I ended up downgrading from 1 x 8gb to 1 x 4gb ram. For an extra £31 I can get a 2nd 4gb ram for dual channel performance. I don't know if 8gb dual channel is a bit too much for win 8.1. I think 2 -4gb ram is right. It's not like I have 5 apps running simultaneously or 50 chrome tabs. I might just leave it for now and buy another 4gb later. Anyone got any benchmarks for single channel vs dual channel? Doubt it would make any noticeable difference. Comments?