8 gb RAM 2 vs 3

[theFOoL]

From my knowledge it should not per-say matter on the brand, only if the are 8GB or the same model. Like on my MB I have 4X2GB mismatch sticks but all the same ram speeds

 

[Bill_Bright]

From my knowledge it should not per-say matter on the brand, only if the are 8GB or the same model. Like on my MB I have 4X2GB mismatch sticks but all the same ram speeds

The newer the board, the better the odds mismatched RAM will work fine - even if different speeds. They will just operate at the supported speed of the slowest RAM - assuming at the RAM is supported by the motherboard.

I said it worked because someone said otherwise.

Someone? LOL. You mean "you"! No one in this thread did. In fact, you didn't even say that. You just said "its the same thing for amd". And sorry, but "someone" is hardly an authority on the subject.

Then you questioned if it worked for AMD because the document was for Intel

No I didn't question "if" it worked. I made a statement indicating just because it works for those Intel boards in that article, that does not mean it works for AMD boards.

Deep breathes and read what someone writes before going all crazy like that.

And heed your own advice, please. You are making generalized statements as if they apply across all scenarios when the specifics are not even known. That does not help the OP.

Anyway if the system is that old having 16GB will probably help with nothing and the "issues" have nothing to do with RAM. I would actually bet my money that it has nothing to do with RAM, but that's another story.

What issues are and what system is would probably go along way to really help him, i agree with you on that one.

Since his son only has a single 8GB stick in there now, I disagree that adding another 8GB stick will not help. Today's games are very resource intensive. I am assuming nothing else is wrong with the computer - but there has been no suggesting it does not work fine otherwise.

And since this is Dad wanting to surprise his son with this gift, it is unlikely we will learn more about the issues as that will most likely give the surprise away.

 

[Tetras]

That link specifically deals with "Intel Desktop Boards". Nothing there says all boards based on Intels behave the same way. But it does not matter. The OP has said it is an AMD based board.

Third party Intel chipset boards should behave in the same way, it's consistent with the behaviour of the IMC described in Intel's specifications, at least since 1st gen Core.

Once again, maybe. It depends on the motherboard. Not all dual-channel boards configure 3 sticks in the same manner.

Perhaps they don't, but mapping capacity to channels is a pretty rudimentary feature and it's been present on Intel systems for a very long time. If they didn't support it, then just using 4 sticks would be potential issue, as a channel in a 4 slot board is always the sum of 2 dimms. I'm aware Ryzen fully supports the same features (including a form of flex mode), but I can't say prior to Ryzen. The need for matched pairs has been way overblown for years (I didn't buy a matched pair for more than a decade), but motherboard and memory manufacturers continue to perpetuate it because it saves them a headache.

But, the only reason I mentioned it in the first place, is because the OP was asking about 2 vs 3 sticks and to suggest all options (+ and -).

Someone? LOL. You mean "you"! No one in this thread did. In fact, you didn't even say that. You just said "its the same thing for amd". And sorry, but "someone" is hardly an authority on the subject.

He/she is correct, #11.

I agree that a single 8GB stick is likely to cause issues nowadays in games (even more so if this is an APU), though ideally it would be nice to confirm that's the issue, prior to the upgrade.

 

[Bomby569]

Someone? LOL. You mean "you"! No one in this thread did. In fact, you didn't even say that. You just said "its the same thing for amd". And sorry, but "someone" is hardly an authority on the subject.

no, not me. You clearly have a reading disability so this is the last i will reply to your posts.

If he has 4 slots, you can use 2x 4GB in one channel, old 1x8GB in the other, to give 16GB and it will run all 16GB in dual channel mode.

If you have 3 that are 8GB then you'll have 16GB in dual channel and 8GB in single channel, not ideal.

The safest is just to buy a 16GB kit (2x8) that is in the QVL and sell the remaining stick.

Be careful if this is an OEM system, since some of them lock down the BIOS and you can't change anything, including frequency and voltage. If that's the case, gaming memory can leave you worst speeds than 'value' memory.

 

[Bill_Bright]

He/she is correct, #11.

Nothing in #11 says anything about that. In fact, ir_cow even says in #11 that running with 2x4 +8GB will "run in single channel mode"!

You clearly have a reading disability

Nothing in Tetras' comment you quoted said anything about AMD - the point I was making. So no, I do not have a reading disability. But it seems others have a reading comprehension disability.

so this is the last i will reply to your posts.

That would be wonderful. Thank you!

Third party Intel chipset boards should behave in the same way,

There is a big difference between "should" and "will".

And by the way, JEDEC is a set of "open standards" to ensure "interoperability" and "compatibility". Just like "open source" - it is NOT a set of mandatory requirements that dictates strict compliance. In fact, it lends itself to different interpretations and modifications, while maintaining a "minimum" baseline as agreed upon by a consensus of the members. I can find nothing in the standard that "dictates" or even suggests or recommends that 3 sticks in a dual channel board will run all 3 in dual channel mode.

Regardless, how does that help the OP? His son has an AMD board. We don't even know which one, or even if it has more than two slots.

It seems some are here just to argue - and to argue over hypotheticals and generalities. I am here to help the OP, based on the specifics of the known facts.

So I would suggest we get back to helping the OP, which at this point means waiting for him to come back, if he does, with an update on his surprise for his son.

 

[Owe812]

I really do appreciate everyone's input. But his birthday is very soon and I'm running out of time. So I have decided to buy him one more 8GB stick that matches exactly the one that is currently installed. As to how many slots are available there are four slots in total. I still haven't been able to access this computer without him being around to find out which AMD CPU he has, but the system was bought brand new two years ago, if that can help narrow down which AMD processor it is.
Thanks to all for the input

 

[Bill_Bright]

So I have decided to buy him one more 8GB stick that matches exactly the one that is currently installed.

A wise choice, IMO. Hopefully the 4 slots will be color coded with each pair being a different color. This should make it easy to ensure the new stick goes in the correct slot to enable dual channel.

As of this point, knowing which processor is in there is a moot point.

 

[Owe812]

Thanks again.
I hope everyone enjoys the holidays