Should I use two 8GB RAM sticks or one 16GB stick?

Use two 8GB sticks for dual-channel performance (5-15% boost in games and video editing) unless you plan to upgrade to 32GB soon. With two 8GB sticks you’re stuck at 16GB unless you replace both. If you’ll want 32GB within a year, start with one 16GB stick. Otherwise, the speed gain is worth it.