I'm looking to upgrade my RAM to 32 GB and need some advice. Right now, I've got a 2x8 GB 3600 MHz kit, but I'm thinking about switching to 4x8 GB. I've heard that while 4 sticks may be a bit unstable sometimes, they can also lead to slightly better performance. My setup includes an Asus TUF B550-Plus motherboard and a Ryzen 5800X3D processor. Would using 4x8 GB work well for me, and is it worth going with this option?
4 Answers
Four sticks can actually boost performance a bit, especially if they're single-rank. If you only had two slots, I’d say go for 2x16 GB, but with four sticks, you can get more memory cycles going, which could give you a nice CPU performance bump. I’ve seen improvements in synthetic benchmarks, and although it might just be marginal, go for 2x8 GB that match your existing kit to keep things stable.
2x16 GB is definitely the way to go if you're aiming for gaming. More sticks can sometimes increase latency, which isn't ideal.
Running 4x8 GB on the 5800X3D should work fine! I’ve done it myself and saw just improved capacity, not really a performance boost. Just be sure to get the same 3600 MHz kit you already have. Worst case, you might need to drop the frequency to 3200 MHz, but the X3D is pretty forgiving because of its extra cache. Finding used 2x8 GB kits is easy since lots of people are upgrading, so that's the route I recommend.
If you get the exact same kit you have now, you should be totally fine with 4 sticks. Just make sure they match in specifications!
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