[SOLVED] How do i get 12GB ram?

[Oscarlyone]

Basically i don't feel as if i need to buy 16gb RAM straight away because i want to save for a new Graphics card, i was wondering how could i get 12gb ram, i understand the concept of 8x4 but many people told me that i can't buy random rams and put them together, i have to buy identical ones so i wonder does it have to have the same Mhz and everything ?
I want to buy the :
RAM KINGSTON SO-DIMM 8GB DDR4 2666 MHZ
for the 8GB RAM, for the 4GB ram i want to buy
RAM KINGSTON DDR4 4GB 2666 MHZ
i think these 2 are compatible and i could make 12gb of RAM because they have identical Mhz and they are DDR4, i just wonder what does SO-DIMM mean and should i get maybe another type? Please help thanks

 

[jeremyj_83]

Basically i don't feel as if i need to buy 16gb RAM straight away because i want to save for a new Graphics card, i was wondering how could i get 12gb ram, i understand the concept of 8x4 but many people told me that i can't buy random rams and put them together, i have to buy identical ones so i wonder does it have to have the same Mhz and everything ?
I want to buy the :
RAM KINGSTON SO-DIMM 8GB DDR4 2666 MHZ
for the 8GB RAM, for the 4GB ram i want to buy
RAM KINGSTON DDR4 4GB 2666 MHZ
i think these 2 are compatible and i could make 12gb of RAM because they have identical Mhz and they are DDR4, i just wonder what does SO-DIMM mean and should i get maybe another type? Please help thanks

When buying RAM the only way to guarantee that 2 or 4 DIMMs will work together is to buy them in kits. While you can get a 1x8 & 1x4 DIMMs to work, you usually don't want to. Mixing and matching sizes causes the first 8GB to work in dual channel and the last 4GB to work in single channel. This can affect performance if you are using enough RAM. Also if you do decide to do this you need to make sure that the RAM speed and timings are the same at the very least.

SO-DIMMs are a different size that is used specifically for small systems like laptops. If this is a desktop you are going to need standard DIMMs. What are you looking at for the full build and what is the budget? Typically it isn't much more expensive to go with 16GB vs 12GB.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Here is an example of why going 12GB vs 16GB doesn't make any sense.
PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: Crucial 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($37.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $122.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-27 12:13 EDT-0400
The Crucial is the only 4GB DIMM that was available on pcpartpicker. It has CAS timing of 22 where as the cheapest 2x8GB is CAS 16. The 2x8GB is only $3 more expensive than the 2 Crucial DIMMs, gives you 4GB more RAM, and has better timings. Plus you are assured that it will work with the other DIMM since they are bought in a kit.