I'm putting together a new PC build using AM5 with a Ryzen 5 9600 and a 5060 Ti graphics card. I'm aiming for ideally 32GB of RAM, but with the current prices being high, I'm considering starting with just 16GB. Since my motherboard can support up to 4 sticks, should I go for two 8GB sticks now and wait to buy another two later, or should I buy a single 16GB stick and wait for a better price on the second one?
2 Answers
Mixing RAM sticks can lead to issues, which is why they are sold in matched kits. Using just 1 stick can also slow things down compared to 2x8GB. Personally, I'd grab a 2x8GB kit and then sell it later if you want to upgrade.
It's generally not recommended to use 4 sticks of RAM on AM5, as it can lead to instability. People often have to downclock the RAM to DDR5-3600 to find stability. So, you'd be better off going with 2x8GB sticks right now.
I heard that EXPO profiles have helped with stability issues, right? Does that mean 4 sticks are more viable now?
Yeah, I've seen that using dual-channel with 2x8GB can really boost performance over a single 16GB stick.