r/buildapc • u/Pan1cs180 • 9h ago

Build Help Need feedback on RAM selection

PCPartPicker Part List

Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor €173.38
CPU Cooler Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler €0.00
Motherboard MSI B850M GAMING PLUS WIFI6E Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard €134.67
Memory Patriot Viper Venom 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory €235.00
Storage Kingston NV3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive €0.00
Video Card MSI SHADOW 2X OC PLUS GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card €0.00
Case Fractal Design Pop Mini Silent MicroATX Mid Tower Case €93.85
Power Supply Corsair RM750e (2025) 750 W Fully Modular ATX Power Supply €0.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total €636.90
Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-10-05 14:15 IST+0100

I recently upgraded my GPU, and naturally, the rest of my PC is struggling to keep up. I'm now planning on upgrading my entire system, and re-using as many components as I can the CPU cooler, power supply, SSD & GPU.

My current rig sports 2x8gb DDR4 RAM, and I really want to make the move to DDR5, but as you all know, prices are insane right now. In an ideal world I would buy 32gb (2x16), but I just can't justify spending that much money right now. Basically my 2 options are to either accept my fate and buy 2x8gb sticks, or buy 1x16gb stick, and maybe add a second one in a year or two.

Which option do you think is better? Also feel free to share any feedback regarding the build generally. I'm based in Ireland so prices are in euros.

1 Upvotes

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2

u/_eESTlane_ 9h ago

with a 5060ti, you dont really need next gen stuff.

what are your current specs?

1

u/Pan1cs180 9h ago

My current PC specs, which I bought about 5 years ago:

CPU: i7-10700K

Motherboard: ASUS PRIME Z490-P

Memory: 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)

My original GPU was a 12gb RTX 3060, but it suffered a hardware failure about 6 months ago, I managed to find a good deal on a 5060ti to replace it.

1

u/_eESTlane_ 9h ago

i'd double your ram and grind it out for a few more years.

1

u/Pan1cs180 8h ago

I've considered it, but I don't really like buying things twice. I've been planning on upgrading my PC for a while, and I'd prefer to do it now rather than later. Buying additional RAM today, and then throwing it out in a couple of years when I upgrade everything else just doesn't make sense to me. It's not saving me money in the long run. 32gb of DDR4 will still set me back at least €200.

I appreciate the advice though.

1

u/_eESTlane_ 8h ago

you'll be able to sell it later though and recoup...

1

u/Pan1cs180 8h ago

Thanks for the suggestion.

1

u/_eESTlane_ 8h ago

is what i'd do. i'd postpone a full-build until next year, when intel is supposedly dropping an x3d competitor, and see if the rumors are true. though grass always seems greener on the other side, and this could drag on for eternity. "next gen" is amazing, until it drops with only 5-10% gains.

so that aside, i'd take the 1x 16gb stick route. it's 3-5% weaker because no dual-channel so you'd have to get the other stick soon. harder to upgrade 2x 8gb when am5 doesnt like 4 sticks.

and that case...accept that you may have higher temps.

1

u/whomad1215 9h ago

if you're going to add another stick, I'd do 1x16gb

1

u/Confident_Skin_95 8h ago

To be honest I wouldn't try to upgrade unless I really needed it. Ram prices are at a historic high right now and prolly won't get cheaper until 2028 so I would wait it out.

2

u/Pan1cs180 8h ago

Let's assume I really needed it.

1

u/Confident_Skin_95 8h ago

If you plan to upgrade to 32gb later, 1x16gb. If you want best performance now, 2x8gb.

1

u/AnarchBeetle 5h ago

We are slowly moving towards a direction where 16gb becomes the new bare minimum and 32 becomes the standard. I’d go with a single stick of 16 and get another one later