Upgrading RAM

English Hardware
1

I currently have 1 8GB stick of RAM in my computer that was purchased 2 years ago. I need to upgrade to 16GB - I’m regularly hitting over 85% usage.

I was told that even if I purchase the exact same brand, there’s a high likelihood that it won’t be the same as brands often change manufacturers or the chips they use without changing their own model number. I also learned that pretty much all RAM is made by Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron - and it’s really hard to find out which one is which.

Some folks recommended I purchase a good price/reputable brand and go with it. I did but after a new distro install, I’ve had many total OS lockup/freezes requiring a physical power button restart and I cannot be sure it isn’t the RAM. So I took it out today and am returning it.

So, moving forward, would you go ahead and buy two 8GB RAM sticks to ensure no issues? I kind of hate to do that as it feels wasteful to lose a working memory stick. Would you try a different brand? I could get a Samsung branded RAM stick, which I’m told likely won’t change over time. If it fails to be compatible, I suppose I could purchase a second and since it’s Samsung, it should be the same as the first. I also wondered about just getting a 16gb RAM stick, figuring it’s the same price as 2x/8GB and if it works with what I have, I now have 24gb usable RAM. If it doesn’t, I take out the old stick. But, of course, I lose any ability for the RAM to run dual channel for faster speeds doing that. I don’t know how much that really matters on a day to day basis. I’m not gaming on the computer. I use it mostly for a personal media home server.

Any suggestions/advice would really help. I’m quite “gun-shy” after having that first RAM purchase fail. I can’t be sure it’s the problem but I’ve not yet had a lock-up yet since taking it out either. Hard to say what that means. Thanks so much for any help.

System specs:
Intel NUC 8i7BEH
Core i7 8559u 4 core/8 thread processor
8GB RAM (currently), Corsair Vengeance (DDR4 2400mhz, CL17, 260pin SODIMM)
Intel Iris 655 Graphics
M.2 NVMe SSD (recent addition w/ the RAM that’s going back, is now my primary drive)
2.5” SATA SSD (still has Linux Mint on it from initial install 2 years ago)
USB 3.0 External HDDs

The RAM that’s going back in Patriot Viper Steel 2400mhz. It was rated very highly by pro reviewers and users. Intel said as long as the RAM size was the same (8gb/8gb, or 16gb/16gb) that it didn’t matter if the timings and other specs were identical and it would run in dual-channel mode. Still don’t know for sure if it was an issue for me at this point.

2

Adding a second RAM module similar to the one already installed is still the best option IMHO, especially if you have a dual channel system.
I prefer buying a model with exactly the same speed and timing pattern, despite claims that this is not essential (I read that you have CL17 in the system but apparently you bought CL15 from Viper Steel?).
But there are other ways a RAM module may fail; dirty socket or oxidized contact, power glitch from a marginal power supply line…
Did you run an exhaustive memory test (there is MEM86+ in every openSUSE installation media)?
And are you sure that the system lockup you experienced was indeed a HW memory failure and not, say, a power glitch or some speed or power limit since the system should run faster with two modules installed?

3

With the NUC your options are limited to 2x DDR4 SO-DIMM 32GB max. I bought Corsair in the last years and would recommend Vengeance 32GB Kit SODIMM PC4-19200 CL16 or equivalent from other vendors. Try to reuse the existing 8GB in some other appliance.

See also: https://www.youtube.com/c/CareyHolzman/search?query=ram

4

I upgraded my homebuilt from 16GB to 32GB recently. I’ve always had good results by matching the type/speed/timing of the existing sticks and using a good brand. In my case, all sticks are Corsair Vengence with matching specs. Original memory was about 4 years old when I added the new sticks. I recommend trying to match your existing brand and specs exactly, or just specs if matching the brand isn’t possible. It’s worth a try. I buy my internals locally, which makes any necessary returns quick and easy.

5

Before you take it out I suggest to run memtest86 (not memtest86+) on it, then take it out and run memtest86 again, to compare the speeds, as well as test if either stick has any defects as installed. If one stick supports higher speeds than the other, IME it’s best to use the slower in the slot with the lowest ID, usually closest to the CPU. If sodimm systems supporting dual channel are the same as common desktop systems supporting dual channel, you should see a massive difference in speed whether using one sodimm or two. That will tell you whether you should consider a single 16GB sodimm. All my comparisons on dual channel desktops indicates single channel mode speeds are somewhere in the vicinity of 55% of the speed of dual channel mode. Running a check only once may miss bad bits. It’s best to run the test as long as possible, such as overnight.