Choose between 2x16 CL18 and 4x8 CL17 based on your needs.
Choose between 2x16 CL18 and 4x8 CL17 based on your needs.
Hi! I just ordered a 12600K and a Z690 board, and i'm thinking of getting new RAM too. I read that having all 4 slots occupied can somehow lower performance, and of course there are more points of failure etc. Normally i would have gone with 2x16, but right now there is a deal for a set of 2x8 3600MHz Cl17 for less than half the price of a set of 2x16 3600MHz Cl18. I don't care much about upgradeability as next time i upgrade i will probably get DDR5, is it worth it to get 4x8? My specs will be; i5-12600K Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X Vega 64
When both configurations are single rank, the 4x8 setup actually provides improved performance because the four sticks operate like two dual-rank sticks. The advantage of a 2x16 comes from reducing pressure on the memory controller, allowing faster RAM with tighter timings. For DDR4-4800 or similar speeds, you likely wouldn’t be able to use four sticks.