Yes, you can mix 2 different brands of 8GB sticks, but make sure they are compatible with your device.
Yes, you can mix 2 different brands of 8GB sticks, but make sure they are compatible with your device.
Today I ran some simulations for an investigation and ran out of RAM, causing my PC to crash. I have two 8 GB overclocked HyperX Black sticks at 2800 MHz. I’m thinking about buying another 16 GB in a 2 stick setup (maybe 2666 or 3000) on AliExpress, but I’m unsure if it will actually improve performance. I understand mixing memory can impact dual-channel speed, but it would create two separate dual-channel channels, wouldn’t it? My current system is: CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 2600 MB, RAM – AsRock B450M Pro4-f GC, GPU – EVGA 1660 Ti.
You'll be fine, and all the RAM will run at the slowest of them. Ryzen CAN run slower due to having all 4 slots filled due to memory controllers not being the best, but that's not something I know much about, just noticed people here talking about it. Either way, having the RAM level you need is a lot more performance than a little slowdown of the entire RAM package.
It all comes down to the RAM modules. When they function together, they perform well; if not, they fail. When they do work, performance depends on the module with the lowest speed—strongly advise against overclocking them. You can't be sure they'll integrate until you test it. Generally, I steer clear of mixing DDR4 kits because they tend to be inconsistent. If you obtain a genuine kit matching your requirements, it's better than trying mismatched ones.