Resolved Mixing Old RAM with New

Is it okay to mix old RAM with new so long as they are the exact same RAM?

Let's say I bought a 64GB RAM kit from Crucial today and put it in my system, then in another 5 years, I want to upgrade to 128GB. Is it okay to just simply add an additional 64GB so long as I buy the same exact kit from Crucial? Or is the fact that the first 64GB will be 5 years old be a problem when combining it with the brand new RAM?

 

"In theory", they don't even have to be from Crucial. Today's motherboards are much more capable at supporting a wide variety of RAM, even if not exactly identical - as in from the same maker. This is due, in part, to RAM manufacturing techniques improving significantly in recent years that ensure RAM meets published specs - regardless the maker.

So as Steve noted, it is the specs that matter. And that includes the specs noted by the motherboard maker on their RAM QVL - qualified vendors list. This is a list of compatible RAM for that specific motherboard, as listed on the motherboard's webpage. Since there are too many RAM makers and RAM models for motherboard makers to test them all, you don't have to buy listed RAM - just RAM with the same specs as the listed RAM.

You also need to make sure your motherboard even supports 128GB of RAM - many don't support that much - often by not supporting the size or number of sticks needed to reach that amount. Many boards only have two slots. If 32GB is maximum size of the supported RAM, 64GB is the limit.

Also as Steve alludes to, 64GB is already a HUGE amount of RAM. Most users don't even need half that.

Personally, I think in 5 years, your biggest problem will be finding compatible RAM. For example, DDR4 is common today but there are still many DDR3 motherboards in use. However, new DDR3 RAM is getting harder and harder to find because fewer manufacturers are making it, and they are making less of it.

DDR5 RAM and motherboards are now hitting the market and before long, DDR5 will dominate marketshare because the RAM makers are retooling their factories to make DDR5. This means in 5 years, compatible new DDR4 RAM may be hard to find - and VERY expensive if you do find it.

It is for this cycle of obsolescence that I typically recommend new computer builders/buyers install more RAM "now" (during the initial build/purchase) than they think they could ever need. Because RAM availability, even in 3 or so years, may be limited, at best.

One last thing - in 5 years, the rest of your computer will be 5 years older and showing its age. And no doubt, there will be newer hardware and software (to include OS and security) technologies your current 5+ year old computer will not support.

If me, instead of planning to add more RAM in 5 years, I would be planning on upgrading to a new computer in 5 years.

 

Thanks. 64GB is more than enough at the moment. But who knows if that will be the case years down the road. So that's why I asked if age mattered. My motherboard is capable of supporting up 128GB of DDR5 RAM.

I use my computer for video editing. And since I want to start doing some 4K work while using effects and color grading, I am asking a lot of my machine.

 

Crucial has or used to have a calculator that would tell you the type of Ram and how much you could use. Don't know if they still do that or not.

 

They do. It is actually a RAM "wizard" or as they call it, the Crucial System Scanner. I note that most RAM makers have something similar. One thing nice about Crucial is if buy from them suggested RAM, they guarantee compatibility. And last time I bought from them, it was for my MSI laptop and it was actually $10 cheaper than Amazon!