[SOLVED] 3 ram sticks on a 4-slot motherboard?

[UffePTV]

Hi, I'm trying to get 12Gb out of my 3x4Gb Corsair Vengeance ram sticks.

• When I put two of them in different channels, I get 8Gb of ram.
• If I put them in the same channel I get 8Gb but only 4Gb usable
• If I put two in the same channel and one alone in another I get 12Gb but only 8Gb usable

Should I buy another identical DIMM or is it possible my sticks/slots are damaged?

Would I also be able to buy a 1x4Gb or would they not be compatible?

Motherboard: MSI 970a-g43
CPU: AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0GHz
RAM: 3x4Gb Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 1.5v CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9

 

[Archaic59]

Hi, I'm trying to get 12Gb out of my 3x4Gb Corsair Vengeance ram sticks.

• When I put two of them in different channels, I get 8Gb of ram.
• If I put them in the same channel I get 8Gb but only 4Gb usable
• If I put two in the same channel and one alone in another I get 12Gb but only 8Gb usable

Should I buy another identical DIMM or is it possible my sticks/slots are damaged?

Would I also be able to buy a 1x4Gb or would they not be compatible?

Motherboard: MSI 970a-g43
CPU: AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0GHz
RAM: 3x4Gb Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 1.5v CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9

Only ram DIMMS that all come in one package together are guaranteed to work together, even if they are exactly the same otherwise. You can try adding another so all 4 slots are filled but it might not work...or you could get lucky and it works fine. By using only 3 DIMMS you lose dual channel support which cuts available bandwidth in half.

 

[UffePTV]

Only ram DIMMS that all come in one package together are guaranteed to work together, even if they are exactly the same otherwise. You can try adding another so all 4 slots are filled but it might not work...or you could get lucky and it works fine. By using only 3 DIMMS you lose dual channel support which cuts available bandwidth in half.

But my DIMMS do not even work in dual channel. I have to put them in different channels so they run in single channel x)

But basically 2x sticks in dual channel is better than 3 in single?

Thanks btw

 

[Archaic59]

But my DIMMS do not even work in dual channel. I have to put them in different channels so they run in single channel x)

But basically 2x sticks in dual channel is better than 3 in single?

Thanks btw

"But basically 2x sticks in dual channel is better than 3 in single?"

Not necessarily. It's more important to have enough ram than the speed or bandwidth they operate on. So whatever combination you have to use so that you have the amount of ram you need would be the priority.