Lenovo Ideapad 330S RAM upgrade 8GB running dual channel or 20GB single channel

[lrac_0312]

Hello everyone, just want to pick your brain and ask for opinions regarding upgrading my laptops ram. It currently have 8GB of ram running dual channel with a Ryzen 5 2500U. It should be a decent daily use laptop for Uni but it would help having a bit more RAM. The only issue is that, with Lenovo's wisdom they soldered a 4gb ram and has a single so-dimm slot that is populated with another 4gb stick. Additionally as this laptop has an APU 1GB is allocated to the RAM, so all in all only 6.9gb is available for ram use. So if change the ram with anything apart for a 4gb stick, it will run single channel as they are not matching anymore. Would have been better is they soldered an 8gb ram with an empty slot. Just wondering how slower will it make my CPU if I run it single channel? Planning to get a 16gb stick; that will total to 20gb of ram but running single channel.

[jaslion]

So ddr4 can actually run in a "hybrid" mode. Where you'll have 8 gb in dual channel and then 12gb in single channel.

 

So go for that 16 stick!

[lrac_0312]

That's good news. Is there a setting I need to enable in bios or is that automatic?

[Darkseth]

It's automatic.

However, it will be completely Random if the Data lands in the Dual Channel Area or Single Channel.

 

For basic everyday tasks, Dual Channel vs. Single Channel is not noticeable, so don't worry.
Any demanding Tasks where it would be noticeable would be bottlenecked by the old Ryzen 2500u anyway.

 

Even today, i'm using a T16 G1 Thinkpad for Work with a single 16gb Stick in Single Channel, everything i do runs fine.

[lrac_0312]

Alright then. Thank you so much for everyone's advice.