I currently have 16GB of Silicon Power DDR4 memory in a 2x8GB configuration. I found a 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro kit at a good price, and both kits are rated for 3200MHz with CL16 timings. Would adding the second kit for a total of 4x8GB be a worthwhile upgrade for games that recommend or benefit from 32GB? Will my system be able to use all 32GB, and could mixing the two kits cause stability problems? The rest of my build is an Intel Core i3-12100F, an RX 6600, and an ASRock B660M Pro RS.
4 Answers
Your board supports four DDR4 DIMMs, so the system should recognize 32GB. Just remember that this is still dual-channel memory, not quad-channel. Install the modules in the recommended slots, update the BIOS if needed, and run a memory test after enabling XMP. If instability appears, try a lower speed such as 3000 or 2933MHz.
Four DDR4 sticks can perform similarly to two 16GB sticks, and in some cases dual-rank operation provides a small performance advantage. However, that benefit is minor compared with simply having enough memory. If your current 16GB is being fully used, moving to 32GB should reduce stuttering and swapping; if it is not being filled, extra RAM will not make the CPU or RX 6600 faster.
Two 16GB sticks are generally the more reliable configuration because running four modules puts more stress on the motherboard's memory controller. Since these are separate kits, the advertised 3200MHz CL16 settings are not guaranteed together, even if the specifications match. Buy the extra kit if the price is good, but test it thoroughly for crashes or memory errors.
Yes, 4x8GB will give your system 32GB, and games and Windows can use the full amount. It is not inherently dangerous, though you may need to enable XMP manually or reduce the memory speed if the two kits do not work perfectly together.
I am mainly interested in reaching 32GB for a few demanding games, not in getting a performance boost. I just wanted to confirm that all 32GB would be usable with my build.