4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility

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COMPUTERS, LAPTOPS & TABLETS > ACCESSORIES & HARDWARE 69

How to Check RAM and

Motherboard Compatibility
Things to check to keep your PC parts compatible
By Jeremy Laukkonen Updated on August 5, 2021
Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr

IN THIS ARTICLE
Which RAM Is Compatible With My Motherboard?
Do I Need DIMM or SO-DIMM RAM Sticks?
Which DDR Generation Do I Need?
How Much RAM Does My Motherboard Support?
What Speed of RAM Do I Need?

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How Do I Make Sure My RAM Will Have Enough Clearance?

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4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility

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How to Use a System Checking TO A toSECTION
Determine Compatibility
Frequently Asked Questions TECH FOR HUMANS
This article explains how to check random access memory (RAM) and
motherboard compatibility, including finding RAM compatible with a
motherboard when building a new PC and selecting new RAM when
upgrading a computer.

How Do I Know Which RAM Is Compatible

With My Motherboard?
There are many factors you need to consider when determining what
RAM will be compatible with your motherboard. Some of these are
easy to figure out on your own, while others will require some extra
work to determine your motherboard's specifications.
Here are the four most important characteristics of RAM when
considering motherboard compatibility:

Form factor: Desktop motherboards accept dual in-line module

(DIMM) RAM, and laptops use small outline dual in-line memory
module (SO-DIMM) RAM. DIMMs are longer than SO-DIMMs and
take up more space.
DDR generation: DDR, DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4 are all different
types of RAM that aren’t interchangeable. If you’re building a
new computer with a new motherboard, you’ll need DDR4 RAM.
If you’re using an older motherboard or upgrading a computer,
you may need DDR3 RAM.
Storage capacity: This is one of the most important factors when
choosing RAM. More storage capacity will allow you to multitask
between multiple applications and run more resource-intensive
applications and games. Some motherboards place limits on how
much RAM capacity they support.

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4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility

Speed: RAM clock speed JUMPis TO A SECTIONin MHz, and RAM with a
measured
faster clock speed will speed up many functions on your
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computer. RAM is typically backward compatible in that it will still
work on your motherboard if it’s faster than the motherboard is
designed to use.
Internal clearance: RAM modules with large heat sinks can
sometimes get in the way of other internal components,
especially your CPU cooler. Consider the height of your RAM
modules, the size and position of your CPU cooler, and whether
or not they will fit together.

These factors are all just as important whether you’re building a brand
new computer or upgrading an older computer. However, there’s a
much easier way to determine compatibility if you’re upgrading an
older computer. If your computer is in working order, you have the
choice to research your motherboard, or you can just run a system
scan tool to find out exactly what you need.

Do I Need DIMM or SO-DIMM RAM Sticks

For My Motherboard?

Note: The general rule of thumb is desktop computers have

DIMM slots, and laptops have SO-DIMM slots. The one exception
is some all-in-one computers use SO-DIMM RAM sticks to save
space.

If you’re upgrading a laptop, it will need SO-DIMMs. Consider

running a system check tool to find out exactly which memory
modules to buy, or look up the specifications from your laptop
manufacturer.
If you’re building or upgrading a desktop PC, you will almost always
need DIMMs. You can check with the motherboard manufacturer if
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you’re building a new PC or run a system checking tool if you’re
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upgrading. You can also look A SECTION
slots and measure them. SO-
DIMM slots are about 2.66 inches long, while DIMM slots are
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approximately 5.25 inches long.

Which DDR Generation Do I Need?

There are three ways to find out what DDR generation your
motherboard uses. You can examine the RAM sockets, check with the
motherboard manufacturer to get the specifications of the
motherboard, or you can run a system checking tool if the computer
is currently operational. You'll need DDR4 RAM unless you're using
an old motherboard if you're building a new computer.
Different DDR generations have very similar-looking sockets, but they
each have different numbers of pins in addition to notches. These
slight differences prevent you from installing the wrong kind of RAM,
and you can also use them to figure out what type of RAM you need if
you look carefully.
Here's how to tell the difference between types of DDR memory:

DDR: These modules have 184 pins, and the notch is near the
center.
DDR2: These modules have 244 pins, and the notch is near the
center.
DDR3: These modules have 240 pins, and the notch is offset to
one side.
DDR4: These modules have 288 pins, and the notch is near the
center.

How Much RAM Does My Motherboard

Support?
When considering RAM capacity, you need to consider the number of
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RAM slots your motherboard has and the total amount of RAM your

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motherboard supports. You JUMP

canTOsee
A SECTION
how many slots the motherboard
has just by looking at it, but you need to get the motherboard's
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specifications from the manufacturer to find out how much RAM it can
support. You can also determine how much RAM your motherboard
supports by running a system checker tool if your computer is
operational.
The amount of RAM you need is different from the amount your
motherboard supports, and you don’t always need to max it out. You
can always start with two RAM modules and add another two later if
you find your computer isn’t performing as well as you would like.
Activities like gaming, image editing, and video editing take a lot
more RAM than activities like browsing the internet and streaming
video, so how you plan to use your computer will play a significant
factor in how much RAM you need. Many users can get by just fine
with 8 GB of RAM, but you might need 16 GB, 32 GB, or even more,
depending on the sorts of apps and games you want to run and how
many applications you’ll need to have open at once.

What Speed of RAM Do I Need?

RAM speed is vital to a degree as it can improve the performance of
games and apps, but it’s usually a secondary concern to capacity.
Spending a lot of money to have slightly faster RAM will typically have
less of an effect on performance than adding more capacity.
Your motherboard has a range of RAM speeds it can work with, but
most RAM is backward compatible. That means if you accidentally buy
RAM that’s faster than your motherboard can handle, the RAM will just
run at a slower speed. Adding RAM modules of different speeds can
also cause them all to run at the speed of the slowest module,
depending on the installation order and the architecture of the
motherboard.

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Tip: To find out what speed of RAM you need, you have to
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check with the motherboard manufacturer. Stick within that
range, and you’ll be fine. Faster memory will usually work just
fine as well, although you won’t see additional benefits from it,
so your money is better spent elsewhere.

If your computer is operational, you can also use a system checking

tool to precisely determine what speeds your motherboard supports.

How Do I Make Sure My RAM Will Have

Enough Clearance?
Figuring out whether or not your RAM will have enough clearance can
be tricky because different RAM modules can have different heights,
especially if they have built-in heat sinks. To make sure everything will
fit, you need to look at the motherboard or a picture of the
motherboard and check the location of the RAM concerning the CPU
and any nearby expansion ports. In a lot of cases, you’ll find the RAM
slots are located right next to the CPU, and at least two of them are
likely to be overhung by your CPU cooler.
If it looks like the RAM slots are close to the CPU on your
motherboard, check the height of the RAM modules you want and
then check the clearance of the heatsink you wish to use. If the
heatsink isn’t high enough off the motherboard to clear the top of the
RAM modules, you’ll either have to choose shorter RAM or a different
CPU cooler. You may want to select a low-profile cooler or a cooler
that has a large notch cut out to accommodate taller RAM modules.

Tip: It's a tricky situation, and it isn’t something a system scan

tool will be able to figure out for you. To make sure everything

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JUMP
fits, you’ll have to check TOcomponent's
each A SECTION dimensions and
figure out spacing.
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How to Use a System Checking Tool to

Determine RAM and Motherboard
Compatibility
If your computer is operational and you’re looking to upgrade your
RAM, you can run a system checking tool to determine exactly what
kind of RAM is compatible with your motherboard.

Tip: When you run this tool, you’ll end up with a number that
follows this format: [storage capacity in GB] [DDR
generation]-[Speed] [Form factor]. With that information in
hand, you can purchase compatible RAM from the retailer of
your choice.

Here’s how to check RAM compatibility with the Crucial System

Scanner:

1. Navigate to the Crucial System Scanner, and check the box next to
I agree to the terms and conditions, then select Start Your Free
Scan.

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4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility

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2. When prompted, select Open or Run.

3. Scroll down your results page to see the recommended upgrade. It

will show whether you can add more RAM or replace existing RAM
and the basics of what you need.

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4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility

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4. Continue scrolling until you reach the compatible memory section.

Every RAM module in this section will work with your motherboard,
but you don’t need to buy from Crucial if you don’t want to. If
you're going to shop around, identify the RAM module you want,
and take that information to your favorite retailer.
For example, using the results from this sample scan, you could
search a retailer like Newegg or Amazon for 16GB DDR4-3200
SODIMM for a fast module with maximum capacity, or 8GB
DDR4-2666 SODIMM for a slower module with less capacity.

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FAQ
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4/7/24, 1:00 PM How to Check RAM and Motherboard Compatibility
FAQ
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How do I add RAM to myFOR
TECH computer?
HUMANS
To upgrade your RAM, you'll likely have to open up your
computer. Shut it down and remove all cables, then carefully
remove the screws on the back panel to access the RAM slot. The
RAM is held in place by metal clips that you can carefully lift.

Are all motherboards compatible with all processors?

No. If you're building or upgrading your PC, you must make sure
your motherboard supports the processor (CPU). Check each
component manufacturer's website to ensure that they are
compatible.

How do I tell if a graphics card is compatible with my

motherboard?
Most GPU cards will work with any motherboard so long as it has
the right socket. Just make sure both support PCIe x16.

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