Question To RAM or not to RAM…32 or 64 thoughts

[DaDuckster]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for your help, the new system just successfully POST’d…after making me sweat a little.

It’s a Ryzen 5 7600 with an RX 6800 XT and 32GB of DDR5 RAM (2 x 16GB). Here’s the question, I ordered some RAM that is lost in shipping, so I hit the local Microcenter and got 2 sticks of the exact same RAM that went missing, loaded it in and fired it up. That has 2 of the 4 RAM slots filled…but if the other two sticks show up, should I return them or say what the hell and install them as well.

As I said, both are identical DDR5, company, specs, etc…but I doubt I need 64GB and I’m concerned it might be shopping for trouble. Thoughts?

P.S. All those calm “just check every connection“ reply’s paid off, as I spotted the minor error quickly.

 

[Hellfire13]

Mixing RAM is dicey business. It might or might not work outside of kit, even if specs are identical. So there is that. Apart from that, requirement is purely situational. Who knows what you might be running 2-3 years down the line. But 32gb is plenty as of now unless you have some specific requirement.

 

[kerberos_20]

with four sticks, you might get limited to lower ram clocks

 

[geofelt]

The ram is not identical.
Even the same part number and batch will not be identical or matched.

Not only might it not work properly but your performance with 4 sticks will be worse.
Return the ram.

 

[Viking2121]

Mixing ram now a days is much more forgiving than it was back then, Good chance it would work just fine but limit to the slowest sticks, Also a good chance it may not work or be stable, no one can guarantee you that, its something you'd have to try and validate yourself, if it shows up, throw it in, see if it works, see if its stable, if so there ya go, now you know.

For gaming 32gb is a lot, games are just now starting to require 16GB, So you'd be set with 32gb, 64gb is nice if you are doing things that require more than 32gb which usually its them people that are doing more than just gaming, so might not even be worth your trouble to see if the kit will work or not. I personally would say no myself, Im come close using all of my 32gb, but thats rare.

Good Luck!

 

[USAFRet]

If your use doesn't rise to 32GB, then you don't need 64GB.

Return the set in shipping.

 

[Zerk2012]

As I said, both are identical DDR5, company, specs, etc…but I doubt I need 64GB and I’m concerned it might be shopping for trouble. Thoughts?

These are not identical to the memory you have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even if it's the same type, speed, timings, and voltage it could actually be made with different parts, memory is sold in matched sets for a reason.

Open task manager and see how much memory your using if it's not close to what you already have then more will do absolutely nothing for your PC.

 

[kerberos_20]

For gaming 32gb is a lot, games are just now starting to require 16GB

early access star citizen peaks at 25gigs, returnal is another one which has 16gigs as minimum, but this one runs at mild 18gigs, i also remember horizon zero dawn eating 24gigs during shader compiling

 

[thestryker]

If you don't have a use for 64GB DRAM then I can't see a reason to keep it.

Even if the kits are identical you will have more DRAM clockspeed problems running 2DPC than 1DPC so it might not even be worth trying either way.

 

[Viking2121]

early access star citizen peaks at 25gigs, returnal is another one which has 16gigs as minimum, but this one runs at mild 18gigs, i also remember horizon zero dawn eating 24gigs during shader compiling

Yeah, unoptimized garbage...

 

[falcon291]

16 GB was the sweet spot, now it is becoming 32 GB.
If you are making use of more than 32 GB, then having 64 GB RAM makes sense, and you will know that, otherwise no you don't need 64 GB.

 

[Lafong]

I'm currently facing a dilemma

You left out any description of YOUR dilemma.

Or is this merely in the abstract?

 

[falcon291]

During price negotiations my company's CEO told the seller: "I want a Mercedes from you not Maybach"
Well 32 GB is just Mercedes, 64 GB Maybach. If you want a Maybach, well it is your choice how to spend or waste your money.