Single channel vs dual channel

[zigua]

So I've seen a lot of videos with single channel being compared with dual channel and I find the FPS difference quite uhhh... hard to believe, of course it's most likely legit, but uh...yeah so I myself made a mistake and I bought a 16 GB single stick of RAM and uhh, now another same one is coming for the sake of dual channel, I take it that I will have more or less much better fps with dual channel, correct? I'd also like to know like briefly, why this happens to, why does dual channel bump up the FPS so much.

Thank you for reading!

[r.linder]

Depends on the CPU, because Ryzen 3000 benefits a lot more from dual-channel memory than previous generations of Ryzen, which it really only make a big difference when using the iGPU or in a few titles with a dGPU.

The reason has to do with the memory system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSAFs-t0DCg

There's no reason not to run dual-channel though. You don't need more than 16GB unless you're running a workstation or higher end streaming build, so even a budget user should still get another 2X4 kit to make 4x4.

[zigua]

Escorve님이 먼저 게시:

Depends on the CPU, because Ryzen 3000 benefits a lot more from dual-channel memory than previous generations of Ryzen, which it really only make a big difference when using the iGPU or in a few titles with a dGPU.

The reason has to do with the memory system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSAFs-t0DCg

There's no reason not to run dual-channel though. You don't need more than 16GB, so even a budget user should still get another 2X4 kit to make 4x4.

I have a Ryzen 5 2400G and I never knew the difference is this big, huh.

[r.linder]

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

Escorve님이 먼저 게시:

Depends on the CPU, because Ryzen 3000 benefits a lot more from dual-channel memory than previous generations of Ryzen, which it really only make a big difference when using the iGPU or in a few titles with a dGPU.

The reason has to do with the memory system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSAFs-t0DCg

There's no reason not to run dual-channel though. You don't need more than 16GB, so even a budget user should still get another 2X4 kit to make 4x4.

I have a Ryzen 5 2400G and I never knew the difference is this big, huh.

Are you using Vega 11 and no other GPU? Then yes, dual channel will make a big difference because you're letting the system memory run on two channels instead of one.

[zigua]

Escorve님이 먼저 게시:

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

I have a Ryzen 5 2400G and I never knew the difference is this big, huh.

Are you using Vega 11 and no other GPU? Then yes, dual channel will make a big difference because you're letting the system memory run on two channels instead of one.

Yes, I am using Vega 11, is there perhaps like a temporary fix to make it so that the system memory uses a single RAM stick then? Or is that a no-no? Anyways, RAM is on its wa, sooo.

[r.linder]

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

Escorve님이 먼저 게시:

Are you using Vega 11 and no other GPU? Then yes, dual channel will make a big difference because you're letting the system memory run on two channels instead of one.

Yes, I am using Vega 11, is there perhaps like a temporary fix to make it so that the system memory uses a single RAM stick then? Or is that a no-no? Anyways, RAM is on its wa, sooo.

There's nothing you can do about it except have a dedicated graphics card. It has more of an effect on the integrated graphics than a dedicated card.

Really, you should be looking for a dedicated card like an RX 580/590 or GTX 1660/1660 Ti anyway. Vega 11 isn't awful, but a 2200G and RX 580 would've performed a lot better.

[zigua]

Escorve님이 먼저 게시:

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

Yes, I am using Vega 11, is there perhaps like a temporary fix to make it so that the system memory uses a single RAM stick then? Or is that a no-no? Anyways, RAM is on its wa, sooo.

There's nothing you can do about it except have a dedicated graphics card. It has more of an effect on the integrated graphics than a dedicated card.

Really, you should be looking for a dedicated card like an RX 580/590 or GTX 1660/1660 Ti anyway. Vega 11 isn't awful, but a 2200G and RX 580 would've performed a lot better.

Yeah, I'm planning to get one after a few months or so, but at the moment, I'll just wait for my RAM stick to arrive.

[Snow]

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

I'd also like to know like briefly, why this happens to, why does dual channel bump up the FPS so much.

That's really simple.
All of your software including games sits there on your HDD/SSD until it's time to use this software. Once you launch say a game - it loads all the most necessary stuff in your RAM, as RAM is much faster. Now, your CPU calculates a lot of stuff each second, and I mean a lot. It requires something way way faster than RAM, and that's why there are 3 levels of cache in typical CPU, with L1 being small hyperfast and L3 being large and not so fast. To be able to calculate "X+Y", your CPU has to find "X" and "Y" and also how "+" works in your L1. So this "X+Y" goes from RAM to L3, then L2 and then L1. L3, while is the slowest type of cache in a typical CPU, still is MUCH faster than RAM. Each time your CPU has to calculate something but there's no data in cache - it asks RAM to give it to L3. Your monitoring software may show CPU busy at 100%, but what exactly is it doing - just sending "send more data plz" to RAM or actually rendering more frames in your fav game? That's how faster RAM affects your CPU performance - it makes sure your CPU spends less time waiting and more time doing actual job. And dual channel, as you understand, "doubles" the amount of data RAM is able to send to L3 per second. It's not directly +100% memory bandwidth boost, but is a big difference for sure.
Now, what comes to GPU - it's even easier. GPUs also have their own type of RAM known as VRAM. It generally is faster than usual RAM, but then it's a problem as well. If you don't have enough VRAM - your game might just crash whenever it tries to use more than it has. That's why when you're out of VRAM your GPU starts to use RAM as extra VRAM. Due to RAM being generally slower it can lead to a performance drops. Now, you've using an iGPU, and iGPU is not a graphics card. While graphics card has got GPU and VRAM, iGPU doesn't have VRAM at all, it just straight uses your RAM as its own VRAM. It makes this case pretty much the same as CPU-RAM case - if your VRAM is not fast enough, your GPU will scream "moar data plz!" instead of doing actual job. Faster RAM on iGPU - more job done - better performance!

[zigua]

Snow님이 먼저 게시:

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

I'd also like to know like briefly, why this happens to, why does dual channel bump up the FPS so much.

That's really simple.
All of your software including games sits there on your HDD/SSD until it's time to use this software. Once you launch say a game - it loads all the most necessary stuff in your RAM, as RAM is much faster. Now, your CPU calculates a lot of stuff each second, and I mean a lot. It requires something way way faster than RAM, and that's why there are 3 levels of cache in typical CPU, with L1 being small hyperfast and L3 being large and not so fast. To be able to calculate "X+Y", your CPU has to find "X" and "Y" and also how "+" works in your L1. So this "X+Y" goes from RAM to L3, then L2 and then L1. L3, while is the slowest type of cache in a typical CPU, still is MUCH faster than RAM. Each time your CPU has to calculate something but there's no data in cache - it asks RAM to give it to L3. Your monitoring software may show CPU busy at 100%, but what exactly is it doing - just sending "send more data plz" to RAM or actually rendering more frames in your fav game? That's how faster RAM affects your CPU performance - it makes sure your CPU spends less time waiting and more time doing actual job. And dual channel, as you understand, "doubles" the amount of data RAM is able to send to L3 per second. It's not directly +100% memory bandwidth boost, but is a big difference for sure.
Now, what comes to GPU - it's even easier. GPUs also have their own type of RAM known as VRAM. It generally is faster than usual RAM, but then it's a problem as well. If you don't have enough VRAM - your game might just crash whenever it tries to use more than it has. That's why when you're out of VRAM your GPU starts to use RAM as extra VRAM. Due to RAM being generally slower it can lead to a performance drops. Now, you've using an iGPU, and iGPU is not a graphics card. While graphics card has got GPU and VRAM, iGPU doesn't have VRAM at all, it just straight uses your RAM as its own VRAM. It makes this case pretty much the same as CPU-RAM case - if your VRAM is not fast enough, your GPU will scream "moar data plz!" instead of doing actual job. Faster RAM on iGPU - more job done - better performance!

I appreciate your time! :)

[Snow]

Zigua님이 먼저 게시:

I appreciate your time! :)

Anything for our Slav brothers!