RAM Dilemma: 20GB in single-channel or 16 GB in dual-channel

[borninthenorth]

Hi! So I have just ordered a brand new Dell G3 with GTX 1060 and i7-8750H. The laptop comes with (only) 2 x 4GB of ram. I plan to upgrade the RAM as soon as I receive it, but here comes the big question. Would it be preferable to get 2 x 8GB of RAM running in dual channel or to get one stick of 16 GB and keep the initial 4 GB in the second slot? Since price tags of both options are almost the same, it is tempting to get a single 16 GB stick. My computer usage involves photoshop, some video editing and non-competitive games like Witcher 3.

 

[drivinfast247]

2x8gb dual channel

 

[iamacow]

16GB dual channel is going to yield higher fps in games. that extra 4GB will most likely go unused. But in the event you go over 16gb for video editing the computer is start to crawl.

 

[Doctor Rob]

Dual channel always (unless its a quad channel).. never single unless you want to loose a LOT of FPS in some games..

 

[borninthenorth]

A review that I have read reported that the dual-channel effect on gaming in unambiguous, with some games performing BETTER in single-channel.
https://www.hardwaresecrets.com/does-dual-channel-memory-make-difference-in-gaming-performance/

 

[iamacow]

First off that website... hardwaresecrets. Not that good of a source. Second the article uses 1866 DDR3 and its dated 2015. None the less, it does come down to the game.