Question Matched 8gb vs unmatched 12gb/20gb

[jerky1280]

I recently purchased a Lenovo S340 with 4GB DDR4-2400 soldered and another 4GB in the only socket. For general use (web browsing, Excel, word, Netflix, etc) would you expect any significant performance improvement by replacing the 4GB in the socket with an 8 or 16gb chip?
i3-8145u
256gb SSD

 

[Darkbreeze]

How much of the already installed memory are you currently using when tasked with your most demanding regular activities?

If you are using 75% or more of your currently installed memory while working on something, then adding more memory will likely show some benefit. If you are not using more than 75% of your installed memory then it unlikely that adding more is going to translate into any kind of increase in performance.

While running your most demanding activities, open Windows resource manager or download and install HWinfo, install it and run sensors only (Prior to running your application or whatever you do that uses the most memory) and then check to see how much memory is actually in use during peak memory usage.

 

[jerky1280]

Okay, thanks. Memory use seems to be in the 4-5 GB range, occasionally higher, but that might be when chrome is misbehaving for some reason (we have two user profiles and my wife likes to leave a billion tabs open). Performance seems to be fine; just wondering if it could be improved. I was mostly curious about using dissimilar sized RAM chips.

My desktop with similar hardware (i3-8100, 16gb RAM, 16gb optane, 1TB HDD) seems snappier, but that could be the optane memory. Everyone here seems to hate on optane, but what it can do to a HDD for a relatively low cost is amazing.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Adding 8GB for a total of 12GB certainly won't hurt things. If you use extensive spreadsheets or other things that need it, then go for it. Personally, I like having no less than 16GB on any system I own, but I also find that I rarely use more than 10GB for the majority of tasks and applications. I run VMs occasionally on my desktop, along with gaming, so that system definitely uses more than 16GB at times.

I don't think I'd add anything larger than an 8GB stick to your laptop though.

 

[jerky1280]

Roger on all. Would I be better off with two 4gb sticks or a 4 and an 8?

 

[Darkbreeze]

If some of that memory is soldered and it can't be installed in a matched set to start with, then it probably doesn't matter. The chances that it will run in dual channel are just as good going with an 8GB stick that isn't matched to the soldered memory as it would be with a 4GB set. It will likely operate in FLEX mode, if possible depending on how that architecture is setup, which is fine. I'd probably go with the 8GB stick IF that laptop supports 8GB DIMMs.