HELP with SSR & RAM for NEW 2018 CyberPower Gamer Xtreme VR8020A5 PC Tower

Aug 21, 2018
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It’s AUG 20th 2018 and my CyberPowerPC Gamer XTreme GXiVR8020A5 arrived today. I purchased it on eBaynew in the box. I got a great deal and paid $685 + I had 10% back in ebay bucks ($69) and I used a $100 for $90 EBay Gift Card so I got about $80 off and it’s final Cost was about $605. I haven’t opened box yet and will tomorrow but asked Seller about the 8GB RAM (was it a DUAL DDR4 RAM 2X4GB OR was it a Single 1X8GB DDR4 Ram), it's a SINGLE he said!

As stated, this has 8GB DDR4 Ram with a SINGLE 8GB DDR4 RAM Stick. The PC Has 4 Slots Total.

I am planning on doing 2 Upgrades and I need your HELP Please:) and plan to ADD a Samsung EVO 860 SSD 500GB or 1 TB Drive. And I increasing the 8GB of RAM to 16GB by Purchasing an Additional Single 8GB DDR4 RAM.

My Questions for the Extra 8GB of DDR4 RAM:

1. This has a SINGLE 8GB DDR4 RAM installed. I can find out the specific brand when I
Open the Box Tomorrow if that matters? Do I just buy a single 8 GB DDR4 RAM , and add it to one of the three empty slots? Wish it had 2x4 DDR4 Rams installed instead of 1 Single 8GB. Heard that dual is better?

Looking at buying this and wanted to make sure I’m getting the correct one?

Ballistix Sport LT 8GB Single DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin - BLS8G4D240FSB (Gray is $74 and Red is $94 on Amazon).

2. Does it matter which of the 3 empty slots I install it in?

3. Is 16GB enough and is there any other brand or specific RAM to consider?

4. Will sticking this aftermarket 8GB DDR4 RAM be compatible with the existing 8GB of RAM?
Will I have issues? Do I need to go into the BIOS and set the RAM's Speed to the Same for Both.

I also heard some may need to buy a NEW 16GB RAM consisting of 2X8GB and take out the current 8GB it Came with? Hope not! More $$$$ and wasting my existing RAM.

Questions for my Samsung EVO 860 SSD:

1. Should I get 500GB or 1TB if money doesn’t matter TOO much IF it’s worth it! It’s basically $100 vs. $200. Not a HUGE PC Gamer, but maybe NOW that I Can Be with this new Monster, I will be!?

2. What cable do I need to attach the SSD. I Researched online and figured out that I needed ONLY 1 Cable which is an SATA III. What about this one?
***** MonoPrice 18-Inch SATA III 6.0 Gbps Cable with Locking Latch and 90-Degree Plug********

3. For POWER I was told there is an extra Cable on the Existing Power Supply that I plug into the Samsung EVO860 for Power? Is this correct?

4. What’s best way to transfer Windows to new SSR? I heard Samsung has free software that will accomplish this?

Thanks Guys!!!! Let me know if there’s anything else I need or if there’s anything you would change with my plans.

 
Solution
The RAM is best purchased in dual pairs to ensure it is compatible. You MAY be able to buy another 8GB stick to pair with your current stick. The best way to do it is to find exactly the model number off your RAM and get an 8GB stick of the same. There is still no guarantee that it will work at full spees, but it should. The other option is to sell your current stick and purchase a 16GB pair.

As for the SSD. I would recommend a,1TB if money isn't a factor. The larger drives are slightly faster. It will connect with a sata cable to the motherboard and a sata power cable to the PSU. Another option is to see if your motherboard has a m.2 slot. This would be an easier installation and would require a Samsung 860 EVO M.2 drive.
The RAM is best purchased in dual pairs to ensure it is compatible. You MAY be able to buy another 8GB stick to pair with your current stick. The best way to do it is to find exactly the model number off your RAM and get an 8GB stick of the same. There is still no guarantee that it will work at full spees, but it should. The other option is to sell your current stick and purchase a 16GB pair.

As for the SSD. I would recommend a,1TB if money isn't a factor. The larger drives are slightly faster. It will connect with a sata cable to the motherboard and a sata power cable to the PSU. Another option is to see if your motherboard has a m.2 slot. This would be an easier installation and would require a Samsung 860 EVO M.2 drive.
 
Solution