Please explain RAM

[Xdrone]

So I'm going to be building my PC soon and I'm not sure as to what is compatible, performance boosting or better when it comes to RAM modules and kits...

Can somebody please clear up the following things:

Dual channels, Quad channels, Quad kits and Dual Kits.

Whats the difference?

If my mobo says Dual compatible does that mean I can only have 2 sticks? Or does that mean I can have 4 but in Dual channel? What is dual channel? Will there be a performance boost if I use 2 dual channel sticks vs 4 quad channel sticks if my mobo says 'dual compatible' (The mobo is MSI z270 M5)? 

Please clear all of this up and what is better with which mobo compatibility and so on.

[Frosty]

This might help you out.

[That_PC_Kid]

Along with the video that was shared by Frosty you should watch this one:

 

 

I hope you find this useful.

[Void_Viking]

Think of it like an hourglass, the sand is data going from one place to another.

 

The more RAM/Faster RAM you have, the bigger the middle of the hourglass.

 

At least that's the way it was explained to me

[Shiv78]

4 slot mobos are usually dual-channel, but you can get 2 dual channel kits and have 2 sets of dual channel (ex 4x4GB sticks). For gaming I would get a dual-channel DDR4 kit, 2x8GB for a total of 16GB. Don't overpay for fast RAM; the fastest supported on your mobo without overclocking is DDR4-2400.