Many PC builders have wondered what happens to your PC if you install faster RAM than what is supported by your Motherboard; unlike other PC components, RAM is fairly backward compatible, although that does have some significant limitations.
PC builders often need to look at the supported RAM speeds reported by the Motherboard and ensure that their RAM sticks are within the Motherboard's supported RAM speed range, but they may not need to!
What would happen if your PC's RAM was above the rated speed?
What Happens if You Put Faster RAM than Supported?
Installing RAM sticks that have a faster RAM speed than what is supported by the Motherboard may seem like a huge oversight, but luckily the RAM module will just run at the highest speed available by the Motherboard.
The main exception to this rule is going down an entire RAM generation, and this means that DDR4 RAM will not work on a Motherboard which only offers support for DDR3, DDR2, or even the original RAM generation.
This means that many PC builders can buy the fastest RAM available in their PC budget. This could be seen as a potential future-proofing method for PC builders that like to build systems that can be easily upgradeable in the future.
Ryzen processors, which often perform better with faster RAM, can potentially see an increase in RAM modules with a faster speed than what is supported by the Motherboard's RAM slots.
Anyone looking to use this RAM will see it running at the default value, which is considerably slower, but experienced PC builders can change the RAM speed in the PC's BIOS.
READ MORE:Is 2400MHz RAM Good for Gaming?
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