Should I get a 4gb stick or a 8gb stick for my 8gb stick of RAM?

[Guest]

I currently have single channel DDR4 2133MHZ HyperX Fury RAM and I heard that the quantity of the other stick of RAM doesn't matter unless you want a certain amount of RAM.

 

[Deleted member 2121781]

Go for an 8gb stick, preferably the same one as is already in there to allow you to run dual channel.

 

[thx1138v2]

What you heard is incorrect. To operate in dual channel mode the modules need to be exactly the same. And just buying the same RAM model # and capacity may not accomplish that because manufacturers change vendors from time to time and the actual chips on the modules may have different densities. So it's possible you might buy another 8GB DDR4 2133MHZ HyperX Fury RAM and still not get dual channel operation. This is why it is always a good idea to buy RAM in "kits" to ensure they will operate in dual channel mode.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/memory-upgrade/

Buying another module of the same RAM may work but you need to check the particulars before you buy.

 

[Guest]

@thx1138v2 What "particulars" do I have to exactly check?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

@thx1138v2 What "particulars" do I have to exactly check?

Just buy a "matched pair" (what you should have done from day one to enable dual channel operation).

Take out the existing 8GB module and replace it with that matched pair, making sure to use the correct pair of slots.

Then you won't need to worry about what particulars you need to check.

Sell that 8GB module to a friend or whatever.

 

[thx1138v2]

@thx1138v2 What "particulars" do I have to exactly check?

What you would really like to know is that the RAM chips on the module are in the same quantity and are the same make/model as the ones on the module you are buying but that's nearly impossible since they are covered with heat spreaders now.

You might find that info on the manufacturer's web site.

Another source of information is the sticker on the back of the module, if there is one. You would like to find the the same numbers on both stickers. But they may not be exact as those numbers usually contain some package specific info like color and whether the module was originally part of a kit and may contain manufacturing date info also.

I haven't kept track of all the part numbers but you can usually find info on deciphering RAM part numbers on the web.

And obviously the timings will need to be the same.