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Mix n Match memory

Qamber
By Qamber
in CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory
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Go to solution Solved by YoungBlade,

This is a somewhat complex question, but the simplest answer is that the 2x4GB will potentially be faster depending on how the system plays with the 4GB+8GB configuration. If flex mode is working properly, where the RAM will run dual channel up to 8GB, then switch to single channel for the last 4GB, then the 4GB+8GB config will be faster. If flex mode fails to work, and the configuration defaults to single channel, then the 2x4GB one is going to be faster.

 

Finally, and to me this is the most important part: if you are using applications that exceed 8GB usage, then simply having 12GB total RAM will make it faster. Page file usage is so much slower than RAM it's not even funny. The channel and rank configurations are not even a factor. So if you regularly exceed 8GB, just go with the 4GB+8GB setup - no need for any other questions

Mix n Match memory  

3 members have voted

  1. 1. Which memory combination is better? (All are 1Rx16) (Transcend-JM3200HSG-8G) (Samsung-M471A5244CB0-CWE) Hwinfo shows both working together at 1600.0 MHz (DDR4-3200 / PC4-25600)

    • 8gb 3200mhz Transcend + 4gb 2667mhz Samsung
      1
    • 8gb 3200mhz Transcend
      1
    • 2x 4gb 2667mhz Samsung
      1

This poll is closed to new votes

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  • Poll closed on Apr 01, 2022 at 09:38 AM

Posted
  • Solution

This is a somewhat complex question, but the simplest answer is that the 2x4GB will potentially be faster depending on how the system plays with the 4GB+8GB configuration. If flex mode is working properly, where the RAM will run dual channel up to 8GB, then switch to single channel for the last 4GB, then the 4GB+8GB config will be faster. If flex mode fails to work, and the configuration defaults to single channel, then the 2x4GB one is going to be faster.

 

Finally, and to me this is the most important part: if you are using applications that exceed 8GB usage, then simply having 12GB total RAM will make it faster. Page file usage is so much slower than RAM it's not even funny. The channel and rank configurations are not even a factor. So if you regularly exceed 8GB, just go with the 4GB+8GB setup - no need for any other questions

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