Question Can a i7-2600/i7-2600k work with 4 sticks of RAM?

[gidman2021]

On the intel ark, it says that both the 2600 and 2600k have a max # of memory channels as 2. Does this mean I am limited to 2 sticks of ram? I am planning to put a 2600k in my dell precision t1600. I plan on running 16gb of ram in the beginning then adding 2 more 8gb sticks. I am new to the PC gaming community and would appreciate any extra feedback you can give.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

No, it means it supports dual channel memory. Just be careful of adding the second set. Mismatched sets often dont play well together. That's why they're sold in matched sticks.

 

[jay32267]

That's not what it means.
For instance.....I am running 6 sticks of 2 GB each in 3 channel mode.
You can run 4 sticks in 2 channel mode.

 

[Lutfij]

According to your prebuilt's specs sheet, the highest you can go is 16GB of ECC ram and 8GB of non-ECC ram. With four slots you will need to divide that number and you get a 4x2GB layout for non-ECC sticks of ram and a 4x4GB layout for ECC rams.

 

[gidman2021]

No, it means it supports dual channel memory. Just be careful of adding the second set. Mismatched sets often don't play well together. That's why they're sold in matched sticks.

That's what I was thinking about the 2 channel. I know that mismatching sets is a no-no so I plan to use the same set of PNY DDR3.
Thank you for answering my question.

 

[SamirD]

I'm running 4x4gb Corsair Vengance with my 2600k. Works fine.

And as a side note, your t1600 can go all the way to 32gb with 8gb modules. The 8gb modules probably didn't exist when the original specs were published and were never revised. And you don't need to use ecc unless you're using a xeon processor. Happy upgrading!