The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Mixing: same memory, different voltages?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by mwake, Mar 31, 2017.

  1. mwake

    mwake Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    16
    So I currently have a DDR3 memory stick that runs at 1.5v and I have seen a bargain priced DDR3L stick that operates at 1.35v that I would like to add to my laptop.

    According to crucial.com my laptop system can support both memory, but I don't know if the laptop can support both sticks safely at the same time...Will the laptop system adapt and compromise the memory sticks or not?

    Thanks
     
    mwake, Mar 31, 2017
    #1
    hmscott likes this.
  2. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,879
    Messages:
    8,926
    Likes Received:
    4,701
    Trophy Points:
    431
    Unless you can find a single stick with the exact same specifications as the one you already have, it's always best to buy RAM in matching pairs.
     
    saturnotaku, Mar 31, 2017
    #2
    hmscott and mwake like this.
  3. jedisurfer1

    jedisurfer1 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    39
    Messages:
    785
    Likes Received:
    50
    Trophy Points:
    41
    I've heard other people say mixing voltage will cause crashes in some mobo. So I don't do it.
     
    jedisurfer1, Apr 1, 2017
    #3
    hmscott likes this.
  4. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

    Reputations:
    826
    Messages:
    3,230
    Likes Received:
    1,643
    Trophy Points:
    231
    @mwake it's OK, DDR3L will just work at 1.5v like DDR3 you already have. Better pick low density RAM (8 chips on each side, 16 total on module) to avoid compatibility problems.
     
    Starlight5, Apr 1, 2017
    #4
    hmscott likes this.
  5. jedisurfer1

    jedisurfer1 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    39
    Messages:
    785
    Likes Received:
    50
    Trophy Points:
    41
    yes ddr3L will work fine at 1.5v if all are also ddr3L

    I've seen dd3L and ddr3 mixed work for some time but since I test software I need the utmost stability and I heard from a pretty knowledgeable person that dd3L mixed with dd3 caused stability issues but this was on a Xeon desktop with nvme drive so there are other factors.
     
    jedisurfer1, Apr 1, 2017
    #5
    mwake likes this.