Want 16 GB in Nitro 5 laptop

[lakedude]

My Acer Nitro 5 laptop has 8 GB of Micron DDR 4 2400 memory with a CAS of 17.

Can I add an 8 GB stick of G Skill with a CAS of 16?

NewEgg has an 8GB stick for $76.99 free shipping no tax, is that good these days?

Should I get a matching Micron 8ATF1G64HZ-2G3B1 stick instead?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232153

 

[daveybrat]

That G.SKill should work no problem. But this might be a better match:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0AY-00PT-00008&ignorebbr=1

Crucial is Micron and the same specs as your current ram.

 

[lakedude]

So I've read that mismatching sticks (which I've never done) will cause them all to run at the slowest of the two's settings, which would be fine (I'd buy the GSkill). I've also read that it will kill dual channel mode and run it all in single channel mode, which would not be fine (I'd buy matching sticks).

 

[lakedude]

Thanks for the help. I decided to get the G Skill as an experiment and also because it was cheaper. I was having trouble with the idea of paying more for worse spec RAM.

 

[LTC8K6]

So I've read that mismatching sticks (which I've never done) will cause them all to run at the slowest of the two's settings, which would be fine (I'd buy the GSkill). I've also read that it will kill dual channel mode and run it all in single channel mode, which would not be fine (I'd buy matching sticks).

Slowest setting yes. Ram will run at the speed of the slowest stick.
Kill dual channel? No. Intel has had Flex memory mode for at least a decade, if not longer. Flex mode allows mismatched sticks to run in DC mode, up to the matching capacity point.

IOW, if you have a 4gb stick and an 8gb stick, flex mode will give you DC until you use up 8gb of ram. The full 4gb of the 4gb stick, and 4gb of the 8gb stick. The remaining 4gb of the 8gb stick will run in SC mode, if you start to tap into that much ram.

AMD likely has a similar memory mode.

 

[lakedude]

Perfect! That is kinda what I thought would happen and why I took a chance on the GSkill.

 

[lakedude]

The memory came and as LTC8K6 indicated I have dual channel now. Curiously I lost a tick of CAS because for some reason the G Skill does not show a CAS of 17 to be available, just 16 or 18?? So the laptop was running 8GB single channel 17 CAS and now it runs 16GB dual channel 18 CAS. Is it worth monkeying around in the BIO for a tick of CAS or just call it good?