C14 and C16 DDR4 RAM options available.
C14 and C16 DDR4 RAM options available.
I’ve just chosen to upgrade with an additional 16GB of RAM. After ordering, I noticed my current RAM is C14 while the new one is C16. Can I combine them? They’re from the same brand and have the same speed—3000MHz Trident Z RGB.
It's uncertain whether it will function, but it might be possible. The outcome really depends on you—it's not a huge difference either way.
It's similar to trying to spot the distinction between a 120hz monitor and a 144hz one—there’s a difference, but in practice it’s nearly impossible to tell. Linus even made a video about it and discovered even professional e-sports players struggled to distinguish them. The same applies to RAM.
The real-world performance gap is similar to the speed of a blink. I explored various forums and benchmarks and found results in the range of 1/100th of a second or milliseconds. If you’re okay with waiting that short, the CL16 should perform well. Bonus: I own 32GB (two 16GB units) of Samsung B-die Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB at 3200 MHz RAM, matching your setup. I’ve tested lower latency RAM before and didn’t see any noticeable impact. I’m also running top-tier parts like an i7-8700K and 2080 Ti, so my hardware isn’t a bottleneck compared to a basic PC with an Intel Celeron and no graphics card.