What is “overkill” in terms of a Pc?
Posted by Shmeat-L@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 24 comments
I’m picking out parts to build my first Pc. I was looking at the RAM Sticks and saw 2x16 for 32gb or I could do 4x8 for 32gb. Is it better to have more ram to distribute power? I’ve seen it in this old YouTube video a while ago.
spaghettimonzta@reddit
if you aim for performance 2 stick is preferable also it give you path to upgrade later down the line instead of 4x8 when you need more you need to replace 4 all instead of just buying another 2 of the same kit
content_longevity@reddit
two sticks also runs dual channel mode better which just means faster speeds overall so thats the move
aredridel@reddit
That's gonna depend on the chipset a lot
content_longevity@reddit
fair point yeah most modern boards like b650 or z790 handle dual channel just fine but older chipsets could be wonky with it
CarefreeCloud@reddit
Not a lot. That's true for 95%. Some premium or server solutions works just as well with 4 sticks. Pure minority
Choconolait@reddit
Using exactly 2 sticks of ram runs more stable and is recommended.
Federal-Fix-6446@reddit
What does the x mean like you said 4x8? Ty
Additional_Past_7107@reddit
Times
Zestyclose_Grade6926@reddit
Buy the 2 x 16GB, then you can add another 2 x 16GB (or 2 x 32) later when your banker, GF or Mrs. permits.
BigFatCoder@reddit
4x8 is not good, 2x16 is good, 4x16 is overkill
sexraX_muiretsyM@reddit
2x 16 is better than 4x 8 because nowdays quad-channel support is very wacky. Dual-channel is the industry standard, quad channel usually leads to instability and crashes
LOSTandCONFUSEDinMAY@reddit
To clear up some terminology. No consumer PC can run quad channel, they can have 4 sticks but they run in dual channel dual rank.
Channel refer to how much data can be accessed at the time and more is always better. However only HEDT or enterprise platforms (like xeon) have higher than dual channel (ignoring that 2 sticks of ddr5 is technically quad channel)
Rank refers to how big how big the pool of memory that can be accessed. So more ranks mean more available memory but memory bandwidth remains the same. The downside is more higher rank means more stress on the memory controller so often it has to run at lower frequencies which ends up reducing total bandwidth.
NerdyDarkChocolate@reddit
Bro, the amount of ram sticks you have has nothing to do with whether it’s quad or dual channel. Almost all motherboards by default are dual channel unless it’s workstation grade. Most Intel and AMD processors only support single or dual channel, where as Xeon and Threadripper also support quad.
Ammonite33303@reddit
4 sticks doesn’t mean quad channel btw. Almost all consumer CPUs are now only support dual-channel memory.
Wonderful_Trick_4251@reddit
The other two RAM slots are essentially for RGB light sticks these days.
NerdyDarkChocolate@reddit
2x16 is your best route. It will provide a more stable experience, less stress on the memory controller and typically (although probably not noticeable in real world performance) faster speeds.
BraevGhost@reddit
2x16
Your friend is right
ADo_9000@reddit
2x16 is almost always better because of stability.
Available_Witness828@reddit
Ideally a perfect configuration is 2 sticks in slots 2 and 4.
no more, no less
fnord55@reddit
2x 16 is better
-UserRemoved-@reddit
They are effectively the same, but 4x8GB is inherently less ideal.
They both offer 32GB of capacity, so no difference there and they will both run in dual channel. The difference is 4 sticks is harder on the memory controller, so it may cause instability or reduce the speeds/timings you are able to run at.
Just like juggling 4 balls will always inherently be harder than juggling 2.
Not a thing
RouteToDevNull@reddit
2x16 for sure. Keeps slots open when you need to upgrade
JazzlikeInfluence813@reddit
DDR4 works best with 2
nemanja694@reddit
2x16