16GB enough? or go for 32GB?

[Dimitry49]

Originally Posted by Starage

Stay with 16GB, 4x4 kit is good enough, if you need 32GB get 4x8 kit. Having all memory banks full may limit the ram to 1600 and be harder to run anything higher.

Yes, i'll stay with 16gb. No need for any more. gonna save the money if there wont be a significant boost in redering! Thanks for suggestion guys!

[pitz]

I've just been looking at some pricing, and 8gb DIMMS are now cheap enough that the difference between 4x4 and 2x8 is minimal.

Higher density modules seem to hold their value better, use less electricity, and are more reusable in future systems. Especially when there's almost no premium to buying higher density, its almost a no-brainer.

[elmorejohn46]

At the low prices of DDR3 I would why not ,I doubt you will notice any difference between 16gigs and 32gigs.I picked up a 16gig of G.Skill for $79 and that was as cheap as I have seen it ,It went back up to $99.85.Even on my i7-920 going from 6gigs to 16 gigs I could tell a difference,everthing loaded a lot quicker.I could'nt tell no difference once playing a game ,but it would load it up two to three times faster.

[Andonios]

Hi Guys,
This might be an old thread but I came here looking because I am almost in the same situation with my current 16gb RAM and I do video editing and was wondering if another 16gb would help me or not since I might be changing my ram soon.

BUT, while reading all these posts I wanted to add some infor that I've learned online reading about the subject in detail the last few days.
First, it isn't advised to just ever add more memory to ANY existing memory chips even if they are same brand and speed. The reason is, all memory added should be matched to run well together at the manufacturers and be bought in kits.
So if you need 32 gb total, you should ONLY install a 32gb kit, (4)8gb sticks that is sold together and has already been tested to run sucessfully together. For many years I didn't understand this fact, and was always confused when I read about people saying such stuff. BUT it is a fact, especially if you want to avoid sudden BSOD issues when doing highly complicated editing or rendering. RAM might seem to run fine until certain cells get accessed and look out, trouble. People usually blame software and drivers when this starts happening too.

So if you have 16gb installed and want to upgrade to 32gb (because your board is able) even if you have available slots, what you NEED to do is remove your existing ram and replace it with a kit of 32gb ram that is tuned and matched to run well together.
You read online So many people write how they bought 16gb in 2 sticks so they can easily upgrade later on to 32 with 2 more sticks, that's a NO NO...
Remember buy as much ram as you will need when building your system because adding more later will be like starting ALL over again, no matter how many empty slots you have.
Especially with fast, high performance RAM modules used for graphics work and fast rendering projects.

My current situation is more complicated. I built a system using 16gb DDR3 CL9 1600 ram but my sticks are rated at 1.65v, and I have them running no problem with a 1155 cpu Sandybridge 2nd gen processor which the more I research apparently is another No No, I didn't know about when I built my system.
From what I've learned even though my ASUS P8Z68 board will allow it, you shouldn't run ANY memory more than 1.5v with a 2nd gen Sandybridge CPU because INTEL says it will void their warranty and it is pushing the onboard memory controller to the limit and it will shorten the CPU's lifespan.
I didn't know that when I purchased my ram, and others say it isn't proven, but i really don't want to chance burning up my CPU so I've underclocked my current RAM to 1333mhz and lowered the voltage to 1.5v and it seems to be running ok now but when I start rendering and animating, I want to get the MOST out of my system.
So now I need to decide to either leave my ram underclocked (and hope it's ok running with lower than recommended voltage) so I don't burn up the onboard memory controller on my SandyBridge i7 2600K CPU and leave that 16gb installed OR replace it with memory that runs at 1600mhz with only 1.5volts?
At the same time, since I am replacing ALL my ram, I am now wondering if I too should upgrade to 32gb purchased all together in a tuned kit. Decisions, decisions!!!
Any advice would help, Thanks!

[Perineum]

Originally Posted by Andonios

Hi Guys,
This might be an old thread but I came here looking because I am almost in the same situation with my current 16gb RAM and I do video editing and was wondering if another 16gb would help me or not since I might be changing my ram soon.

BUT, while reading all these posts I wanted to add some infor that I've learned online reading about the subject in detail the last few days.
First, it isn't advised to just ever add more memory to ANY existing memory chips even if they are same brand and speed. The reason is, all memory added should be matched to run well together at the manufacturers and be bought in kits.
So if you need 32 gb total, you should ONLY install a 32gb kit, (4)8gb sticks that is sold together and has already been tested to run sucessfully together. For many years I didn't understand this fact, and was always confused when I read about people saying such stuff. BUT it is a fact, especially if you want to avoid sudden BSOD issues when doing highly complicated editing or rendering. RAM might seem to run fine until certain cells get accessed and look out, trouble. People usually blame software and drivers when this starts happening too.

So if you have 16gb installed and want to upgrade to 32gb (because your board is able) even if you have available slots, what you NEED to do is remove your existing ram and replace it with a kit of 32gb ram that is tuned and matched to run well together.
You read online So many people write how they bought 16gb in 2 sticks so they can easily upgrade later on to 32 with 2 more sticks, that's a NO NO...
Remember buy as much ram as you will need when building your system because adding more later will be like starting ALL over again, no matter how many empty slots you have.
Especially with fast, high performance RAM modules used for graphics work and fast rendering projects.

Well, I'm sure some purists would agree with you, but I've "added on" to RAM dozens of times without issue. However, some motherboards are more picky with 4 slots full rather than 2 slots full. I always match the RAM up with whatever is currently in it, and run the paired sticks in the appropriate slot for dual channel.

Originally Posted by Andonios

My current situation is more complicated. I built a system using 16gb DDR3 CL9 1600 ram but my sticks are rated at 1.65v, and I have them running no problem with a 1155 cpu Sandybridge 2nd gen processor which the more I research apparently is another No No, I didn't know about when I built my system.
From what I've learned even though my ASUS P8Z68 board will allow it, you shouldn't run ANY memory more than 1.5v with a 2nd gen Sandybridge CPU because INTEL says it will void their warranty and it is pushing the onboard memory controller to the limit and it will shorten the CPU's lifespan.
I didn't know that when I purchased my ram, and others say it isn't proven, but i really don't want to chance burning up my CPU so I've underclocked my current RAM to 1333mhz and lowered the voltage to 1.5v and it seems to be running ok now but when I start rendering and animating, I want to get the MOST out of my system.
So now I need to decide to either leave my ram underclocked (and hope it's ok running with lower than recommended voltage) so I don't burn up the onboard memory controller on my SandyBridge i7 2600K CPU and leave that 16gb installed OR replace it with memory that runs at 1600mhz with only 1.5volts?
At the same time, since I am replacing ALL my ram, I am now wondering if I too should upgrade to 32gb purchased all together in a tuned kit. Decisions, decisions!!!
Any advice would help, Thanks!

I've heard of people running 1.65 RAM without issue, but I think it's a much better idea to run 1.5v instead. However, if what you have is working, and you didn't plan on upgrading then just leave it alone.

[NyteOwl]

I guess all those high end workstations and servers are bought with 64-128GB of matched ram all at once. Most "sets" of ram are packaged by their specs, not placed on a test platform and matched to the nanosecond of timing. those two prepackaged 16GB lots probably came from the same production run as that single 32GB lot did and are identical except for their packaging. It's not like matching vacuum tubes in circuits where minor production variance can have a noticeable practical effect.

Only one system I've ever owned or worked on was loaded to capacity upon build but were upgraded (via adding new modules) later and none of them ever functioned the worse for it. And I doubt filling them at build would have made them function better.

[Generic User #2]

honestly, I see people matching different brands all the time. this might have been a problem in the past, but nowadays production seems to be good enough to not have to give a damn anymore. if it doesn't work, you probably just got unlucky and got a bad stick.

[sf101]

As long as both are capable of the same timings at said mhz. you wont have a issue.

but at say 2400mhz for instance a set of say hyninx based imc is not going to match up to the same timings as psc timings so things can get wonky.

but at 1600mhz most all will run say 9-9-9-24 1t with similar sub and tertiary timings hope that helps!

[Signal2Noise]

Just threw in 4 8GB G.Skill 1600MHz Ripjaws X into my system. I went from 8GB total. Only real reason I did was I was bored and had some extra money to burn. I do use Photoshop and some 3D animation programs (ZBrush, LightWave and Vue) and although I got by with 8GB, quadrupling it will only render things 4 times faster... in theory.

[rjbarker]

Also filling on your Memory Slots makes it tougher to get higher (stable) OC's on your CPU, harder on your CPU's Memory Controller (certainly on my I7 X58 Platform).