Still dealing with outdated RAM, time to move up.
Still dealing with outdated RAM, time to move up.
Hello! You're facing a common challenge when upgrading your system. The Corsair Vengeance RGB 3466mhz kit is no longer available, but you've found alternatives with similar latency and voltage. Since your motherboard supports quad channel and you're using the same voltage, it's possible to run both kits. However, compatibility isn't guaranteed—Corsair hasn't confirmed support for these newer sticks. Running them together could lead to instability or boot issues. Make sure to check your motherboard's documentation or contact Corsair directly for compatibility details before proceeding.
You're concerned about your PC's stability when adding new RAM. Have you checked if anyone has shared their experience online, perhaps on YouTube? It might be wise to test BIOS updates or hardware modifications first, as compatibility isn't guaranteed. If needed, you could consider downclocking the older RAM sticks to match the newer ones, though I lack enough information to give a definitive recommendation.
4 dimes running on a CPU with two memory channels remain dual-channel. Only high-end models like Threadripper and Xeon offer quad-channel support. Regarding your memory compatibility question, combining different speeds, latencies, and configurations isn't advisable. You might struggle to even start up. If it works and boots, all components will operate at their slowest speed. What's the purpose of 32GB? Are you hitting a memory limitation?
Memory cards available at certain frequencies can operate efficiently at lower speeds with tighter settings. For instance, you might achieve smooth performance with 3600 Mhz 18-20-20-xx and adjust the sticks to run at 3200 Mhz and 16-18-18-36 timings, or even push them to 3466 Mhz with those configurations. My observation suggests your current cards are likely overclocked to 3466 Mhz, requiring a voltage of about 1.35v to maintain stability. I recommend switching to 3600 CL18 sticks and lowering them to 3466, or using all four sticks at 3200 Mhz—this may cause only minor performance drops because 3200 is slightly below 3466. Alternatively, opt for 3200 Mhz CL16 sticks and follow a similar approach; your original cards will function optimally at 3200 Mhz. Your motherboard supports dual-channel with two slots per channel. Using two sticks per channel could provide a modest speed boost, especially if your RAM is single-rank, allowing the CPU to handle each rank as a separate channel. Any gains would be minimal. For greater improvement, consider dual-rank sticks (two ranks on one stick), which work best with 16 GB or larger modules. The majority of performance gain comes from increasing capacity—moving from 16 GB to 32 GB will yield the biggest boost.