16GB Dual Channel or Single Channel 16GB Memory?

[Colz428]

Recently purchase a brand new entry level gaming laptop for a super low price. The catch is it's only got 8GB memory. With the savings I got, I only got enough to purchase a single stick of RAM. I plan on purchasing a few accessories with the rest of the savings. My dilemma is should I go for an additional 8GB? Or get a single 16GB and run it Single Channel? I'm not confident running mismatched RAM sticks, but I can purchase another 16GB later on. 8GB is close to unusable if I wanna do more than just simple task. Appreciate the help!

[Poinkachu]

16 minutes ago, Colz428 said:

Recently purchase a brand new entry level gaming laptop for a super low price. The catch is it's only got 8GB memory. With the savings I got, I only got enough to purchase a single stick of RAM. I plan on purchasing a few accessories with the rest of the savings. My dilemma is should I go for an additional 8GB? Or get a single 16GB and run it Single Channel? I'm not confident running mismatched RAM sticks, but I can purchase another 16GB later on. 8GB is close to unusable if I wanna do more than just simple task. Appreciate the help!

Dual channel is always better, that's for sure.

[Poinkachu]

A 2nd post instead of editing the previous one, since @RONOTHAN## reacted before I finished editing.

 

OP

If you buy a single stick of 16GB now, you can also run it alongside your old one (8 gb), it will run at flex mode, 8GB out of the 16 will be on dual channel, the rest will be single channel. Then later on you can buy another 16 to replace the 8.

 

If the laptop RAM runs on JEDEC speed, i don't think mixmatching gonna be a problem. Since JEDEC speed is pretty much standardized speed & timing.

The usual mixmatch problems happens when the RAM runs on XMP or EXPO or DOCP (auto memory overclocking) due to various things, diff timing, different ICs between the same model of RAM stick, w/e.

Which often result in no problem once the auto-overclocking is turned off (running at JEDEC speed) or manual overclocking is done instead of auto..

[Somerandomtechyboi]

drop a 16gb stick in and go

 

youll be fine running mismatched just that 8gb will be in single channel and 16gb in dual channel

 

theres no reason to run single channel cause it cripples cpu performance

[Colz428]

41 minutes ago, Poinkachu said:

If the laptop RAM runs on JEDEC speed, i don't think mixmatching gonna be a problem. Since JEDEC speed is pretty much standardized speed & timing.

The usual mixmatch problems happens when the RAM runs on XMP or EXPO or DOCP (auto memory overclocking) due to various things, diff timing, different ICs between the same model of RAM stick, w/e.

Which often result in no problem once the auto-overclocking is turned off (running at JEDEC speed) or manual overclocking is done instead of auto..

How do I check if it's running on JEDEC speed? It currently shows it's running at 5200 MT/s on the task manager, but says 5600 on CPU-Z

[Poinkachu]

43 minutes ago, Colz428 said:

How do I check if it's running on JEDEC speed? It currently shows it's running at 5200 MT/s on the task manager, but says 5600 on CPU-Z

 

 

It's the "Memory" tab, not the SPD.

SPD tab is more to info about your ram sticks, Memory tab is what your RAM is currently running at.

AFAIK the two pic you've shown looking like the stick itself is capable of up to 5600, but the motherboard only capable of 5200 JEDEC.

 

CMIIW @Somerandomtechyboi , @RONOTHAN##

[Eigenvektor]

The SPD tab shows you the profiles the RAM supports. You can see it supports JEDEC profiles between 2500 MHz (5000 MT/s) and 2800 MHz (5600 MT/s).

 

The memory tab should show you the speed the RAM is currently running at.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

35 minutes ago, Poinkachu said:

It's the "Memory" tab, not the SPD.

SPD tab is more to info about your ram sticks, Memory tab is what your RAM is currently running at.

AFAIK the two pic you've shown looking like the stick itself is capable of up to 5600, but the motherboard only capable of 5200 JEDEC.

 

CMIIW @Somerandomtechyboi , @RONOTHAN##

cpu official support is 5200 max hence its capped at 5200 jedec unless the board allows for higher frequencies to be set which i doubt cause locked down laptop boards, so its normal to be capped at 5200

 

also 8gb ddr5 is horrendous so youll want 32gb, for now buy another 16gb stick either klevv or hynix (hmcg78agbsa092n) to guarantee hynix a die so no incompatibility issues cause you bought generic crap that comes with anything from garbage micron/samsung to hynix a die, btw klevv is the consumer division of hynix and 5600 klevv or hynix sticks are always hynix a die

[Colz428]

9 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

cpu official support is 5200 max hence its capped at 5200 jedec unless the board allows for higher frequencies to be set which i doubt cause locked down laptop boards, so its normal to be capped at 5200

 

also 8gb ddr5 is horrendous so youll want 32gb, for now buy another 16gb stick either klevv or hynix (hmcg78agbsa092n) to guarantee hynix a die so no incompatibility issues cause you bought generic crap that comes with anything from garbage micron/samsung to hynix a die, btw klevv is the consumer division of hynix and 5600 klevv or hynix sticks are always hynix a die

 

Thanks to @Poinkachu, @Somerandomtechyboi, @Eigenvektor.

 

It is running at 5200 which is weird coz a higher model laptop than mine only runs at 4800. I'll just get a 16GB stick instead and run it with my current RAM. I might end up buying a different brand if I can't find a similar one. Guess the worse that could happen is I end up running Single Channel but with a higher capacity memory.