Installing new Ram

[ToneLocACG]

hello. I bought two new ram sticks to install into my pc. It has four memory slots(from right to left) an 8gb, empty, 4gb, empty. Question, can I move the 4gb next to the 8gb one and then put the two new sticks together in the two remaining spots?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Apparently your PC allows you to run the memory in flex mode.

The picture of the motherboard shows two black and two blue memory slots.

For best memory performance (dual channel mode), you are supposed to install matching memory capacities in the same color slots.

For example:  if you have 2 x 8 GB and 2 x 4 GB memory chips, you should install the 8 GB ones in the black slots and the 4 GB ones in the blue slots, or visa versa.

You would not install an 8 in the black and an 8 in the blue, and a 4 in the black and a 4 in the blue.

[ToneLocACG]

Thank you for your reply. And that makes sense. Looking at the motherboard installed in the computer, from right to left there's an empty black slot, then a blue slot with an 8gb stick, an empty black slot, and then a 4gb stick in the blue slot. The 8gb and 4gb sticks are factory as far as I'm aware cause its a 12gb PC.

[ToneLocACG]

These are the two new sticks I bought I'm pretty sure they're the correct ones 

• TECMIYO 16GB Kit (2x8GB) DDR3 / DDR3L 1600MHz UDIMM, PC3-12800 DIMM, PC3 / PC3L-12800U Non ECC Unbuffered 1.35V/1.5V CL11 2RX8 Dual Rank 240 Pin Desktop RAM Computer Memory Module

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The specs sound right.

The problem is that 4 GB chip is going to slow down the whole works until you can replace it with an 8 GB chip.

The memory can't run in dual channel mode unless all slots have matching memory it them.

So, you will have 28 GB running in flex (single channel) mode until then.

[ToneLocACG]

Should I just put one of the 8gb ones in for now then instead of both?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

There is no reason to do that because your PC is running in flex mode now.

I have no idea why HP would have configured a PC like that.

The only way your PC's memory would run in dual channel mode would be to only install 2 x 8 GB chips in the black or blue slots and remove the 4 GB chip, and you would leave the other 2 slots vacant.

[ToneLocACG]

What would be the best, easiest way to swap these 4gb and 8gb ones out with these new 8's i bought without losing everything in my system? 

[ToneLocACG]

I'm not really familiar with the difference between flex and dual channel ill have to do some research 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're not going to lose any data on your PC by replacing the memory.

The data is stored on the hard drive, not in the memory.

Read the service manual for how to remove and replace the memory.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03280829