I'm looking to upgrade my system from 16GB to 48GB of DDR4 RAM for video editing, as my current RAM setup isn't cutting it. My specs are a Ryzen 5800X processor and an MSI B550 Tomahawk motherboard, and right now I have two 8GB sticks of 3600MHz CL16 RAM. I'm considering adding a used set of 32GB (16GBx2) RAM sticks of the same model and specs to boost my total RAM to 48GB.
I understand this is a bit unorthodox, but I want to avoid being limited to 32GB, and 64GB is both expensive and hard to find. While I know mixing RAM can lower clock speeds due to the added stress on the memory controller, I'm okay with a slight performance hit if it means having more RAM for demanding applications.
Here are my specific questions:
1) Will my system actually utilize all 48GB, or will I only get 32GB because of the way RAM sticks interact?
2) What steps should I take to ensure my setup is stable and won't result in crashes or errors?
3) I have four DIMM slots available. What's the best way to arrange the RAM sticks for dual-channel and optimal performance? Should I go for the arrangement like 16-8-16-8 or 16-16-8-8?
3 Answers
Yes, your system should be able to recognize the full 48GB of RAM! With 3600MHz being a standard speed for your hardware, it’s compatible with your Ryzen CPU. So don’t worry about the 8GB bottlenecking your 16GB sticks. You’ll get all your RAM! For placement, you generally want to alternate your sticks: use the configuration 8GB, 16GB, 8GB, and 16GB. This is important for achieving dual-channel functionality across all your available RAM.
For best results, place the larger sticks in the primary slots (A2 and B2) and the smaller ones in A1 and B1. This means your setup should be 16-8-16-8. Just a heads up, this isn’t optimal, so watch for stability; if issues crop up, you might have to dial back the speed to 3200-3400 MHz, but it should definitely support 48GB without problems!
Definitely! You can configure your RAM sticks so each channel has 24GB, which means everything will work perfectly. To ensure stability, try enabling XMP in your BIOS first, and if you run into issues, drop the speed slightly until it stabilizes. For your arrangement, 16-8-16-8 or 8-16-8-16 would work as well, just keep an eye on stability after that. You might need to set some timings manually.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll try that setup and see how it goes. Fingers crossed for smooth performance!
I get your point, but wouldn’t that split the channels unevenly? Isn’t it smarter to balance them more evenly?