Incorrect RAM sizes in a laptop.
Incorrect RAM sizes in a laptop.
I recently purchased a laptop with 8 GB RAM and wanted to upgrade to at least 8 GB. I discovered it already has 4 GB soldered in and a 4 GB stick in the free slot. After some investigation, it seems the recommendation is to remove the 4 GB and install an additional 8 GB, bringing the total to 12 GB. My concern is that currently it shows dual-channel according to CPU-Z. If I add 8 GB of Crucial RAM at the same speed as the existing module, will it still function in dual-channel mode, like having two 6 GB modules? Or should I consider adding a 16 GB stick for around 20 GB and keep dual-channel? Thanks for any advice, I’ve watched a lot of Linus and signed up here for real answers!
you possess multiple memory modules and an intel cpu, as long as the motherboard accommodates them, the ram can technically operate in flexible mode. this setup implies that half of the 8gb module and half of the 4gb module will use dual channel, while the remaining sticks will function in single channel. for optimal performance with 4+16gb or 4+4 sticks, both must be dual channel in flex mode; otherwise, the rest will operate in single channel, limited by the slower stick. ram speed will always match the lowest common factor between the sticks—combined, it means mismatched sizes result in single channel operation unless flex is enabled. edited march 12, 2020 by Saksham