Static is the real risk when installing RAM

The slots are keyed, so you physically can’t put RAM in the wrong way around. No, you aren’t going to “bend a pin” from a slight misalignment. The actual risks are static discharge frying the memory controller, or forcing a module so hard you crack the PCB or damage the slot.

Anti-static wristbands are cheap insurance. Touch the metal case before you touch the components. Don’t install RAM on carpet, or if you do, touch something grounded first. And when you push the stick in, it should click with moderate pressure—if it doesn’t line up, rotate it.

Most “mistakes” in RAM installation are just not seating it fully, which won’t break anything. But one zap at the wrong time can kill a motherboard or stick.

Treat the motherboard like a delicate piece of electronics, because it is.