1x8 gb vs 2x4

Ilker1

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I do know how it s more "stable" to have dual channel.

But the thing is my motherboard supports 2133 mhz and my only 2 options are

1- 1x8 gb 2133mhz (10 bucks cheaper)
2- 2x4gb 2666 mhz

shall i still just go for 2x4? how much of a difference would it make for gaming?

(i use i3 6100 with only 2 ram slots mobo)
 

clutchc

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I don't see why one would be more stable over the other. The only difference you may see is a 10% performance hit by using a single stick because you will be in single-channel mode.

That is if both memories are the same speed. But you are comparing different speed memories. So obviously the faster RAM (running at full clock) would be faster than the slower RAM, anyway. I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between speeds tho.
 

Ilker1

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if i buy the exact same ram later on ( 8gb one) and make it 2x8 , would i have same performance as the 2x4 ?
 

Ilker1

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i mean 2666 one will run as 2133 on my motherboard anyway no? as it supports that max.
 

clutchc

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Oh. If they are both running at the same clock and timings, yes... they will be have the same performance. Of course 2x8 is more than 2x4, so there's that too. Get the 1x8 now if you think you can match it exactly later. Dual channel memory can get picky if the 2 sticks don't match exactly. That's why dual channel memory is sold in MATCHED pairs.
 

clutchc

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Nice article, Tradesman1. I'll have to bookmark it and check it out when I have time.
 

Ilker1

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Alright i guess i'll go for 2x4 2666 mhz , hopefully will not have any problem with my 2133 motherboard.thanks!
 

xXCrossfireXx

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Your decision is a bad one. 2x4 gigabytes is something you will regret getting if you ever decide to get 16 gigabytes, and you probably will. If you wanna upgrade in the future, you'd have to toss those 2x4 gig sticks and buy a whole new 16 gig set. If you go 8 gig route, you'll have to just pop another stick in. And I see the single stick is 10 bucks cheaper? Go for it! The speed just doesn't matter.

Check this out:

http://techbuyersguru.com/gaming-ddr4-memory-2133-vs-26663200mhz-8gb-vs-16gb?page=1

Lol, in their Ryse benchmark, the 2133 actually got a frame better than the 2666. Anyway, the framerate differences are so minimal, this benchmark provided them in decimals. So do yourself a favor and get that single stick of 8 gigs
 

Tradesman1

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________________

You need to take into consideration that if someone were to 'upgrade' there is no guarantee just adding a stick will play with the old, even if the same exact model. There are threads galore here in the forums who decided to just 'add' another identical stick and they don't play - it happens all the time
 

clutchc

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+1^
I can vouch for that. Dual channel memory is very dependent on the sticks being perfectly matched. Timings, voltage, lot number, date of manufacture, etc. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes, not so much. Mixed RAM may work fine... until stressed.

If you can live with an occasional BSOD, then mixing shouldn't be an issue for you.