Should I buy 16GB ram as additional slot for my 8GB ram laptop? or an 8GB?

Question

I got a laptop with 8GB ram(ddr4) and a free slot. What would be better?

one more 8GB Ram or a 16GB Ram?

8 + 8 GB = 16GB (dual-channel config) 8 + 16GB = 24GB (not sure about it) I am not sure how this dual-channel thing works. maybe dual channel doesn't work when there is RAM with two different sizes?

I wanna buy a 16GB stick if it doesn't make much difference. I mostly play games and do android development on my laptop (ASUS GL503GE).

Solution

In general, it depends on a few things.

1. The biggest question is going to be, Is the new ram going to be compatible with the old ram and is the new ram compatible with the motherboard?

2. Does the motherboard has dual channel memory support, or something alike? If so, 2x 8GB will outperform 1x16GB.

3. Is the price for 1x16GB justifiable compared to 1x8GB, considering that the 1x8GB works and won't give any advantage to 1x16GB?

4. Do you have considerations to upgrade the memory in the future again and does the maximum memory supported by the laptop has 2x16GB (32GB) support?

If you answer these questions, you have an answer for your question. I'm not going to write it differently, because that would turn this into a hardware recommendation answer, and that is considered Off-topic. My goal here is to teach you how to get the information you need to make the decision yourself, so that others who find this answer can do the same.

Here are a few comments based on the 4 answers given above: 1. Both ram should have the same clockspeed, type and latency settings. If this is not the same, the system may be unstable or give BSoD's frequently. Preferably, the RAM should be from the same manufacturer, and if possible if they are identical, that would give the best results.

2. If the motherboard has this feature, it will read and write data to both memory sticks at the same time boosting performance. For this to work, the memory sticks should be identical.

3. If the price for 1x16GB is less than twice 8GB, it could be benefitial to go for the 1x16GB. Likewise, if the 1x16GB is quite a bit more expensive twice 8GB, even if you can't get dual channel working, getting 1x 8GB may be worth it more.

4. You need to look at how old your laptop is. Do you think you will be upgrading your laptop again with memory in the future, or is it likely that at some point the laptop dies or you otherwise replace it, if you don't plan on upgrading in the future, getting 1x16gb is only a good idea if you get a crazy deal pricewise. Otherwise, consider 2x 8GB, if you are unsure the memory is going to be compatible.