Single stick vs dual-channel DDR5 kit: Buy the dual-channel kit now for full performance

Running a single DDR5 stick halves memory bandwidth, losing 30-40% performance in games and memory-sensitive tasks compared to a matched pair. DDR5 is finicky about mixing sticks later—you risk lower speeds or instability. Buy a 2x16GB kit now, then sell it and swap to 2x32GB when you need 64GB. Future you will not regret having dual-channel today.