Do You Have To Fill All Ram Slots

Summary :

I have 2 RAM slots. I already had 1 GB installed on one of these slots. A few months before I installed a 1 GB RAM on another slot(I gave my CPU to the shop actually to install it) and it was working fine. I had some problem with my PC so I formatted the whole Hard disk and reinstalled my Windows 8. But now it only uses one slot. If you are using DDR memory in dual-channel configuration, however, then you must fill the first slot of each of the two RAM banks with an identical stick of RAM; and you must do the same with the second slots of each bank, if you are using them. The RAM sticks in each bank must be identical to each other. Additional Notes: For best performance, fill both memory slots, installing an equal memory module in each slot. The likely technical explanation here is that your MacBook (motherboard) supports dual-channel architecture and thus requires two identical memory modules. Benchmarks suggests that it gives a 5-10 percent performance boost. So, if you have 4Gb RAM, and some app’s max usage is 10%, it can use up to 410Mb, and if you have 8Gb, this will double the amount of memory available for an app — up to 820Mb.

It is extremely important to make a RAM compatibility check when purchasing a new RAM, right? If the RAM is not compatible with your motherboard, your computer won’t run as normal. How to check RAM compatibility? Let’s explore this question together with MiniTool.

Why Check RAM Compatibility

Do You Have To Fill All Ram Slots

Does RAM matter? RAM is an integral component of your system. Once your RAM gets damaged or incompatible, your computer will not operate properly. It is necessary for your processor to run an operating system and different programs on the computer.

Usually, the more RAM you have installed, the faster your processor can handle and the more process your computer can run at a time. However, the RAM storage capacity depends on your motherboard specs can support.

So, it is necessary to make a RAM compatibility check before upgrading RAM. How to check RAM compatibility? Is my RAM compatible with any motherboard? Please keep reading to get the answers.

Is My RAM Compatible with Any Motherboard

When it comes to RAM compatibility, it is inevitable to discuss the motherboard. In fact, the RAM compatibility checking depends on what motherboard you have installed. As is well known to us, there are all types of RAM memories such as DDR3, DDR4, and so on. Not all RAM chips can mix and match the memory slot of your motherboard.

For example, if your motherboard was designed for DDR4 RAM, the memory slots of your motherboard cannot fit other types of RAMs like DDR3. Besides, the motherboard memory slots usually are integrated into the board and cannot be changed.

So, it important to make a memory compatibility check on your motherboard.

How Do I Know My RAM Compatibility

How to check RAM compatibility for your computers? Your operating systems and motherboard are 2 important components that have great significance on the RAM compatibility. So, you need to know your system information first. After that, you can refer to the following information to make a RAM compatibility check.

Should You Fill All Ram Slots

Here’s a way to check your Windows 10 system information.

Step 1. Press Win + E keys to open the File Explorer.

Step 2. Right-click This PC on the left side and select Properties to open the system information window. Then you will see the current Windows edition as well as the system type.

The operating systems will affect the maximum capacity of RAM you can use on your computer. Compared to the consumer editions, a typical server Windows version can support several times the maximum RAM.

Usually, the Windows 8 Enterprise and Professional editions can support a maximum of 512GB RAM, while the consumer version only supports up to 128GB. Windows 10 operating systems have similar RAM limits. You can refer to the information from Microsoft.

It is different between a 32-bit and 64-bit processor as well. Without considering the Windows editions, a 32-bit system has the limitation of 4GB physical memory, while a 64-bit system can be able to handle a 128GB RAM physical memory.

In addition, your motherboard also determines how much RAM your computer can support. This is because your motherboard has a memory module slot limit. If you don’t know how to check the motherboard model, please read this post.

Here are several common memory types that you can refer to:

Do You Need To Fill All Ram Slots

• DDR 2 SDRAM: This technology is commonly found in those computers that are made after 2003.
• DDR3 SDRAM: It is suitable for those computers made after 2007.
• DDR4 SDRAM: It is the newest RAM type. So, please make sure you are using a modern PC with the latest builds.