1 stick of 16GB vs 2 sticks of 8GB?

[Benc12]

So ive been looking to upgrade my RAM from 8GB to 16GB and i noticed that 1 single stick of 16GB is £30/$40 cheaper than 2 8GB sticks. Is this because it wont work as well or something else?

 

[mjslakeridge]

I am surprised there is that much of a price difference. Are you comparing the same specs? Running 2 x 8 GB will allow you to run in dual-channel, which should give a slight performance increase (maybe 15%).

 

[n0ns3ns3]

it's something else.

 

[captaincharisma]

running in dual channel mode would give you a slight performance increase then running one stick. but i guess it depends on if the mobo you have has 2 or 4 slots for ram

 

[Benc12]

8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2133MHz (2 x 4GB) yeah this is my current RAM, if i was to add 1x16GB to my existing RAM it would be an extra £159/$222 and if i was to just buy a new kit of 2x8GB it would be £187/$261. (This is company prices btw) I think it may be because im running the risk of mixing RAM not packaged together? i might be wrong

 

[Benc12]

running in dual channel mode would give you a slight performance increase then running one stick. but i guess it depends on if the mobo you have has 2 or 4 slots for ram

I have 4 but one of my RAM slots is overlapped by my CPU cooler so i dont think id be able to put one in there. Unless i took the fan off and squeezed it in there, but i wouldnt risk damaging something on my board

 

[captaincharisma]

running in dual channel mode would give you a slight performance increase then running one stick. but i guess it depends on if the mobo you have has 2 or 4 slots for ram

I have 4 but one of my RAM slots is overlapped by my CPU cooler so i dont think id be able to put one in there. Unless i took the fan off and squeezed it in there, but i wouldnt risk damaging something on my board

true, but i know with some big CPU coolers people are able to get one in the covered RAM slot by using low profile ram

 

[Benc12]

Havnt really looked into that ive only ever ran 2 sticks at once anyway only now that im contemplating getting a 3rd but i think just buying a new set is probably best so i dont risk the RAM messing up not being packaged together

 

[mjslakeridge]

Yes, your best bet would be to buy matched ram in a kit. If you do decide to go with a single stick to add to your existing RAM, make sure you buy it from somewhere with a good return policy in the event the new ram is not compatible with your old. Also make sure your motherboard supports 16GB ram (it probably does unless it is quite old).

 

[Benc12]

Yes, your best bet would be to buy matched ram in a kit. If you do decide to go with a single stick to add to your existing RAM, make sure you buy it from somewhere with a good return policy in the event the new ram is not compatible with your old. Also make sure your motherboard supports 16GB ram (it probably does unless it is quite old).

ASUS® STRIX B250H GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs

i have this motherboard

 

[mjslakeridge]

It looks like that motherboard will support 4 x 16 GB, so you should be fine.

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-STRIX-B250H-GAMING/specifications/

 

[Benc12]

It looks like that motherboard will support 4 x 16 GB, so you should be fine.

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-STRIX-B250H-GAMING/specifications/

Thats great thanks think im going to get some faster RAM too seen as im upgrading it

 

[mjslakeridge]

Read the notes regarding memory speed(s) on the link I gave above. You may also want to check your CPU's RAM QVL list.

 

[captaincharisma]

Read the notes regarding memory speed(s) on the link I gave above. You may also want to check your CPU's RAM QVL list.

before getting faster ram make sure your motherboard supports it. B series boards do not supports many speeds like Z series boards