1 RAM Stick vs 2

[Lio]

Hello, i have 1 8GB Ram Stick(Single-Channel), i was wondering if i will get better Performance(more FPS) in Games like GTA V and Squad using another RAM Stick of 8GB Ram(Dual-Channel)?

Thank you in advance!

[Hero7750]

You wont get any performance gain with 16gb of ram over 8gb

[Lio]

Just now, Hero7750 said:

You wont get any performance gain with 16gb of ram over 8gb

But i'm using just 1x8GB Ram stick, not 2x4GB Ram... doesn't affect at all?

[Enderman]

not unless youre currently using all 8GB when gaming

[Tedster]

4 minutes ago, Lio said:

Hello, i have 1 8GB Ram Stick(Single-Channel), i was wondering if i will get better Performance(more FPS) in Games like GTA V and Squad using another RAM Stick of 8GB Ram(Dual-Channel)?

Thank you in advance!

You probably won't see much difference between single channel and dual channel in that sort of configuration.

However, you should go with the single stick because it gives you room for easy upgradability later.

[Lio]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

not unless youre currently using all 8GB when gaming

Nah, those games only ask for 6

[Lio]

1 minute ago, Tedster said:

You probably won't see much difference between single channel and dual channel in that sort of configuration.

However, you should go with the single stick because it gives you room for easy upgradability later.

I will get another 8GB Ram, for Forza 6 Open Beta, it asks for 12GB Ram

[glitchmaster0001]

beta games are very resource intensive since they are poorly optimized so id say get a single stick of 8 so you can easily upgrade to 16gb later on down the road

[The_Denks]

31 minutes ago, Lio said:

Hello, i have 1 8GB Ram Stick(Single-Channel), i was wondering if i will get better Performance(more FPS) in Games like GTA V and Squad using another RAM Stick of 8GB Ram(Dual-Channel)?

Thank you in advance!

For benchmarks and VERY high intensity programs like editing and benchmarks, duak-channel has an edge over single-channel, but for gaming, no difference whatsoever

[ard1998]

i know that when yur using an APU the amount of ram in GB, the amount of ram sticksand latency does matter, the dutch tech website tweakers has an article about it with the following results (tested with APU's)(i have transladed some dutch words, source: http://tweakers.net/reviews/3330/5/de-grote-tweakers-geheugentest-sneller-geheugen-en-games.html)

 

Grid 2 - 1280x720 - Medium - 0xAA
system name	Minimum- / average framerate in fps, higher is better
AMD - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	***** + ** 58,5 / 76,4
AMD - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	***** + ** 54,6 / 71,4
AMD - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	***** + * 51,5 / 64,4
Intel - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	**** + * 49,6 / 61,7
Intel - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + * 49,0 / 60,1
Intel - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	**** + * 47,9 / 58,3
AMD - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	**** + * 47,0 / 58,3
Intel - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	**** + * 45,7 / 56,8
Intel - 1x 8GB 2133MHz 10-12-...	*** + * 38,4 / 48,1
Intel - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + * 40,0 / 46,4
AMD - 1x 8GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + * 36,0 / 44,1
Intel - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	*** + * 35,3 / 43,2
AMD - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	*** + * 30,6 / 37,3
Intel - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	*** + * 29,9 / 36,7
AMD - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 28,1 / 34,1
AMD - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	** + * 24,3 / 29,5

and another benchmark from the same page

 

Sleeping Dogs - 1920x1080 - Medium
syatem name	minimum- / average framerate in fps, higher is better
AMD - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	***** + ** 26,7 / 37,9
AMD - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + ** 23,8 / 33,5
AMD - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	**** + ** 22,0 / 31,1
AMD - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	*** + ** 19,3 / 27,1
Intel - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + ** 15,8 / 26,2
Intel - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	*** + ** 15,4 / 23,9
Intel - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	*** + ** 14,7 / 23,5
Intel - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	** + ** 13,1 / 21,0
AMD - 1x 8GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + * 14,1 / 19,7
Intel - 1x 8GB 2133MHz 10-12-...	** + * 10,9 / 17,1
AMD - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	** + * 12,2 / 16,4
Intel - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	** + * 10,1 / 15,8
AMD - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 10,9 / 14,8
Intel - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 9,0 / 14,0
AMD - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	* + * 8,4 / 12,6
Intel - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	* + * 7,6 / 12,1

 

so, when using an APU the speed, latency and amount of ram sticks does really matter, but for external gpu's it doesn't matter, becouse they have Vram on the card. if i'm richt, the APU can use some of the system ram for graphical ram.

[Tedster]

1 minute ago, ard1998 said:

i know that when yur using an APU the amount of ram in GB, the amount of ram sticksand latency does matter, the dutch tech website tweakers has an article about it with the following results (tested with APU's)(i have transladed some dutch words, source: http://tweakers.net/reviews/3330/5/de-grote-tweakers-geheugentest-sneller-geheugen-en-games.html)

 

Grid 2 - 1280x720 - Medium - 0xAA
system name	Minimum- / average framerate in fps, higher is better
AMD - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	***** + ** 58,5 / 76,4
AMD - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	***** + ** 54,6 / 71,4
AMD - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	***** + * 51,5 / 64,4
Intel - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	**** + * 49,6 / 61,7
Intel - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + * 49,0 / 60,1
Intel - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	**** + * 47,9 / 58,3
AMD - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	**** + * 47,0 / 58,3
Intel - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	**** + * 45,7 / 56,8
Intel - 1x 8GB 2133MHz 10-12-...	*** + * 38,4 / 48,1
Intel - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + * 40,0 / 46,4
AMD - 1x 8GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + * 36,0 / 44,1
Intel - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	*** + * 35,3 / 43,2
AMD - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	*** + * 30,6 / 37,3
Intel - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	*** + * 29,9 / 36,7
AMD - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 28,1 / 34,1
AMD - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	** + * 24,3 / 29,5

and another benchmark from the same page

 

Sleeping Dogs - 1920x1080 - Medium
syatem name	minimum- / average framerate in fps, higher is better
AMD - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	***** + ** 26,7 / 37,9
AMD - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	**** + ** 23,8 / 33,5
AMD - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	**** + ** 22,0 / 31,1
AMD - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	*** + ** 19,3 / 27,1
Intel - 2x 4GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + ** 15,8 / 26,2
Intel - 2x 4GB 1866 10-13-14-34	*** + ** 15,4 / 23,9
Intel - 2x 4GB 1600 9-9-9-27	*** + ** 14,7 / 23,5
Intel - 2x 4GB 1333 8-8-8-24	** + ** 13,1 / 21,0
AMD - 1x 8GB 2133 10-12-11-34	*** + * 14,1 / 19,7
Intel - 1x 8GB 2133MHz 10-12-...	** + * 10,9 / 17,1
AMD - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	** + * 12,2 / 16,4
Intel - 1x 8GB 1866 10-13-14-34	** + * 10,1 / 15,8
AMD - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 10,9 / 14,8
Intel - 1x 8GB 1600 9-9-9-27	** + * 9,0 / 14,0
AMD - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	* + * 8,4 / 12,6
Intel - 1x 8GB 1333 8-8-8-24	* + * 7,6 / 12,1

 

so, when using an APU the speed, latency and amount of ram sticks does really matter, but for external gpu's it doesn't matter, becouse they have Vram on the card. if i'm richt, the APU can use some of the system ram for graphical ram.

Yes, the graphics 'chip' on the APU doesn't have any RAM of its own, and will use some system RAM (usually an amount that the user can set). And having faster VRAM in this case (system RAM) will be helpful.

[Tech Deals]

While others have already offered their 2 cents, I'm going to put mine in...

 

The reason to add the second stick is only party for the extra memory.  Yes, if you're doing nothing else on your computer and have no background tasks running, 8GB is plenty for gaming.  That being said, as I look at my desktop, there are about 15 things loaded in the task tray and several background things running, including online backup.  Without a game loaded, just with a web browser up, I'm using 5.8GB of my 16GB of RAM on this machine (and this isn't even my main computer, it has 32GB and I often go over 16GB on that one).

 

The other reason is for dual channel, it doubles the bandwidth of the RAM.  Does that matter for gaming?  Meh, maybe, maybe not...  but I frankly don't think gaming is why you should do it.  I find the computer is "snappier" with dual channel RAM.  That isn't the sort of thing that benchmarks tend to show, but general USING a computer, in Windows, I find dual channel helps, at least when you have 15 things going on.  Benchmarks are nice, but aren't the end all, be all of performance.  That is like saying your Ferrari is faster than my Ford, which it is, in testing, but during rush hour traffic, they both go 15 MPH just the same.

 

It is also worth noting that 8GB of RAM is not exactly expensive anymore.  It isn't "free", but it isn't a major purchase either.

[Nena Trinity]

dual channel will double the bandwidth and in some games it will get better not to mention these days you want 16GBs of RAM anyway!