I recently upgraded my CPU and motherboard, which means I can use four RAM slots now. I have a 2x8GB 3200MHz kit and was thinking of getting another one. However, I'm considering selling my current kit to buy a 2x16GB kit instead, since it may be easier than finding a matching 2x8. I'm also unsure if having four RAM sticks is actually slower than just having two. My setup includes an i5 14600KF CPU and an MSI B760-P II DDR4 motherboard. What do you think?
4 Answers
This question comes up all the time! If you're using DDR4, mixing sticks generally works fine and you won’t notice a big difference. For DDR5, you'd want two sticks for better stability though. Check out some YouTube videos if you're curious for a deeper dive on this topic!
Yeah, while using two sticks usually gives better performance compared to four, if you're tight on budget, sticking with the 2x8GB might be a good option. Just keep in mind that you might have to downclock your RAM to keep it stable.
If you can't find a perfect match for your existing sticks, there could be a performance loss, but this impact is less severe with DDR4 than with DDR5.
In general, with Intel systems, using four sticks isn't a major issue like it can be with AMD setups. I've got 64GB of 3200MHz RAM using 4x16GB and it works perfectly. It's usually best to use a matched kit, but if you can get two separate kits with the same specs, just make sure to set the speeds in the BIOS to the highest stable option. It often comes down to price and availability in your area too!
So I can grab another 3200MHz kit of the same CL and it should be fine? I read that I needed the same code, which made me think getting a 2x16GB would be easier. Thanks!