Hey everyone! I'm putting together a budget PC mainly for school and some gaming. I noticed that a single 16GB DDR4 RAM stick is cheaper than two 8GB DDR4 sticks of the same brand. I'm a bit worried about potential issues if I go with just the single stick. What do you think? Would I run into problems, or is it fine for my setup?
5 Answers
Using a single 16GB stick won't cause any significant issues, but it's not the most optimal configuration. Dual-channel setups with two sticks can offer better performance since they allow the CPU to read and write data more efficiently. If you're on a tight budget, one stick will still work fine, but consider investing a little more if you can.
Dual-channel memory gives a nice bump in performance. The price difference is often worth it, so unless you're looking at a big gap in price, I’d suggest going with two sticks. They really help with gaming.
There's no problem with using a single stick, but it will be a tad slower. For gaming, having two sticks can really help boost performance because dual-channel modes allow for better memory access.
Theoretically, you could see as much as 50% slower performance with just one stick. If you can manage it, grab the 16GB stick now and plan on getting another identical one later for an even better setup.
Definitely get two sticks if you can! Performance will be noticeably better with dual-channel configurations. If it's just for basic tasks, one 16GB stick might hold up, but for gaming, you'd want those two slots filled.
That's actually my plan—get the 16GB now and then upgrade with a matching stick later!