Acer Aspire A515-56-5385 Ram upgrade options

PRiBz

Hi all,
I have questions about the A515-56-5385 ram, capacity and upgrade options. Before my question I have deducted the MB has 4 gb soldered and 4gb on an expandable sodimm (obviously). The specs state that the ram runs at 3200mhz. This it misleading however as task manager states it is running at 2667mhz. After running CPU-Z and Crucial system scanner the rams are different. Slot one is DDR 4-3200 Micron Tech and the second onboard is DDR 4-2667 SK Hynix. Is this correct? The 3200 will underclock to 2667. Why not put the faster ram onboard? Seems a bit of a waste if this is correct.

First question... if I were to add more ram down the road Crucial system scanner says 20gb is the max ram this MB supports. My only option would be to add 1x16gb stick to the sodimm slot. So if the onboard ram is 2667mhz it makes sense to add 16gb of 2667 not 3200. Maybe not significant but there obviously is a difference between these to speeds. Does anyone know if I am correct on what's soldered and what's in the sodimm? I only want to open my case once so i haven't physically looked.

Second question... is upgrading even worth it switching from 8gb dual channel to 20gb single channel. 4.7-4.8 gb of ram seems to be always used by windows. I know this is not a gaming pc but I do play some and like to run multiple task at once, photoshop, video editing, etc. Suggestions/opinions please. My first post so apologies if it's a bit long winded. Thanks in advance!

JackE

The mainboard RAM bus max speed is 1333MHz, So you are correct. Max double data RAM speed is 2666MHz whether it's a 2666MHz module or a 3200MHz module. The 3200MHz simply downshifts frequency to match what the bus allows.

Your RAM bus is also not spec'd as dual channel capable even if the RAM is dual channel capable. And even if the mainboard was dual channel capable, DDR4 dual channel functioning is touchy and often depends on matching a module pair as closely as possible in capacity, frequency & CL latency. Even if a completely matched pair in a two replaceable socket dual channel capable mainboard ---which your's is not--- the speed difference from an unmatched pair is hardly noticeable.

In my opinion, I think an 8GB setup is quite adequate for a non-gaming machine. Unless of course you absolutely must have a dozen or so browser tabs open  at all times running two Netflix movies, 2 steam games along with several instances of Microsoft Office & Adobe apps. Then yes, replacing the 4GB sodimm with a 16GB module along with a faster SSD might help you keep track of what you're trying to do without having to wait too long for the screen to change that you forget. 8^)

JackE

Good luck with 8GB. I think it'll be fine.

JackE

The mainboard RAM bus max speed is 1333MHz, So you are correct. Max double data RAM speed is 2666MHz whether it's a 2666MHz module or a 3200MHz module. The 3200MHz simply downshifts frequency to match what the bus allows.

Your RAM bus is also not spec'd as dual channel capable even if the RAM is dual channel capable. And even if the mainboard was dual channel capable, DDR4 dual channel functioning is touchy and often depends on matching a module pair as closely as possible in capacity, frequency & CL latency. Even if a completely matched pair in a two replaceable socket dual channel capable mainboard ---which your's is not--- the speed difference from an unmatched pair is hardly noticeable.

In my opinion, I think an 8GB setup is quite adequate for a non-gaming machine. Unless of course you absolutely must have a dozen or so browser tabs open  at all times running two Netflix movies, 2 steam games along with several instances of Microsoft Office & Adobe apps. Then yes, replacing the 4GB sodimm with a 16GB module along with a faster SSD might help you keep track of what you're trying to do without having to wait too long for the screen to change that you forget. 8^)

PRiBz

Jack E,
I appreciate your response. After reading the last paragraph i think i will stick with the 8gb . Thank you.

JackE

Good luck with 8GB. I think it'll be fine.