Capacity matters more than speed when going from 8GB to 16GB on Ryzen.

Yes, but not as much as you think. If you’re choosing between 8GB of fast RAM and 16GB of slower RAM, get the 16GB every time.

Ryzen CPUs do love fast memory — especially dual-channel and speeds around 3600MHz — because of how the Infinity Fabric works. But the performance gain from 3000MHz to 3600MHz is maybe 5-10% in gaming, and less in most daily tasks. Going from 8GB to 16GB changes whether your computer runs at all under a heavy workload. You’ll see stuttering, crashes, or forced tab closures at 8GB. At 16GB, it just works.

If you’re on a tight budget, buy 16GB at a reasonable speed (3200MHz is fine) rather than 8GB at 3600MHz. If you can afford both, do that. But capacity wins this fight.

Future You will thank you for not having to close Chrome tabs.