Originally Posted by
puchong
Sorry, I am back! While I wait for my 16GB XPS to arrive, I thought of buying some additional memory. I would have bought it from Dell, but since the PC was a 'Scratch & Dent' model, they refused to add extra memory to the PC. My questions are:
- Is it better to buy 32 GB in 2 x 16GB DIMMs or better to buy a single 32 GB DIMM or does it not make a difference for performance purposes?
- I looked at several online sources for the extra memory including Corsair (cheaper) & Crucial, using their online tool for buying the right upgrade memory. Is there any preference between these two?
- Is there something that I have perhaps overlooked and if so, what would be the best way forward?
Thanks much
1) Two 16GB sticks will outperform one 32GB stick, but the difference is not all that substantial for actual use (as opposed to benchmarks).
That said, one 32GB stick leaves you the option to upgrade to 64GB, provided your system supports it. That’s probably my preference.
Edit: Didn’t realize this was a desktop, not a laptop. 2x16GB still leaves you with 2 free slots so you can still take advantage of dual channel now while leaving open the possibility to upgrade to 64GB. Also my comments below re: disassembly don’t apply.
Might be worth peeking at the service manual... some systems make both RAM slots easy to access via a door on the bottom. Some only make one slot easily accessible, while the other slot lives on the other side of the system board, requiring you to take off the palm rest and/or keyboard to get at it. Dells have tended to be on the friendly side when it comes to RAM accessibility, but if you’ve got any nervousness about opening up your system it’s worth knowing what you’re getting yourself into.
2) You can’t go wrong with either Corsair or Crucial, they’re both very solid brands.