What exactly do 1Rx8 and 1Rx16 mean? Well, simply said, memory is divided into ranks (the R in the aforementioned sequence of characters) of 64 bits. x8 means that 64 bits are divided by 8, to get 8 chips on a stick of memory. Respectively x16 means you get 4 chips on the board. Higher chip count means that in some occasions (presumably like gaming) means that the memory controller on your CPU has a better chance of correctly getting the bits of data on your RAM more quickly. Also, due to the advancements of technology, it is now cheaper to make higher-density memory (1Rx16) in this case, hence, a lot of manufacturers prefer to use it.

To no surprise, the memory modules we initially found in both of our IdeaPad Gaming 3i laptops were of this type. What is even more unsettling, is that most of the laptops released last year, shipped with 1Rx16 modules. For the purposes of this test, we purchased a set of two 8GB DDR4 1Rx8 SODIMM sticks, working at 3200MHz. They are nothing special, and you can find them in pretty much every computer hardware store. Again, we are going to use the same set of benchmarks and games as we used in our previous article, and we are going to compare the performance deviation between the Core i5 and Core i7 models.

You can buy 1Rx8 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

You can buy 1Rx16 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Contents

Specs Sheet

Synthetic benchmarks

When it comes to benchmarks, the 8GB of 1Rx8 memory shows a marginal improvement over 8GB of 1Rx16 RAM. Surprisingly, the latter shows better scores in Unigine’s Superposition, but we think that the difference here is within the margin of error, which makes it negligible.

Gaming tests

To see some clarification on the matter in a real-world scenario we move to the gaming tests. This is where the higher bandwidth of the 1Rx8 modules provides a bigger impact on the performance. Ultimately, the lower the graphics quality, the bigger the difference. This is due to the higher fps count, meaning more frames are being processed by the memory and the CPU. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and to some extent – in Rise of the Tomb Raider, there is an advantage for the Core i7-11370H, over the Core i5-11300H.

Conclusion

The performance benefit of the 1Rx8 memory is so big, that in our opinion, it is unthinkable for a manufacturer to put a 1Rx16 memory module in their device. This obviously cripples the machine. Well, the difference is felt mainly in higher frame rate occasions, but nevertheless, it shouldn’t be so bad. Unfortunately, there is a reason some manufacturers do this. And it is the shortage. Yes, it is cheaper, but sometimes they just can’t find memory sticks with a 1Rx8 setup. On the bright side, if you are lucky enough to have a SODIMM slot on your device, it means that you can upgrade your memory at all times.

Do you know who else is lucky? You! Because our series is not yet over. And do you know why? Because we haven’t yet covered the difference between single and dual-channel memory. In the next article, you are going to find what are the benefits of having two sticks of RAM over one, and again, we’re going to compare the difference between 1Rx8 and 1Rx16 sticks used in both conditions.

You can buy 1Rx8 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

You can buy 1Rx16 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

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Ahmed

1 year ago

That’s very informative. Thank you

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