU next
 
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If you want a game that can push your system limits http://www.gog.com/game/star_ruler_2 will do that... this is one of the new true 64bit games and lets you make massive (ie. pick a silly number and double it) maps.

As for the ram I'd put the new Corsairs in slot 1 and 3 (the dark ones) and the older in 2 and 4 but again, it really shouldn't become an issue.
 
If you want a game that can push your system limits http://www.gog.com/game/star_ruler_2 will do that... this is one of the new true 64bit games and lets you make massive (ie. pick a silly number and double it) maps.

As for the ram I'd put the new Corsairs in slot 1 and 3 (the dark ones) and the older in 2 and 4 but again, it really shouldn't become an issue.

Yeah I already configured my mobo before I got the ram chips, figured it might be a good idea to use my gray slots for my Kingstons
 
Mixing RAM brands is OK...although it's preferred to use the same brand. The key being with RAM, is the speed, timings and voltages all have to be the same....then there should be no problem what so ever.
 
Well so far so good on both ends on my machine, in linux it works just fine and no bluescreens in windows.
I may have a winning combo, though later on this year I may fit in another pair of corsair sticks and remove my kingstons to have a more streamlined build.
I only got the corsairs because currently they are cheaper
 
But I have done the real unforgivable sin, for my windows side there is no evil greater then mixing memory brands!
As bassfisher noted, that is not true at all - especially with modern motherboards and modern RAM. Today's RAM manufacturing techniques allow for much tighter and consistent compliance to specifications to ensure RAM from all brands meet published specifications.

And today's motherboards and memory controllers are much more capable at making RAM of slightly different tolerances play well together. And note this is not a Windows thing either.

If you look in your manual (section 1-4, page 16) is only says it is recommended memory be the same capacity, brand, speed and chips. The manual for my Ford pickup "recommends" I only use Ford oil filters and Ford oil too. The only fairly regular source of compatibility issues I have encountered in recent years is mixing chips - that is, trying to match a single sided RAM stick with a double sided in the same channel.

later on this year I may fit in another pair of corsair sticks and remove my kingstons to have a more streamlined build.
Streamlined? I don't know what that means unless you are saying one set is taller than the other. But is that really a big deal? Do you spend your day gazing into the interior of your case, or watching what is happening on your monitor(s)?
 
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