I'm running a Mini ITX board with 16GB of DDR4 RAM in a single channel setup at 3200MHz. My brother recently upgraded his PC and gifted me his 4GB DDR4 stick. Since I only have one slot left, I'm considering adding this stick to get a total of 20GB of RAM. Will this affect my gaming performance, especially for games like Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Black Myth Wukong? Both RAM sticks are the same brand and specification, so I'm curious about whether this will be beneficial or if it's better to keep just the 16GB.
5 Answers
It might work, but there's a chance it could be unstable. It’s worth giving it a try since you're not losing anything. Just keep an eye on your system's performance, especially during gaming.
If you're gaming, ideally you should look for another 16GB stick. Having only 8GB in dual channel isn't optimal, so maybe think about selling the 4GB sticks or donating them. RAM prices are rising since DDR4 production is winding down.
Running dual channel can dramatically boost performance by about 20-30%, but it really depends on your motherboard's ability to support it. If it recognizes the sticks as dual channel, you'll benefit, but if not, you'll just have 20GB in single channel. It won’t slow you down, but it likely won’t speed things up either.
You're already at single channel, so you might as well add the 4GB stick. It gives you some dual channel performance with the 4GB, while the rest runs at single channel speed. But if you want the best possible setup in the long run, consider upgrading to a 32GB kit for full dual channel.
Adding different capacities might mean it only works in single channel mode, but if you’re often running out of RAM with 16GB, trying it out could be worthwhile. Just check your motherboard to see its max RAM capacity.
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