Use two 8GB sticks — unless you plan to upgrade soon

Two 8GB sticks, unless you’re saving the second slot for a future upgrade.

Dual-channel memory gives you a meaningful performance boost — anywhere from 5-15% in games and memory-heavy tasks like video editing. On a two-slot board, two sticks run in dual-channel; a single stick runs in single-channel. You’re leaving free performance on the table otherwise.

The catch: if you start with one 16GB stick, you can drop another in later for 32GB without throwing anything away. With two 8GB sticks, you’re stuck at 16GB unless you replace both. So if you know you’ll want 32GB within a year, go single 16GB now.

If you’re not sure, or if 16GB is plenty for the next few years, the dual-channel speed is worth it. Most people won’t miss the upgrade path.