Question How do I find 16GB DDR3 RAM?

[Beachhead1985]

I thought I had some, but then I discovered that I had actually ordered was 2x 8GB sticks in a pack and not 2x16GB sticks.

My PC motherboard is a https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-F2A78M-D3H-rev-30/sp#sp and supports up to 64GB of RAM. I currently have 32...yeah; I swapped older, perfectly fine 8gb sticks for new, untried ones. But the very specification suggests 16gb must exist.

The terminology here has me totally confused. I *THOUGHT* what I was buying were 16GB sticks from Patriot in 2x8GB configuration and instead I got 2x 8GB sticks in the packs. When I search for 16GB DDR3, everything I find looks like what I *wrongly* ordered before; 2-packs of 8GB sticks.

So I need to be looking for 32GB DDR3 to find 2x16s? Or does that just get me 4x8s?

Here is what I ordered before:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00453R90W?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I had/have on my desk before me; G.Skill Ripjaws. So at the moment, I don't even know if what i really just did was downgrade myself.

And I feel like an absolute idiot. Thanks for your time and any help you can give me.

 

[boju]

See @InvalidError answer here.

Does 1x16 RAM exist?

Ok, everytime i ask someone, they tell me something different. I thought it didn't exist, but then someone just told me online that it did, saying "of course it does, how else would there be 128 GB kits" which tbh I didn't even know existed. But anyway, do 16 GB RAM sticks exist? And if they do...

forums.tomshardware.com

If you want more ram look at upgrading your system to DDR 4/5.

 

[Beachhead1985]

See @InvalidError answer here.

Does 1x16 RAM exist?

Ok, everytime i ask someone, they tell me something different. I thought it didn't exist, but then someone just told me online that it did, saying "of course it does, how else would there be 128 GB kits" which tbh I didn't even know existed. But anyway, do 16 GB RAM sticks exist? And if they do...

forums.tomshardware.com

If you want more ram look at upgrading your system to DDR 4/5.

Damn. Disappointing.

Gigabite says it supports up to 64gb RAM on the specs page, but even then it also says that the memory support list will be updated. Doesn't look like it ever was. I guess that 16gb DDR3 was never developed for motherboards, only servers as indicated in that thread.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Joseph_138]

I've only ever seen ECC server memory in those capacities. Not non-ECC. that doesn't mean it doesn't exist,though, just that I've never seen it before.

If it does exist, it's likely going to be very expensive, being rare, and not produced anymore.

 

[Beachhead1985]

I've only ever seen ECC server memory in those capacities. Not non-ECC. that doesn't mean it doesn't exist,though, just that I've never seen it before.

If it does exist, it's likely going to be very expensive, being rare, and not produced anymore.

Yeah, I guess I'm stuck. Real bummer. No idea what ECC is, but assuming that my motherboard can't handle it, because it's not part of a server.

I guess it's some weird artifact from the early days of...something? Guess I can't blame them for advertising it as being 64gb-compatible, if they intended it as such, but the RAM was just never-developed to support it.

I certainly feel less-stupid now, it's just this weird, misleading edge-case.

Gotta say though: NOT a fan of the way RAM is sold and described. It should just be sold/described as what it is. 16gb should be a 16gb stick. Not two 8s or 4x4. How is someone supposed to know?

 

[DSzymborski]

I've never seen a package of X GB of RAM that didn't indicate whether it was one stick of X GB RAM, two stick of Y GB RAM, or four sticks of Z GB RAM.

 

[Beachhead1985]

I thought it was something a of dual-layer setup. And my search was for 16gb ram.

I've never seen a package of X GB of RAM that didn't indicate whether it was one stick of X GB RAM, two stick of Y GB RAM, or four sticks of Z GB RAM.