I'm currently building a new PC with a 9800X3D, and I'm in a bit of a dilemma regarding my graphics card choice—should I spend the entire budget now or save some for future upgrades? I also plan on getting 64GB of RAM from the start (likely won't upgrade later). Would it be better to go with 2 sticks of 32GB RAM or 4 sticks of 16GB, especially since 4 sticks are usually cheaper? I've heard there might be stability issues with using 4 sticks, but I'm wondering if that's more related to the chipset or motherboard design.
4 Answers
Definitely stick with 2 sticks! It’s not catastrophic if you choose 4, but 2 will save you from future headaches. As for the stability issues, it really does come down to how DDR5 motherboards are designed, with potential signal degradation the more sticks you have on a channel.
If you really want to use 4 sticks, just make sure your motherboard's QVL (Qualified Vendor List) lists them with EXPO support. I’ve been running 4 sticks of 48GB each with CL30 timings and haven’t had any crashes, but it's a bit of a gamble.
To sum it up, it's a common issue with 4 sticks, especially with the daisy chain topology on DDR5 boards. Stick with 2x32GB to avoid problems!
Going with 2 sticks is generally more stable, especially when you’re looking to run fast XMP timings. Four sticks can work, but they often require you to lower those timings, which can be a pain. It's just easier with 2 sticks overall.
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