I'm building a new PC for my parents who primarily use their computer for browsing the internet, watching YouTube, and doing light tasks on Excel. They currently have an old laptop, and I want to save costs by using only one 8GB DDR5 RAM stick instead of two. Would it be a problem if I remove one of the RAM sticks? I have an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU laying around, which I plan to use. How does a single 8GB stick hold up for what they need?
3 Answers
Honestly, if they're not doing anything too heavy, you could get away with 8GB. But remember, Windows prefers a bit more RAM for smooth performance, especially if they're multitasking. If you can afford to keep both sticks, it might be worth it in the long run.
Yeah, 8GB should be fine for basic tasks like web browsing. Just let them know not to open too many tabs at once to avoid slowing things down.
Running on just one 8GB stick might not be ideal. With only half the performance from a single module, you might notice some lag during everyday tasks. Dual channel memory (like using two 8GB sticks) generally offers better performance. If they only use it for light stuff now, it could work, but modern systems tend to perform better with at least 16GB overall, especially if they keep it for another decade!
Haha, exactly! My folks used to get by with 4GB on their old laptop, but I just want to set them up with something future-proof without breaking the bank. Giving them both sticks sounds like a good plan!