rebelloVW :
Thanks BambiBoom.
One of my last questions based on many searches etc - is about the memory layout. That DELL T7500 looks great however the memory layout is a bit complex from a matrix that I've found. The gist of it being that the 16GB DIMMs would only be used in a very huge configuration - and (going off of memory) they wouldn't be used below a 128GB configuration.
T7500 info
And the ASUS boards and online docs that I've looked at so far (downloaded on manual) - it didn't have this complex table with various memory configurations - it just showed the slots and order to fill them.
Here is where I'm going - with the Dell - it seems the memory configurations are a bit more complicated - and with the new boards - it seems that I can use either 1 16GB stick, 2, 3, 4 etc from the very beginning - am I understanding this correctly? Or am I over simplifying this. As I really want to start out with two (possibly 4) 16GB rdimms then add more if need be - and if I need to pick up a second processor on the way that isn't a big deal. I just want to stay with the 16GB sticks.
Thanks,
rebellowVW,
Yes, Precisions seems to have an oddly complex way to populate the memory slots. I upgraded the memory twice in the T5400, going first from 4 (1,1,1,1) to 12 (2,2,2,2,1,1,1,1) GB than from 12 to 16 (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2). When I went from 12 to 16, I believed I had discovered that the arrangement for 12GB had been incorrect as the Passmark the 16GB configuration scored 924 in the Memory test, whereas the 12 GB scored 564 and this was not linear to the change. When I used 12 is to 564 as 16 is to X, the answer is that 16GB should score 752. If I use 16 is to 924 as 12 is to X, the answer is 693 or that my configuration for 12GB should have scored higher than 564. So, studying the T5400 manual for populating the slots, I somehow thought the 12GB configurations should have been 2,2,1,1,2,2,1,1 and the T5400 would have scored between 693 and 752 on the memory test as the benefits of quad channel memory would have worked- but it was still confusing. After all that, I realized of course that the weighting of the memory test could well be quite non-linear and all my 7th grade arithmetic was a waste! I was grateful to have all 8 slots contain a 2GB module and be done with it!
As for the T7500, I find this notation as difficult as the T5400> "NOTE: If more than one Quad rank DIMM is installed within a channel (DIMM1 & DIMM4, DIMM2 & DIMM5, DIMM3 & DIMM6) then the maximum DDR3 speed is reduced to 800 MHz [
The T7500 can use 1066, 1333, or 1600 RAM ]. Spreading Quad Rank memory modules across multiple channels is recommended." This just doesn't make sense as seems it's not logically possible to install more than one quad rank in 6 slots and there are examples in the chart where in a single CPU configuration all the 6 slots have the same size module or there are only 3 ,4, or 5 slots filled, or there are 4 of one size and 2 of another. The only pattern I can discern is when there are modules of two capacities, that the larger modules should populate the first two DIMM slots of the board and the riser if fitted. The key to remember is to maintain symmetry between the board and riser as the RAM on the board will be addressed only by CPU 1 and the riser RAM is only used by CPU 2. So, whatever configuration you use with one CPU, you are committed to repeat it exactly on the riser board - it appears that Dell recommends using the identical brand and model- to avoid having to export and replace any modules.
My suggestion would be to decide on the final RAM amount in advance and populate the board slots according to the chart showing both the board and riser configuration > that is if you think you'll have a final amount of 96GB to configure the board as for 48GB > 8,8,8,8,8,8 and then the riser would be the same when the 2nd CPU is added. Likewise if you'd go for 128GB > the board would be > 16,16,8,8,8,8 and again matched on the riser when fitted. If it's the full 192GB, there are no decisions- it's all 16GB modules on both board and riser. To summarize, board and riser must match exactly for best results and if there are different capacity modules, put the larger in a pair in slots 1 and 2 on board and riser. A tactic to do this might be to buy 2X 16GB modules in board slots 1 and 2, then reuse whatever came in the computer when purchased. If it has 4GB, it will probably then be 16,16,1,1,1,1 or 36GB or if you buy 4X 16 > 16,16,16,16, 1, 1 or 66GB setting the other 2 original 1 GB modules aside. That's assuming that the original modules are the same speed you'll be using throughout, otherwise all the memory will operate at the slower speed. You could also do 16,16,16,16,8,8 for 80GBor all 16's for 96GB and possibly be done. Of course, it's not a big loss to export something like 4X 1GB modules, but it is a bigger loss if a couple of 8GB's would have to be tossed and replaced with 16's, hence the idea of planning the final amount from the beginning. Then when the riser and 2nd CPU is added you could simply buy 4 more 16 GB's and reuse the original 2X 1GB for 132GB total.
Whew! But the math is really frightening when seeing what 12 X 16GB 1333 ECC costs,...
Cheers,
BambiBoom
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