Yes, you can choose different RAM sizes and speeds even with DDR5 memory.
Yes, you can choose different RAM sizes and speeds even with DDR5 memory.
I’ll receive this laptop because it fits within my budget of $800 (including taxes). It features 8GB DDR5 RAM. The specs mention 5600MHz, but Best Buy doesn’t carry a laptop with DDR5 RAM at that speed. You can check the product page for more details. It should still work even if it runs slower than advertised.
It won’t work on dual channel because of the mismatched dimensions. AFAIK RAMs need to match in size to support dual channel, which is crucial for gaming. It will still function, but performance will suffer. The reason it must come from BestBuy is likely due to their selection criteria.
If the memory for the first dim is reachable, they might purchase two sticks and use them in dual-channel mode. If it isn't available, it probably doesn't affect performance much since they aren't running in dual-channel at the moment, just a slight slowdown in frequency and timing.
You might encounter an unusual setup where the first two-thirds of the RAM operate in dual-channel, but the remaining portion runs in single-channel. This configuration could theoretically hurt performance compared to using fewer total dual-channel units. It’s unclear exactly how this functions with DDR5 technology.
Modern gaming laptops seldom use soldered RAM, which would be a major drawback. It seems unlikely they ever had it, as soldered RAM is more common in thin devices rather than gaming machines. Since the sizes vary, it’s probable they’d opt for a single 16GB stick instead of two 16GB sticks.
I doubt it would be a good idea either, but I wouldn’t make any assumptions either. It would be frustrating if you ended up with two RAM modules and one of them was already connected. I’ve noticed more RAM sticks being soldered together in cheaper models, so checking would make sense. They likely assumed they could run in dual-channel mode with the existing 8GB stick and the new 16GB stick. Now that they realize it won’t work, they might think about buying two sticks to try achieving dual-channel performance, provided the current 8GB stick isn’t soldered.
In certain situations, variations in the ICs on the sticks may lead to various issues ranging from minor mistakes to complete failures. Such discrepancies can stem from default timing settings of the sticks (which is typical) and the fact that mixing different IC types might cause a component to exceed its expected performance limits, resulting in the problems you mentioned. Ideally, avoid these conditions altogether.