Haswell "Incompatible" RAM is functional and operational.
Haswell "Incompatible" RAM is functional and operational.
Recently found that my Dell Optiflex 9020 contains three 4G DDR3 RAM modules and one 4G DDR3L stick... The Crucial module runs at 1.35V while the others use 1.5V. I have a screenshot from CPU-Z displaying the third memory slot at 1.35V and the remaining ones at 1.5V. According to Dell’s documentation, the Intel 4th Gen CPUs aren’t meant to work with DDR3 memory and only support DDR3L. Despite that, all 16GB appear to show up, which isn’t what I expected. I’m checking the Dell guide online and it confirms that DDR3 isn’t compatible with my I7-4790 processor. The Dell OptiPlex DDR3 Memory Compatibility Guide is available, and I’m curious about the RAM sockets adjusting automatically to 1.35V or if I need to adjust settings manually. I searched the BIOS and couldn’t locate any options for changing RAM voltages. The Dell A25 05/30/2019 mainboard BIOS lists the processor details, but there’s no mention of RAM voltage settings. I’m wondering if I need to use a different RAM kit or follow specific instructions from Dell for this configuration.
4th generation Intel functions well with DDR3. The introduction of support for DDR3L came along, and Intel encouraged using it as the primary memory from then on, though this was largely overlooked unless necessary.
The 4790 is compatible with DDR3 and DDR3L memory, offering up to 32 GB of combined system RAM.
Thank you for the link—it revealed I was worrying unnecessarily and spent money on new memory.