4x4GB vs. 2x8GB, Intel & AMD Dual-Channel Gaming Benchmark

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4x4GB vs. 2x8GB, Intel & AMD Dual-Channel Gaming Benchmark
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[@Hardwareunboxed]

Buildzoid talks about motherboard topology here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epCxk2x5pM2GeK8

[@ucup33]

I saw the video almost the same time you posted the comment, great :-)

[@leighhaynes]

Great complementary video.

[@granthampson5917]

#HWUB Hi Steve, please can you do some investigation and testing on whether changing VRM and Chipset on motherboard thermal pads with better quality ones, graphite pads(increase mounting pressure) or thermal paste. Does this improve vrm temps and overclocking. All hail Steve the Benchmark King.

[@SpawnViper4]

A Lot of people will get triggered but .... how about a 4K version of these benchmarks? I'd like to see if the FPS are within reason for playing games at 4K with different modules configuration potentials. Also You do have a 2080 afterall....

[@BlueMax109]

Hey mate, just so you are aware, Techspot.com stole your content and is passing it off as their own...........if that was me I would be pissed. link here www.techspot.com/article/1971-more-ram-modules-better-for-gaming/?fbclid=IwAR3YwC0AWbo3zCJlYTPimKLfw3LKGB52RIApDoxnSX_8l-_MuAbdBDleHa4#allcomments

[@TechWithSean]

More dimms = more RGB = more FPS Science

[@magottyk]

The human eye can only see 2 dimms.

[@nathangamble125]

S T O N K S

[@martytube821]

More money too!

[@juGGaKNotEmpire]

Science bitch!

[@magnusnilsson9792]

DIMM-wit.

[@nathangamble125]

I'm very glad that one of the bigger PC tech channels has finally talked about memory rank interleaving. This is a massive thumbs up from me.

[@brothergrimaldus3836]

@@ArteriusSaren yeah we're going to learn a Slavic language just to watch one video... And you call us arrogant?

[@johnm2012]

There's a Wikipedia article called "Memory rank". It was first written just over ten years ago and it's in English. It's a little lacking in the citation department but it does have a section about the performance impact of multi-rank modules. Unfortunately it's not a video so you have to read it in order to learn from it. People with language skills could contribute by helping to translate it..

[@josephgeubtner]

@@ArteriusSaren maybe if you fucks wouldn't be such nationalistic pricks people would like you more.

[@carbonsx3]

@@ArteriusSaren Only 3 years ago... memory bank interleaving and it's improvements to performance has been a thing since at least 32-bit 72 pin SIMMs... at least that's when I learned about it back in the 90s.

[@louisarius9672]

@Maxim Wow, such ultranationalist bullshit political garbage. Not everyone is obligated to learn other languages, twat.

[@BalázsBessenyei]

It might be interesting to repeat this using 2 sticks of dual rank memory against 4 sticks of single rank.

[@XyzBoBzAU]

Came to comments to say exactly this :)

[@TechandTools1]

I was wondering the same. Sounds like there would be minimal difference between 2x16gb vs 4x8gb, except for maybe memory stability like he spoke about at the end. Would like to see this tested as well.

[@jamiepearson532]

Yes, please do this.

[@techforge-Nate]

Did you guys watch to the end? Steve said this and it may be a video for another day.

[@TechandTools1]

@@techforge-Nate I started reading the comments lol, thanks for pointing that out. I will be keeping an eye out.

[@menpee]

Steve: "Are 4 sticks faster than 2?" Me: **laughing in mini itx*

[@alexp3577]

Same here, but it's more of a crying in ITX

[@TheVillainOfTheYear]

@@alexp3577 These findings are only true of identical timings and speeds. Two modules still give you more stable overclocks. 2 sticks at 3600 MT/s is faster than 4 sticks at 3200.

[@joek81981]

#thatitxlife

[@tomstech4390]

Most people use only 2 sticks anyway so theres no difference there, Plus 2x dual rank dimms=4 single ranked dimms (which nearly no one does). So being ITX has no downside unless you want more than 64GB of ram.

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

You can just run dual rank DIMMs and have the same result on your Mini ITX motherboard.

[@kathleendelcourt8136]

From the different sources I've seen it would seem that things work this way with Ryzen 3xxx: 4 SR modules can net you some extra performance over 2 SR modules especially if you use the XMP profile of your memory. If you use DR modules and try to optimize their timings and frequency you are more likely to get better results with 2 modules instead of 4.

[@nathangamble125]

This is mostly true, as I understand it. With quad ranked memory (two dual-ranked sticks in each channel) the memory controller is often not able to keep up, and the DIMMs themselves are unlikely to support high frequencies. Quad ranked memory is better than dual ranked in a hypothetical situation where the memory can run at the same speed and the memory controller can handle it, but this hypothetical situation doesn't often apply to desktop PCs (though it can sometimes be relevant to servers with high-capacity, low-frequency DIMMs).

[@Sonikks]

Is it true that the Ryzen 1 and 2 series of CPUS work better with 2 DIMMs still? I read that 4 DIMMs are too demanding on the CPU's memory controller.

[@takeba84]

I have my 3950x with 4x16gb (DR) working perfectly at 3800 DTR (1900mhz) with the IF at 1 to 1 ratio (1900mhz) and this with optimised timings, I got a tiny bit less than 60gbit of bandwidth which seems to be the limit with Zen 2 (cf buildzoid). With Intel the memory controller take a big hit with 4 DR module but with Zen 2 the limit will still probably be the IF frequency...if you aim at the 1 to 1 ratio.

[@johnm2012]

@@Sonikks More physical DRAM chips attached to the memory bus do present a more difficult load for the memory controller to drive, which is why servers use registered (buffered) memory. Motherboard manufacturers usually specify the maximum recommended speed for the various combinations of ranks per DIMM and DIMMs per channel. For example, for 1000 series Ryzen it was typically 2666 MT/s for one single rank DIMM per channel, 2400 for either one dual rank DIMM per channel or two single rank DIMMs per channel and 2133 MT/s for two dual rank DIMMs per channel. Anything greater than this was, technically, an overclock and not guaranteed.

[@VPoje]

The more sticks of ram you put in, the worst its gonna get stability wise. I have a kit of 4x8gb and when i use only 2 DIMMs i get it to run at 4000mhz. If i put all 4 the highest i can get is 3300mhz.

[@jamesdk5417]

Thanks guys, you always do an amazing job or testing and explaining the results. Keep up the great work.

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

I never expected you to do an actual video on interleaving, when I asked you for it on the last RAM test video. Thank you so much. You're the best! Now we finally have some solid data on a good set of games.

[@cracklingice]

Would have been neat to see 2 dimm single rank vs 2 dimm dual rank vs 4 dimm dual rank in at least one title where the scaling was seen.

[@eugkra33]

I believe 2 dims dual rank would perform 100% identical to 4 dims single rank as he said at the start. So the first part he more or less already tested. The 4x2 rank would have been interesting, though. But you might struggle to find boards capable of going past 3000mhz with 8 ranks hammering the IMC.

[@cracklingice]

Well that's why I said one game. No need to spend a ton of time on it but just to be able to show it for the sake of science.

[@TheGyuuula]

A relatively cheap little trick on the AMD FX CPUs was to use 4 dual rank RAMs to squeeze a little more power out of them. In theory, it shouldn't matter, if you are having 2 ranks of memory on a single module or on two separate RAM module. But in practice, you can reach the IMC's or the motherboard's limitsts, if you are overlocking, or using high-end memory sticks. You may have to lower the clock or increase timings, if you want a dual or quad rank memory configuration. The overall performance will be very similar, whatever you go for more ranks or for better frequency/timings, because an other hardware component is bottlenecking the memory performance (either the MoBO or the IMC).

[@gamertechlive1780]

@@eugkra33 this is old comments, but yeah you are correct the benefits of having dual rank 2 sticks AKA dual rank dual channel vs dual rank 4 sticks AKA dual rank dual channel (but 4 sticks) is in manual RAM OC, you will get tighter timings and higher frequency in 2 sticks and is easier to overclock than 4 sticks. Also in AM4 it MOBO traces also affect RAM performance if i remember it correctly and i also saw some comments about this. The shorter the traces going to the CPU the better the RAM will perform.

[@elpepito957]

Ohhh those benchmarks, such goodness

[@Setlean]

9:11 Thank you, happy merchant.

[@GewelReal]

nice timestamp

[@anotherks7297]

Gewel ✔ nice checkmark

[@karlsangree4679]

I remember back in the 80s spending almost $1,000 to back fill the memory on my Intel 8088 Columbia Data Products PC from 128kb to 640kb. It's been fun watching the PC grow from that to what I use now.

[@MichaelMaxwell747]

When I first became interested in computers and attended tech school memory was one hundred dollars per megabyte. I have three million two hundred thousand in my new desktop!

[@MichaelPohoreski]

Prices are insanely cheap! Back in Jan. spent $1200 for 192 GB of RAM for my three Threadrippers. (64 GB each)

[@lisacanterbury6248]

7:27 For results.

[@Kodiak8788]

Thank you for your videos. I've been researching a lot over the past few weeks on what direction to go with my PC build and you have genuinely helped me, thanks for that. Decided to go with a Ryzen 9 3900x on a Asus TUF Gaming Plus w/ 32GB Trident Z Royal memory and keeping my EVGA GTX 1070 Hybrid until the next gen GPU's are released.

[@EnvAdam]

1:53 - also to consider the ICs (and some ICs also perform worse in larger varieties for example 4gbit AFR vs 8Gbit AFR)

[@dubya85]

Kudos to you guys for covering the 4 sticks of ram versus 2 way before gamers nexus apparent recent discovery on Zen3!

[@dexgames4366]

Quad or Dual... That's something I wanted to now, thanks !

[@ForeverDoubting]

@@wykeless Yeah but Ryzen kind of shaked up the whole RAM debate, it really requires different considerations, so this video definitely has it's place.

[@dexgames4366]

@@wykeless And I happened to never have search about it, at all. That just the way it is. So when this video poped up, I simply wanted to know. Please don't be mad at me :\

[@frosty98412]

This is not quad channel

[@sahilbhosale5754]

@@frosty98412 quad channel need to be tested on threadripper from amd and your not gonna buy those for just gaming only from intel hedt = skylake x or coffe lake x or cascade lake x

[@bierba]

@@shredderorokusaki3013 This comment hurt me physically in multiple ways.

[@kidu7819]

How did I not discover your channel sooner? This is very helpful and so are your other videos.

[@vorgon]

There is also something about how the bus is laid out on the PCB that affects 2 vs 4

[@perfectdiversion]

The human eye can't see any more than dual ranked modules anyway

[@sukant08]

Its called retina modules

[@JB-xl2jc]

*My vision is augmented*

[@rareraven]

Damnit!!! Still funny.

[@BanjoJo]

How people saying difference between 2 and 4 sticks is not noticeable, but there's an easy 20 fps difference at times?

[@JackDisturber]

Finally someone covered it! I've been asking multiple channels to test this for a long time because there's too little info about dual rank memory and channel interleaving in case of 4 dimms. I'm personally running 2x16 DR on 3466c14 with tweaked timings on my 3700x :P so far happy with it and been since first gen

[@trolling3548]

That's actually pretty interesting. I've wondered this in the past when buying memory. I would of expected the opposite results

[@Winnetou17]

Yeah, me too. Didn't even heard about memory ranks and interleaving. So glad that now I know about it.

[@HasXXXInCrocs]

Wow, didn't expect a flashback from Computer Architecture when I clicked on this video. Excellent video, very informative and well spoken.

[@mattroy3154]

Great content, looks like you got your work cut out for you with the alternate memory configurations: Is it better to have 4x single rank vs 2x dual rank? Is it better to have 2x single rank at 3200 vs 2x dual rank at 3000? Any advantages of having 4x dual rank over 2x dual rank? Who knows? the videos aren't out yet!

[@TechandTools1]

I've been wondering about this for some time, can't seem to get an answer anywhere. Plus I don't have the funds to support this kind of testing.

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

You need to just think in ranks, instead of DIMMs. On a dual channel motherboard, you want 4 ranks for interleaving. Having more ranks will not benefit you anymore. The next thing is that the less DIMMs you have, the less the memory controller is strained, which might net you a little tiny bit better overclockability. And that's it.

[@xnoreq]

Is it better to have 4x single rank vs 2x dual rank? The latter. Is it better to have 2x single rank at 3200 vs 2x dual rank at 3000? Depends on the timings and if your application is more sensitive to latency or bandwidth. Any advantages of having 4x dual rank over 2x dual rank? I don't think so.

[@mattroy3154]

@@xnoreq Until I actually see some field testing I consider this to be speculative or expected behavior. I'm curious for these to be qualified and quantified with blue and bluer bars. If it's not in a pivot table, then is it really data? XD

[@xnoreq]

@@mattroy3154 Nothing speculative. All of these things have been tested and benchmarked before, even specifically for Ryzen setups.

[@WebbTech1]

Thanks Steve and all at Hardware Un-boxed. I actually LEARNED something today in regards to memory!

[@wishusknight3009]

In ddr3 systems like IVY Bridge and AM3+ systems, this was a myth. Running 2 dimms often allowed the ability to use 1T command rate over a 2T command rate, which was a huge impact on performance in some scenarios. As much as 8%. 2 small low density dimms were always the easiest to get tighter timings when tuning.

[@darkokutlesa2386]

Depends on IMC and topology of motherboard i think...

[@anonymouscommentator]

Depends on the quality if your ram, motherboard and cpu

[@PhreakDarkSoul]

Sure, daisy chain is faster compared to T topology but I assume they could all reach at least the highest JEDEC standard. Zen2 needs higher frequency for better performance, above JEDEC.

[@TheDoomerBlox]

@@PhreakDarkSoul Daisy is better for 2-DIMM configs - though not as good as a 2-slot board - while T-Topo is better for 4-DIMM configs. cheers

[@latuba2478]

Shredder Orokusaki no, I don’t think I will

[@latuba2478]

Ryzen 3rd imc from what I’ve heard is outstanding. And most mobos (like 90 percent) are Daisy chain.

[@chessmyantidrug]

I would definitely like to see this done with dual-rank modules as well. I'm sure other ITX system owners would, too.

[@NicholsPCS]

So glad to see these real results. Yesterday I bought 2 DIMMs to add to my corsair 2x8 3200 (dominator platinum). Seeing these slight boosts for gaming makes me feel a bit better for the high price of that memory module 🤣

[@AliYassinToma]

I remember asking this in 2017 dayum

[@babis8142]

mate I've seriously been wandering this for like 5 years and I never got a satisfying answer until now

[@bryantallen703]

"Thaiphoon Burner" is a great program for reading RAM dimms and there memory IC's. Even the brand, rank, PCB's memory IC layout and die (nm) that the manufacturers used. I've been saying that a 4x4GB kit simaler the one used here (3200MHz CL16, etc.) or even DDR3 1866MHz kit OC'ed to 2400MHz+ would net a 5% to 10% performance boost over a 2x8GB kit at the same clocks and timings, on Intel's platform since the z77 3770K days. Also going back to the Core2 Quads with a 4x1GB or 2GB DDR2 1200MHz kit. Same with a 4x8GB kit vs a 2x16GB kit. I tested this with a 2080 but i'm sure simaler results can be seen using a lower-end GPU like a RX 5700/XT. With more dimms, it can be harder to hit higher overclocks and lower timings on certain daisy-chain memory traced motherboards. ASUS likes to use this "daisy-chain" memory trace layout on there Strix boards. I'm guessing they figure more consumers will be buying/running a 2x8GB kit or a 2x16GB kit. Overclocking a 4x(X)GB kit can depend on the specific memory IC's, PCB and module layout as well as the memory trace layout on the motherboard. You'll hear alot of overclockers favor an A-0 IC layout and Samsung B-die in a 2x8GB kit for example. If the motherboard is using a T-Topology memory trace layout, like all of Gigabyte's z370-z390 Aorus line, then this has no effect. In fact having 4 dimms in a T-Topology memory traced motherboard will run faster and more stable than a motherboard with a daisy-chain memory trace. A T-Topology memory trace just means that all of the boards dimm slots are wired (equally) the same distance to the CPU socket. A daisy-chain memory trace is just like it sounds. Each dimm is basically tied to the next one. That's why on most boards you'll see a recommended 2 dimm slot configuration when using 2 sticks. On Gigabyte's boards, any 2 dual channel dimm slots can be used because there all wired the same. The closer the dimm slots the better the overclock. That's how GSkill was able to hit 6GHz on MSI's iTX 2dimm motherboard. The board used here is Gigabyte's z390 Aorus Ultra and it uses a T-Topology memory trace layout. The results shown is going to be the best case scenario. I have a 4x4GB kit of 3200MHz CL16 running at 3800 CL17 and its faster than a 2x8GB kit of 3200MHz CL14 Samsung B-die running at 4000MHz CL17. Not by much but the difference is there. Using Gigabyte's Aorus boards, i would go for a 4x(X) kit because of its T-Topology memory trace layout. For most other boards like ASUS, MSI and ASRock a 2x(X) kit would be fine. Though, for the price of a 2x8GB kit of 3200MHz CL16 is anywhere from $60 to $80 and 2 2x4GB kits (4x4GB) is about $88. So i guess it depends on the budget and timing. Some people would buy a 2x4GB kit or 2x8GB kit and add another 2 dimms a year or so later. The only problem is, that the 2 newer dimms might not have the same exact memory IC's in it. Which could cause instability or even the XMP profile not to work. I've done this a few times and have had no problem with matching 2 kits that were manufactured a year apart. Just be on the lookout for specific kits and which IC's they use. "Thaiphoon Burner" is a great little program that can help tell which IC's a manufacturer is using.

[@PhreakDarkSoul]

Don't waste performance and choose 3600 sticks at least for Zen 2. ;)

[@smolcocky6466]

thanks for the informative comment, but what exactly you mean by "The closer the dimms the better the overclock", you mean ram used in the ram slots closest to the cpu (if you only have 2x2) or the population on the ram slots itself for example 2x2 vs 4x4

[@PhreakDarkSoul]

@@smolcocky6466 kzbin.info/www/bejne/epCxk2x5pM2GeK8

[@queegfivehundred8197]

Thanks for the testing and the explanation... it also helps explain the results I saw when going from 16Gb to 32Gb by adding another two 8Gb sticks (of Corsair LPX with the same model number, but the cheap sticks I got from Amazon in the black friday sales were an older version than the ones I've had since 2017) on my Ryzen 5 1600 @ 3900 Mhz - my unscientific testing in five games at 3440x1440 got the same results (less than 0.6% difference at most, averaged over five runs) with 32Gb at 3000 MHz and XMP timings (CL16 instead of the CL15 when using only two sticks) versus 16Gb at 3066 MHz CL15 with optimized sub-timings... I had expected the 32Gb to trail a bit until I tweaked the timings but with these results I haven't yet bothered to do so.

[@namelessbuggy]

More RAM testing yes please.

[@KillDozer44]

I have 2 16gb ram sticks at 2400 mhz I also have 2 4gb sticks at 2400 mhz laying around. Can I use all of them ? or is it not worth it? all ram are same model corsair vengeance LPX

[@mesicek7]

Brilliant!!! Was waiting for this cheers

[@rxman4453]

What about if your motherboard is t-topology vs daisy chained? Doesn’t that make a difference?

[@hhectorlector]

just reading the title I already know this is gonna get a like out of me

[@excelsiusprime]

And I already can say the answer is No, at least because it's easier to oc two sticks of ram.

[@excelsiusprime]

@Ziv Zulander don't really care, I just know it's better to have 2 sticks in dual channel.

[@goldash17]

EXCELSIUS Then why are you here

[@excelsiusprime]

@@goldash17 to say that I know it. Other questions?

[@rich22221]

You don't smash the like button on every single video you watch? pathetic.

[@sayithowitis2865]

You got a sub, needed this video, I bought 4 dimms for my 9900k & read everywhere that 2 dimms was what I should have, something about the memory controler being stressed with 4

[@SVT_LIGHTNING]

I heard it can mess with the xmp profiles and you can’t hit them. Did it work for your 9900k? I have a 10700k and want to do this to it. 16gb isn’t enough for me.

[@Sinjakin]

Now THIS is quality content

[@dddddddd9870]

Now THIS is no quality coment

[@dijigo1587]

Really interesting subject, and great analysis. Love your channel.

[@santeenl]

Doesnt this also depend on if your motherboard rocks a t-topology or daisy chain setup? T-topology is better for 4 dimms and daisy chain for 2.

[@carbonsx3]

Only the ASRock X570 Taichi and Creator are using t-top from the reviews that I've seen for X570 boards, no idea for Intel. Topology has nothing to do with interleaving, though, only electrical balance in the circuit which governs highest reliable frequency when using 1 DIMM per channel or 2.

[@noegthezemeraldghostie6287]

Can you repeat with 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16? 2x16 GB and 4x8GB?

[@TheSilviu8x]

16gb modules are almost always double ranked, so it's the same thing, at least you have 8gb Dr. The 8gb Dr are extremely expensive, so...

[@matthewscottshea]

I've been researching this, and feel free to correct if my information is incorrect, but... For Ryzen, 2x dual rank or 4x single rank is best. For 4x dual rank it is recommended a board with T-Topology setup instead of Daisy Chain (which most boards are). The AsRock Taichi boards support T-Top, but are for more higher end builds, and max ram OC will take a hit comparatively. Others might have T-Top, but just like memory ranks, it usually isn't easy to know on consumer branded equipment. Server equipment is usually better at letting you know that info.

[@IanD-ut4dy]

Just when I think I know how RAM works, I see this video! Great video bud, keep em coming.

[@chincemagnet]

Short answer, if it’s dual channel, it depends on the mother boards memory layout first and foremost. Then, which set can run faster clocks and lower timings? Higher capacity sticks almost always sacrifice speed and timing for capacity. Also, dual rank sticks are more stressful on the memory controller. On the other hand, 4 sticks (dual channel) can have plenty of issues due to having 4 sticks. If they’re a matched set and the board is a T topology layout, it can be better than two sticks. It all depend on the board, how much memory you need, and what speed you’re shooting for. My 32 GB 2x16 GB Trident 4000 MHz set at 3900 16-16-16-28 and like 6 hours of tweaking benchmarks faster than 99% of most peoples daily systems memory (similar setups, DDR4 dual channel) 60 - 60.6 GB/s read/write copy 32-38 ns latency

[@kodytourelle7790]

The 68 people who disliked this only have memory in single - channel

[@ricogt7092]

Kody Tourelle how do you download ram?

[@tuppers55]

Thank you , I do appreciate the time it must take for you to do all this testing. Graham from the uk😀

[@animeshmeshram5997]

You noobz don't understand simple facts, 4×4 configuration was faster coz it was red. It would have been even more faster if it had RGB.

[@Hardwareunboxed]

Both good points.

[@n1kobg]

This will be useful for competitive gaming where ppl play on low resolution and many times are CPU bound. I actually learned something today, thank you. Please test dual rank modules vs each other too.

[@JohnnyGomezSn]

More memory sticks would probably work better on T-topology motherboards

[@fiszu4075]

what about 4x8 3200 vs 2x8 4400? The price is the same so I would like to know which one is a better bang for buck?

[@lorenzorappa1616]

Does it effects APU's performances?

[@MarkRose1337]

More ranks are likely to have a more pronounced benefit for APUs, since their integrated GPU adds more pressure on the system memory. APUs also greatly benefit from faster memory. That's being said, at some point it becomes worth spending the money on a discrete GPU instead of better memory.

[@George.Gadgets]

So nowadays CPU's penalize using 4 sticks by reducing the frequency (let's say from 3200 to 2666) or, what is it about? Because maybe you choose taking 4 sticks to get this dual rank improvement but then you get cut out by the freq reduction. So what is better? I could'nt resolve this doubt.

[@Lukiel666]

Of course the 4 dimm sticks were faster than the two, they were red. Everyone knows red makes things go faster.

[@fajaradi1223]

That's so yesterday! Recent patch is : Red = +10%STR Blue = +10%INT Green = +10%AGI So red are no longer faster, but green does!

[@ImabossSK]

Also makes you hungry

[@SlayerSeraph]

What's better ? Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3466 C16 or 3600 MHz 3600 C18? There's no C14 model or C16 for 3600mhz. Not sure why, because it makes little sense. Also that 3600mhz c18 is much cheaper than 3200, 3466 etc. And supposedly faster. After asking around Amazon questions replies I got from users and Corsair pointed out to 3600MHz C18 being superior.

[@pyramidschemer4083]

Appreciate the quality content 👍

[@joxster1112]

I am in the process of planning my next build, which will be used primarily for gaming, so I found this video extremely useful. Thank you guys!

[@HarleyN93]

love gamers nexus as well but everyone's on the band wagon thinking there first to break this news when you guys made this ages ago you deserve more credit

[@Eidolon2003]

Yeah it's weird that GN Steve presented this as if it's brand new information. Maybe it's just that Zen 3 benefits more from dual rank RAM than previous platforms idk

[@JLMtime]

this is crazy ive ALWAYS heard the opsite for YEARS now so cool i love these test

[@mannypaul7369]

I would love to see more 4K benchmarks in general, seriously miss seeing those!

[@jaykoerner]

4k lowers fps, and as such makes the margin of error higher, especially with stuff like this where you need as much precision as possible

[@kimnice]

@@jaykoerner ..and would tell that there's no real difference which one you choose If you play at 4K

[@erikheijden9828]

They are benchmarking cpu peformance, no point in doing that at 4k.

[@rdmz135]

4K benchmarks only make sense for GPU tests.

[@jaykoerner]

@@kimnice depending the game settings and card there's no difference between a dual core at 2ghz and a 5ghz 16core, what matters is what your trying to test, "4k is the new standard" doesn't mean anything when your testing something that has nothing to do with the gpu, in most games the resolution has little to almost no effect of the maximum fps(where the gpu is not the bottleneck), if you get 100 fps at 480p your going to only get 100fps max at 4k, just they way things are

[@XDbored1]

but the real question is how much improvement do you get going from dual rank to quad rank? 4 double sided DIMMs 4x16GB and would it be reasonable to for example buy lower end but still good CPU like a R5 3600 with 64GB of RAM instead of a R7 3700X or 9900K with only 32GB or 16GB should we be filling all the DIMM slots? instead of buying more expensive CPUs?

[@kostasbezaitis2695]

This is a reason you can't compare benchmarks and reviews from different sources even if they seemingly use the same components such as a generic description of "3200Mhz CL16" ram.

[@ccallaghan84]

Good video Steve. For those of you with Ryzen systems, Steve briefly touched upon the topic of rank at the beginning of this video. Dual rank memory will net you more gaming performance than single rank, even if the single rank is slightly lower latency. My testing, comparing 3600cl16 dual rank vs 3600cl15 single rank netted 4-13% performance advantage for the dual rank. The other timings were looser on the dual rank, as well - (16-18-18-38) vs (15-15-15-35). I didn't tune the sub timings, as most users wouldn't and quite frankly, I didn't have the time. Tests were done on a 3950x. So rather than try to use 4 sticks, grab 2x16. The micron e-die sticks are a great value for this.

[@DanniieBoiiy]

Hardware Unboxed: Actually more modules can improve performance in certain games Me: RAM IS RAM

[@SlayerSeraph]

Lesser, greater, middling.

[@introspecticon]

Good video, but what's the general conclusion? If the cost is the same, should you generally opt for 4 or 2 dimms?

[@MichaelMaxwell747]

I think more about how they fit. The performance is too close to be concerned IMHO. Stock CPU coolers suck and some of those are tight with four sticks. Aftermarket coolers can really make it tight!

[@andrebachmann1475]

What about using four dual-ranked memory sticks?

[@robinsmaske5706]

Sir, which is better for programming: 2x4 GB RAM or 1x8 GB RAM ??

[@mosamaster]

Are you Trying to remind me that "I m poor" ?🤤

[@hdwblade]

I have a 2x4 and a 2x8 kit in my system for 24gigs. Is that cool? Both the exact same kit, just different capacities.

[@MarceloTezza]

Memory interleaving...

[@____________________________.x]

M e m o r y i n t e r l e a v i n g

[@____________________________.x]

Mmeemmoorryy iinntteerrlleeaavviinngg

[@shakaama]

i'm making a game developer pc- using unreal engine as my engine of choice and blender 3d 1. 64gb total 2. 4 16gb dimms? is better than 2 32gb dimms

[@Valfaun]

memory is probably the most enigmatic thing in a system

[@lennartmook9182]

Did you manually control all the Timings? Because depending on Motherboard and BIOS there might be different subtimings set for the RAM ( there are more Timings then printed on the Sticker)

[@udaypaul4360]

I just upgraded to 16gb dual channel...and you uploaded it😀

[@ivanbrasla]

Dual vs single is notably faster

[@CHEF2077]

What ever you will change in the future on Hardware Unboxed, please never change your outro song. I love it!

[@madduckuk]

But does it affect the GPU performance of an APU?

[@TheSilviu8x]

This!

[@eugkra33]

Yeah, that would have been interesting to see on the GPU side. I'd still imagine the overclock to 3600 with a pair of rev-E Ballistix 3000 would beat quad channel at lower clocks.

[@TheSilviu8x]

@@eugkra33 unfortunately, the current Apu generation is not going to hit 3600 that easily. The 3200-3400 range with tight timings will be just as interesting tho!

[@eugkra33]

@@TheSilviu8x there have been people hitting 3600 with B-die, and I believe Micron Rev-E as well on Zen and Zen+.

[@MarkRose1337]

APUs require lots memory throughput, which is exactly what dual rank per channel helps. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 15% improvement in FPS. I hope Hardware Unboxed does the benchmarking.

[@maxoo._]

Happy to have 4x4Gb Ballistix Elite 3200@3866 on my 9600K rig ! 😎

[@michaelimlay5773]

Nice. I'm running a rather old system (i7-6700K/GeForce GTX 980 Ti) and was getting extremely close at times on maxing out 16 GB of ram (I have the red sticks he has in this video, same speed and timings). I was concerned getting a 2nd pair of the same size, timings, and speed would decrease performance, but glad to see this isn't the case. I was on the fence about buying 2x16 and removing my 2x8, or just adding another 2x8 set. I opted to go with 4x8 as it was lower cost and I'm trying to avoid pouring more money into this system. I recently went from having a 512 GB SSD OS Boot Drive (which was rated for 72 TB lifespan and I was nearly 80 TB, but was still around 88% healthy) and 2x 2 TB 7200 RPM HDD's for games. I got really tired of waiting for games to load, plus anytime I installed a game, I had to manually specify which drive to install it on. I am now 100% SSD. I had 4x 1TB Samsung Evo's in RAID 0 which is getting me rather close to M.2 speeds. It's nice having a game load in seconds instead of minutes (one of the HDD's was failing anyway). My next "upgrade" is going to be replacing all the case fans, plus adding two additional, and replacing the heatsink/fan as I have fans that are failing or have failed and my CPU gets extremely close to 100 C under load, so I'm sure the thermal compound is dried up (the heatsink fan failed but since it was a large heatsink, it didn't hurt the system) so I'm not sure how long it ran without a CPU fan, but guessing that's why the thermal compound isn't working as good. I took a spare fan off a spare heatsink (same type) and threw it on this one and now this fan is starting to fail.

[@Vanikmobile]

Just to confirm I understand this correctly. In a dual channel system: 2 sticks of dual rank memory and 4 sticks of dual rank memory shouldn't have a noticeable performance difference. You may see a boost in performance (depending on the application) if you use 4 sticks of single rank over 2 sticks of single rank. Is that correct?

[@jeremypedro7384]

Finally the first video that clearly explains the difference between dual channel and quad channel slots. Thanks for the info!

[@fg1200]

Can i use 2 sticks of same type with another 2 sticks of another type together? Will they work in dual channel with ryzen 5 2600?

[@x_Kirmesboxer_xTTV]

yes

[@enricofermi3471]

I though all normal (non-ECC) memory is dual-rank by default unless you manage to get some obscure RAM chips. Anyway, is there any benefit from single-rank and quad-rank since it's a thing at all?

[@Luckynuts27]

What if u have two 4gb ram sticks and two 8gb ram stick and all at 3200mhz will it work

[@Airths1]

So say the ram does became limited. do you still see a Benefit from extra ram space? Like you van run more programs and stuff.

[@ajkumar732]

Is the benchmarks for cod modern warfare correct? There's a significant difference in fps between i9 9900k and the 3900x ? To my knowledge I thought they performed around the same mark as each other?

[@716Flat4]

I currently use 32gb (2x 16gb 3600mhz cl16) and am wondering if there is such a thing as dual rank 8gb chips. I use AMD and would like my RAM upgrade to future proof me for upgrading to a newer gen Ryzen than I have now. I hear you saying that single rank stacked with act as dual, but would 4x dual rank chips be better, worse or same as 2x dual rank chips of identical specs? If it is better, would the difference be worth the extra money it would take to get it?

[@thatdiyguyraymondmonk1225]

Thanks. It was so hard to find this balanced answer

[@_Randwulf]

Thx 4 the overview Steve... I would be interested a look at Dual Ranked Memory Modules... 👍😎

[@max90od]

Congratulations! I have such RAM HX436C17PB3K2/16 on samsung b die. Works on XMP profile 3600 CL17-18-18 at 1.35 V. I want to put another 16Gb, but this one has already been discontinued. There is HX436C17PB4K2/16 on sale, but it already uses hynix chips. Will it be compatible with my memory? And do 4 modules of 8Gb work normally or are 2 always better (never worked with 4 modules)? Motherboard - gigabyte b560m aorus pro, processor - i5 11400. Thank you!

[@Emma-kz3zr]

Quick question if your using 2x16gb ram sticks are these better placed in non paired sockets?

[@BanjoJo]

I have 2x8 and want 32gb. Better to go 2x16 or 4x8? I'm using Ryzen 9 3900x 3080 Strix OC pending Ram will be 3600mhz CL18

[@adriGplay]

Did you find the answer? I want to know the same

[@BanjoJo]

@@adriGplay 2x16 better than 4x8. Lower latency and more stability for overclock Advantages of 4x8 is full RGB dimms.

[@kingdom9214]

My question is how does this scale with resolution? Are the gains you see in DR vs SR greatly diminished as you move to 1440p & 4k?

[@MrSteppenwolf0]

Steve, were the Mobos that you used T-topology or Daisy chained? I understand this can also make a difference in 2 vs 4 sticks of ram, under certain circumstances

[@TheSnake0444]

just a specific question; if you game at 4k60fps (i7 9700k +1080ti) would there be difference in performance between 4x ddr4 or 2xddr4 ?

[@Bigburgy]

I would like to upgrade my Dual-Channel with another 2 Sticks. At the moment I have 2x16gb 3600hz CL16 I would like to buy another 2x16gb 3600hz but with CL14. Will there be a benefit of CL14 in games or will it performe like CL16?

[@chesterogilvie1393]

This is the most brilliant explanation of dimms in relation to mobo memory controllers and ranks, thank you

[@fqopi]

Nice video, hopefully next subject is Daisy chained vs T topology

[@richardlambert3238]

What are the limits of perception on frame rates in video games? After you reach say 250 FPS can you tell the difference if another video card can reach 278 FPS? What factors other than frame rate contributes to your enjoyment of a game? What is the point at which your involvement in a game means that you are not looking at the animation, scenery, and realistic shadows depicted on the screen?