[SOLVED] Is single-channel RAM a bottleneck?

[m4gdark]

Hi everyone,

I have bought a gaming laptop: Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15ARH05. And I faced some issues with performance,
especially in the games like the Witcher 3 or Battlefield 5 when there are a lot of object around me, like in the city (Novigrad etc).
Any game isn't going like YouTube test with almost the same pc parts and on the same laptop.

Can it be caused by single-channeled RAM ?

specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
512GB ssd
RAM: 8GB DDR4 3200mhz x1
GTX1650 4GB

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Single 8gb stick and Ryzen? That will for certain negatively impact performance.

 

[m4gdark]

Single 8gb stick and Ryzen? That will for certain negatively impact performance.

Yeah, Im not expert in Ryzens CPUs, but there were no variants of laptops with 8gb ram x2. I want to add additional stick, but Im a bit scared of voiding warranty.

 

[logainofhades]

You cannot void your warranty, by upgrading your ram.

 

[m4gdark]

You cannot void your warranty, by upgrading your ram.

But will it help me ? Does RAM influnce on performance while there are a lot of object near you?

 

[Bob.B]

Hi everyone,

I have bought a gaming laptop: Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15ARH05. And I faced some issues with performance,
especially in the games like the Witcher 3 or Battlefield 5 when there are a lot of object around me, like in the city (Novigrad etc).
Any game isn't going like YouTube test with almost the same pc parts and on the same laptop.

Can it be caused by single-channeled RAM ?

specs:
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
512GB ssd
RAM: 8GB DDR4 3200mhz x1
GTX1650 4GB

Having just 8GB for gaming is going to be a bottleneck.
You should bump that to 16GB.
There is no guarantee that a matching stick will work but try it.

 

[m4gdark]

Like an example: unstable frametime, even when fps is ok and stable:

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You can't have an unstable frametime and stable fps at the same time, as they are a measure of the same thing.

I assume you mean stutter, and yes, that can be caused by single channel ram, or insufficient ram amount. It could be other things as well, but I suspect ram in this case.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

To the OP. Laptops are much more forgiving than desktops for memory compatibility. Mixing DIMMS as long as they are they same speed/voltage/timings should work just fine.

A lot of entry level- mid level gaming laptops come only with 8gb of ram. Similarly was the same for my HP Omen. Popped in another 8gb and boom, no more stuttering. It makes a huge difference.

Dual channel ram for Ryzen is huge, as is fast ram (which yours is). Can give a boost of between 10-25% depending on what task you are doing. Gaming is really responsive to it though.

 

[logainofhades]

But will it help me ? Does RAM influnce on performance while there are a lot of object near you?

Yes, a single 8gb stick, with a ryzen cpu, is a big performance hit. You can use CPU-Z to get the model number, for your current stick of ram. Find another stick, of that exact model, for 16gb, or buy a new 2x16gb kit, for 32gb. Crucial has a tool, for compatible ram, as well, should you decide to buy either a 2x8gb or 2x16gb kit. https://www.crucial.com/store/crucial-advisor-trust

 

[m4gdark]

Thank you all of answers! I have ordered a new RAM stick and tomorrow I will upgrade my laptop. After upgrading I will tell you about changes

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Thank you all of answers! I have ordered a new RAM stick and tomorrow I will upgrade my laptop. After upgrading I will tell you about changes

Yes, do let us know how you get on,

 

[m4gdark]

Yes, do let us know how you get on,

You were right. I upgraded my ram and all games that were lagging now is ok. Thank you guys for answers! But now I have an a problem... when I was upgrading my laptop, accidently while I was talking, got a small drip of saliva towards a motherboard, can it ruin my laptop ?

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

You were right. I upgraded my ram and all games that were lagging now is ok. Thank you guys for answers! But now I have an a problem... when I was upgrading my laptop, accidently while I was talking, got a small drip of saliva towards a motherboard, can it ruin my laptop ?

hmmm, that's hard to know for sure. Did you try to dry/clean it up? After doing so, just leave it open to the air for an hour or two, and hope that any residue evaporates. You should be okay. But if you have any issues, then that could be a cause. Hopefully it will be fine.

Glad your issue with stutters is now gone! Happy gaming.