The extra 8GB matters way more than the speed.

Probably yes. Going from 8GB to 16GB is a huge upgrade for multitasking and modern apps. The speed bump from 2666MHz to 3600MHz helps, but it’s the capacity that actually keeps your system from swapping to disk. If you’re gaming, streaming, or running a dozen browser tabs, 8GB chokes. 16GB breathes.

The faster speed is a nice bonus — you might see 5-10% better performance in CPU-heavy games or productivity tasks on Ryzen systems. On Intel, the difference is smaller. But honestly, even if the new RAM ran at the same 2666MHz, it would still be a better experience just because you have more room to work.

One catch: make sure your motherboard and CPU support 3600MHz. If you have to run it at a slower speed anyway, don’t pay extra for the faster stuff.

Don’t overthink it. More RAM first, faster RAM second.