2x8 or 4x8 single ranked dimensions—choose based on your needs. Future-proofing considerations included.
2x8 or 4x8 single ranked dimensions—choose based on your needs. Future-proofing considerations included.
Hey guys. I'd like to build a PC for the next 6-7 years +- I was thinking either waiting for Zen 3 or buying right now something like 3900X with a good high end X570 motherboard. Other system parts i already have are: Lian li PC-O10WX case. SF750 Platinum PSU G.Skill F4-3600C15D-GTZ I've seen benchmarks that show a significant increase in performance using dual ranked memory dimms running in dual channel (10% gains sometimes) And i was thinking about maybe ordering another set of Single ranked F4-3600C15D-GTZ kit. Therefore 4 sticks of single ranked ram, will be equivalent to 2 sticks of dual ranked dimms. Also I will have 32 gigs of ram, which might be more beneficial in the near future as i already like to game and multitask on the second monitor. Once thing i've read was that if i want to truly match dual ranked dimms perf, i should get a T-Topology motherboard when running 4 dimms. Any good T-Topology mobo? I know that Taichi is no longet T-Topology.
This setup is important for someone who really prioritizes performance, otherwise I’d stick with 2x8GB, but I’ll perform better than a 4X4GB configuration in most situations.
This setup offers more storage than the alternative. The 32GB configuration uses four 8GB drives with single-ranked dimms that act like two dual-ranked ones, while the 16GB version uses two 8GB drives with single-ranked dimms. If you can run both at XMP speeds, it could be beneficial.
This decision conflicts with your testing and past experience. The two-rank (or 2DPC) performance doesn't significantly affect synthetic benchmarks for RAM bandwidth, but it does improve mixed read/write tasks. Based on this, I'd prefer 4x4 over 2x8 for better performance. If the 8GB modules are dual rank—which is uncommon now—the results would be similar. Your choice isn’t just about 2x8 versus 4x8; it also depends on module quantity.
This topic isn't about channels but more about performance. Dual ranked dual DIMM essentially means a chipset with components on both sides, leading to slightly relaxed timing and clock speeds. However, it allows the CPU to use both sides at once, which can boost performance by letting two tasks run simultaneously on the same RAM module—each using one side. Single ranked RAM, on the other hand, forces tasks to wait for each other to finish, reducing efficiency. Some programs even benefit from running two dual-rank modules per channel, meaning you sacrifice dual-channel capability for better single-channel performance. In gaming, dual rank and dual channel are advantageous. I’d like to use four slots with four 8GB single-channel modules, such as the g.skill Tridentz 3600 CL15. The problem is that most motherboards are daisy-chained—two slots per channel are high-end, while the other two are lower spec, which is what bothers me.
Considering 4 sticks of 8GB G.Skill 3600Mhz 15-15-15-35 2N 1.35V single-rank dimms, I'm unsure which motherboard would work best. Are there any T-configuration options available? I prefer avoiding a setup with two high-end and two lower-spec slots, similar to a daisy chain.
I meant to talk about making your purchase ready for the future. It seems tricky to upgrade four RAM sticks if you need to swap two for more space. If you don’t plan heavy overclocking, you probably shouldn’t rush for a T topology board and the most expensive kit. Instead, consider getting two fast 16GB sticks now and leaving room for another pair later. Also, using four sticks instead of just two can help if one gets slower when pushed to higher speeds.
I'm not familiar with top-tier mobos... I only own kits rated over 3200, and the latest AMD BIOS seems to work fine at high speeds. I don’t have enough of them to try 2DPC. By the way, dual-rank modules and running two dimmers per channel aren't exactly the same, though in real life it's similar if the modules run single-rank with 2DPC. On performance, the only situations where either 2R or 2DPC really helps are with workloads like Prime95. I have 3200 dual-rank units and they outperform single-rank 3600 or 4000, even after adjusting IF clocks didn’t change much. I haven’t been able to confirm this in games either.