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When it comes to computer hardware, typically, more is better. That applies system-wide; more cores in your CPU can only be a good thing, right?
So, how does that apply to the number of RAM sticks you use? Should you use two or four sticks of RAM for the best performance?
Why Does Your Motherboard Have Four RAM Slots?
Most consumer-grade motherboards come with four RAM slots; the main goal of these RAM slots is to connect the CPU to the RAM sticks using the motherboard. Between the RAM slots and the CPU sits the memory controller, which handles the communication between the CPU and the RAM slots through the motherboard.
Most modern CPUs advertise a dual-channel memory controller because this controller can talk to two RAM slots simultaneously. This means that when the CPU requests data from the RAM, the controller can receive data from two different RAM sticks at the same time and pass it to the CPU.
So, if the memory controller only receives data from two RAM sticks, why does a motherboard have four RAM slots?
The four slots of RAM on your system form pairs of two each and are connected. So, in theory, you have two pairs of RAM connected to the CPU through the motherboard and controlled by the memory controller.
The connection of two RAM slot pairs allows users to add additional RAM, increasing RAM capacity.
The Difference Between Two and Four RAM Sticks
Now that we understand why a motherboard has four RAM slots, we can determine how many RAM sticks you should use.
Although no single configuration offers the best performance, I’ll explain the pros and cons of each option. So, when choosing between two or four RAM sticks, here’s what you need to consider.
Description
Memory access speeds
Using two sticks of RAM can offer faster speeds. The main reason for this is the dual-channel memory controller, which allows your CPU to communicate with two RAM sticks simultaneously. In the case of four RAM sticks, two RAM sticks are connected to one another, running in parallel. However, although two RAM sticks will run slightly faster, it’s a neglible difference in speed for most people. Some high-end motherboards have a quad-memory controller, which can put all four memory slots to use without any performance issues (as slight as the aforementioned performance drop is).
Buying four sticks of RAM is often more expensive than two, so using two RAM modules saves money (and may offer better performance).
Upgradability
A dual-RAM setup leaves two RAM slots in your motherboard empty. Therefore, you always have the option to upgrade to four memory sticks in the future.
Compatibility
When buying new computer RAM, it’s important to verify you buy a matching pair with matching specs. A non-matched pair of RAM sticks can lead to performance issues, where your computer will default to the slower RAM speed of the two sticks. Similarly, if you’re upgrading, attempt to match your existing RAM or swap all four RAM modules out at once for smooth performance.
Using a two-RAM stick setup reduces the maximum amount of RAM you can put on your system. Therefore, using all four slots is recommended if you need higher RAM capacity. Remember,sometimes faster RAM is better than more RAM.
A CPU and motherboard with a quad-memory controller and four RAM sticks can offer higher bandwidth than a CPU and motherboard with a dual-memory controller and two RAM sticks. Again, though, this is unlikely to be an issue for most folks.
Overclocking
If you want to overclock the RAM on your system, use two slots. This makes the overclocking process easier and offers more stability.
If you want to know more about your system memory and its quirks, check out ourquick and dirty guide to RAM.
When using two RAM sticks, it’s important to use the two optimized RAM slots by the motherboard manufacturer. In most cases, these are slots 2 and 4, but we recommend looking at your motherboard’s specification sheet to find the best slots. You can also find manufacturer-suggested RAM specs, too!
How Many RAM Sticks Should You Use?
There is no hard and fast amount of RAM that’s right for every computer. It really depends on what you’re doing.
Thankfully, it isn’t difficult to buy more memory for a computer, so you can upgrade your hardware if you need more. It’s more difficult to upgrade the memory on a laptop, especially as many now come with soldered memory, which means you can’t swap it out.
