Recommended (2x16GB) Memory for my PC

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BZwqqs/gskill-memory-f43200c14d32gvk

If you're replacing them might at we'll get low latency stuff as well.

Just adding one more stick causes dual channel issues which would definitely hold you back. For what you're doing I'd definitely spend the extra money for a cl14 kit, the one he and I listed both have the same insides, just a different heat spreader look. I believe the ripjaws to be shorter than the tridents as well.

The lower the cl the better. The model actually means nothing anymore. Those ripjaws I listed are identical the two tridents you listed will have different chips inside

1. 2 x 16Gb is better than 4 x 8GB because its less work for your memory controller.

2. 4 sticks will often require a voltage bump

3. Because of the above and other reasons CPU OCs with 4 sticks are generally lower than what you cana accomplish with 4 sticks.

4. RAM is only guaranteed to work when all sticks come in the same package. So keeping your 2 x 8Gb and adding a new set of 2 x 8Gb is a crapshoot. The likelihood of a successful add-on upgrade diminishes wurth higher speed and lower timings. So if this were a set of 2133, then your chances of compatibility between to different sets isn't that bad. At 3200, it's just too risky.

5. The faster the DDR speed and the lower the timings, the betetr performance you will get. The difference between 14 and 15 might not show up in many applications but ib your stated applications, the investment will pay off over time.

6. The higher the RAM performance, the lower the yield as in "the % of chips that can pass testing" ... Because sticks that pass testing at 14 are rarer than ones that pass 15, they cost more. At the lower end, you will iften find say 2400 or 2666 costing less than 2133 because there is a glut of sticks on the market at the now discounted spec range and prices are adjusted accordingly.

7. Each manufacturer has different model lines which cater to different market segments. Among enthusiasts, for 20 years or so, Mushkin Redline has been the most sought after series due to the quality of the RAM modules and their ability to withstand higher voltages. With DDR3 for example, enthusiast were using voltages as high as 1.94.

The competition's answer to Mushkin Redline was Corsair Dominators and GSkill's Trident. Sometimes, vendors will get better pricing by buying in larger quantities and they **may** extend the module usage to other model lines. With DDR3-2400 for example, Corsair used Hynix modules in both the Dominator and Vengeance Pro lines. All had the same 10-12-12-28 timings

Yields improve over time with modifications to production lines and sometimes these vendors will switch to a lower tier module as yields due to production line improvements improve. At some point, Corsair did this with the Vengeance Pro line; they did not change the model number tho timings did drop to 10-12-12-31. The Dominators kept the Hynix modules for some months afterwards but later on these also dropped to 10-12-12-31.

Modules, if ya can find the data might have two sets of timing ... Base Timings and Tested Timings, with the latter being somewhat more conservative. Tridents are aimed at the enthusiast market and or production shops where the performance advantage may have an advantage. Ripjaws is s the best tier down, though there is substantial overlap. Unfortunately, RAM vendors are rather tight lipped about specifics of chips used, PCB design and the only thing we get to see are the heat spreaders. For the most part, these won't have a significant impact as DDR4 is very efficient and unless substantially overclocking or getting up above 4000 would I even think about this. Because of the economics described above, in some performance tiers, the two model lines may have the heat spreaders as the only difference.