Tom's Hardware > Forum > Overclocking > Memory > [Solved] Adding more RAM to an already OC'd CPU..

[Solved] Adding more RAM to an already OC'd CPU..

Forum Overclocking : Memory [Solved] Adding more RAM to an already OC'd CPU..

I'm not very computer savvy, so sorry if this comes off ignorant.

First of all, I have an i5 750 2.66ghz (oc'd to 3.8ghz) with 6gb (3 x 2gb) Gskill DDR3 running Win-7 64bit...

Since RAM is relatively cheap at the moment, and I can get the exact same 3 sticks of RAM for $42 right now as opposed to $109 when I first got it, I was looking to add more because, hey, I might as well, right?

My question is, after I put in the new RAM to go along with the old RAM, do I have to tweak the new RAM to the same settings as the old? I'm pretty sure I messed with the frequency/voltages in BIOS...and I guess I'd have to go look at what they're set at and then set the new RAM accordingly....also, pretty sure I only have one slot on the MB open, so the most I could upgrade to is 8gb RAM total.

I'm asking this because I'm probably going to replace my current 6870 GPU with the 7950...but I have no idea if the GPU is in anyway dependent on the oc'd cpu/ram. Does that matter? Would I be fine running the 7950 GPU on my current set up now of 6gb RAM?

Hope this was easy to understand and thanks for your help.

-noob

Reply to suddenlyserious

Best answer

The GPU is not dependant on your RAM so you are fine with what you have.

The i5 750 uses dual channel RAM. Meaning it does best with RAM running in matched pairs. If you were to add to what you have the best performance would be either to add 1 identical stick so you have 2 matching pairs of 2 sticks or to add like an 8GB kit of 2 x 4GB sticks and also use 2 sticks of what you have now. That would give you 2 matched sets and would allow the ram to run in dual channel mode. You would lose one of the sticks you have now by doing this but 8GB kits of 2 x 4GB are only $45-$50. You can run different sized sticks together in dual channel as long as the sticks in the matching color RAM slots are identical. So 2 x 2GB sticks will be fine with 2 x 4GB sticks as long as they are in the matching color slots.

You do however want to match brand, voltage, speed and timings as closely as you can. If you get RAM that is mismatched it can have trouble running together.

Message edited by anort3 on 02-02-2012 at 10:19:32 PM

------------------------------ i7 2600K @ 4.5/P67A UD4/Scythe Mugen 2 Rev B/OCZ Vertex 2 120GB/2xWD 640 Blacks/Antec 1200/Samsung 23in LED LCD/EVGA GTX 460/2x4GB GSkill Ripjaws X DDR3 1600 7-8-7-24/Windows 7 Ultimate x64/Corsair 750TX
Reply to anort3

Do you think I should even bother adding more RAM then? I'm not exactly tech savvy and I was hesitant to OC in the first place, but I was just following a step by step thing I got off of youtube...I just don't want to go into BIOS trying to replicate what I did with the original ram for a new 2gb stick, and end up messing something up.

Reply to suddenlyserious

If you can find a matching 2GB stick to what you already have then you not only gain the extra 2GB you gain the advantage of dual channel. Whatever setting you made in BIOS will automatically be applied to any new RAM you add. In other words BIOS settings override anything else. So as long as what you have now works fine as long as you add the exact same RAM it too will work fine.

Ok, so when I went into BIOS originally and made the tweaks, the tweaks I made to the RAM wasn't to each individual stick, it was to the entire RAM circuit slot?

That's great news. I can get the same RAM and just plug and play. Fantastic. Thanks for the help man.

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Reply to suddenlyserious