Zen 3: 4x8 GiB versus 2x16 GiB, both single-rank configurations
Zen 3: 4x8 GiB versus 2x16 GiB, both single-rank configurations
I'm considering purchasing Crucial Ballistix RGB white DDR4-3600 CL16-18-18-38 DIMMs for my new Ryzen Zen 3 setup. I need a total of 32 GiB, ideally in stock. Recently it seems the 16 GiB sticks (BL16G36C16U4WL) are now consistently single rank because they use 2 GiB Micron chips instead of 1 GiB ones. I'm wondering if opting for 4x8 GiB would be preferable over the usual 2x16 GiB configuration for Zen 3. This would provide four single-rank sticks, offering a total of 256-bit bandwidth versus the current 128-bit with two sticks. My preference leans toward 4x8 GiB, possibly because it looks better in RGB and might not significantly impact performance—though I doubt the gains are substantial and could come with added complexity or reliability concerns from having four units instead of two.