Combining options?
Combining options?
Hey there, newcomer! You're looking to upgrade your system's memory. Right now you have 16GB, but you're considering adding more. Your current setup includes Corsair RAM with two 8GB sticks totaling 16GB. If you buy two 16GB sticks, you'd reach 48GB, which is a significant boost. However, replacing the existing 8GB sticks at once would give you 24GB total. Think about your workload: if you need more than 32GB for smooth performance, 48GB is ideal. But if your tasks are lighter, 24GB might suffice. Also, consider stability—more RAM can help with crashes and slowdowns, but make sure your system supports it. Check the compatibility and reviews before deciding.
You can retain the 8GB sticks. My Dell G5 came with two 8GB modules, but since I needed more RAM for programming, I upgraded to a 32GB kit with identical frequency and timings. I installed it in the remaining slots (MoBo has four), giving me 48GB total. Ensure one 8GB and one 16GB stick are in the same channel. It seems the two 8GB sticks are already operating in dual-channel, as running the 16GB in a single channel would likely cause bottlenecks once the lower capacity is full. I noticed your 32GB kit is C18, so the 8GB sticks should probably be using that timing too.
Consider running memtest on a USB drive to check your RAM. It’s possible one chip in a RAM stick occasionally misbehaves, causing bits to flip and leading to crashes or screen issues only when certain programs read from that specific chip. With more RAM, data might be accessed less frequently from that chip, reducing crashes but still allowing corruption.