Does using 4 DIMMs in dual-channel mode increase bandwidth or just capacity?

[TheBigFatClown]

So, what I already know is that using 1 stick of memory in a dual-channel configuration is a horrible idea. At least from a gamers perspective (I'm guessing). Running 2 sticks of like memory in dual-channel mode increases the memory bandwidth substantially. Because your memory bandwidth is now 128-bits wide versus only 64-bits wide.

So, in an attempt to answer my own question before someone else does who actually knows better than I do, I'm guessing that going from 2 to 4 memory sticks in a dual-channel memory configuration will only increase capacity and do nothing at all for increased memory bandwidth.

The memory bus width is still only going to be 128-bits wide. So, I'm guessing that only 2 of the 4 memory sticks can ever be transferring data at any time.

So, is there any performance increases in 1) actual memory bandwidth / second, and secondly 2) is there any gaming performance enhancements at all to be had. I can theorize that there might be if the 2 additional memory sticks were to be used as texture buffers that didn't have to be loaded from hard disk. Of course with SSDs approaching memory speeds it seems like that benefit would be minimalized a great deal. None the less, SSDs aren't there just yet.

 

[MaikuTech]

When you expand from from 2 sticks of memory each of 8gb ddr3 1600 to 4 sticks, you are expanding the capacity to hold more information.
Check out what jacknaylorepe has to say, he is mostly correct, but there are different type of memory brands that do help with gaming.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/328609-30-effect-gaming

Corsair ballistix ddr3 1866 or 2100 at best would make a fm2+ apu much more faster in higher end games.
However due to amd apu for desktop productivity things maybe a little more better and less laggy.
It still sucks because it is too slow and weak to handle multitasking apps without blowing up.
Just due some homework, try things for yourself to see what is faster, what is slower or same old same old computer.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

When you expand from from 2 sticks of memory each of 8gb ddr3 1600 to 4 sticks, you are expanding the capacity to hold more information.
Check out what jacknaylorepe has to say, he is mostly correct, but there are different type of memory brands that do help with gaming.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/328609-30-effect-gaming

Corsair ballistix ddr3 1866 or 2100 at best would make a fm2+ apu much more faster in higher end games.
However due to amd apu for desktop productivity things maybe a little more better and less laggy.
It still sucks because it is too slow and weak to handle multitasking apps without blowing up.
Just due some homework, try things for yourself to see what is faster, what is slower or same old same old computer.

Thanks for your input on this. I should have specifically said that I have an AMD 2200G based system so the question was highly related to that CPU and motherboard system. I may be a cheap gamer but at least I'm up in the world of DDR4 now. Running stable @ 2800MHz but I'm gonna try to boost it up again to 2934MHz here soon on my 3 year old chips.

Of course, on a system with a discrete graphics card, going from 2 sticks to 4 probably makes much less difference unless, maybe, it's a game that uses the CPU a lot more.

 

[MaikuTech]

Don't bother with raising the voltages on your ram to get more speed.
2800mhz is the best you could hope for right now, unless half of your games run like dirt and jittery as **** in pvp mode.
I wouldn't bump the ram speed up but I would look at the gpu and trying to figure out why it won't play well in certain games.
Yeah you can be a cheap gamer, long as the products you know are good and have a positive 4+ star rating.
I would mostly go with it unless it has a steady bad streak of doa or dieing or screwing up every so often to call for a rma during the year.

 

[captaincranky]

@TheBigFatClown Interestingly enough, more RAM, increases the "WEI" for memory quite a bit. I don't know how M$ is performing their test, but installing an extra 4GB, (for 8GB total), in an old Clarkdale i3 rig, bumped up the memory performance by well over a point, up to the low 7's.

You have to wonder if M$ is pushing enough info through the RAM, to cause the system to page, or the bandwidth is increased somewhat. It does make quite a difference though, at least on the parameters M$ uses to rate performance.

I should add that I also installed a Samsung SSD (SATA 3) 850 (240GB), at the same time, so that could be affecting the RAM scores as well. But, the CPU score remained exactly where it was under the old hardware configuration. (250 GB WD Blue. plus 4GB Gskill 1600 CAS 8

EDIT: Yes, I understand the measurement limits of the W.E.I. ratings as they attach to ultra high performance rigs. For example, my lowly EVGA 1050 ti "buries the needle" at 7.9 WEI.

Although, a stock clocked i5 6600K, only hits 7.6.

I never, and I suggest you don't ever, run memory in single channel mode. (**)

Arguably, I've heard the 4 x 4GB, is slightly faster than 2 x 8 GB...? (That's assuming the sets are correctly matched). My i3 rig is now 4 x 2GB

(**) I'm sure you're aware of that. I just stuffed it in for reference purposes.