The power difference is not worth worrying about.

Negligible. We’re talking a watt or two at most.

More RAM means more memory chips, which do draw power, but modern DDR4 and DDR5 are efficient. 32GB might pull an extra 1-3 watts under load compared to 16GB. For context, your CPU can spike 100+ watts. Even your case fans probably use more than the RAM difference.

If you’re building a crazy low-power server or a laptop you run on battery all day, yes, everything adds up. But for a normal desktop or gaming rig? You will never notice the power bill or the heat difference. Get the RAM you actually need for your workload.

Your GPU and CPU are where the real power goes.