Just buy the kit.

The price difference is usually about $5 to $10. Not worth the headache of mismatched sticks.

Two single 8GB sticks of the same brand and model will probably work fine together. But “probably” is the key word. Timings, voltage, and die revisions can vary between batches, and you won’t know until you plug them in.

A dual-channel kit is two sticks that were tested together at the factory. That $5 premium buys you guaranteed compatibility, one SKU to return if something’s wrong, and zero time wasted troubleshooting random crashes. For the price of a fast-food lunch, skip the gamble.

Your motherboard will thank you.