Need help picking correct Triple channel RAM for upgrade

[Blarzor]

Hello everyone,
I hope that you can help me pick the correct RAM, since I don't have experience on it.

In 2009 I bought a computer with i7 920 on a 1366 platform and of course I bought 3x2GB 1866mhz Team Group PC3-15000 RAM Kit with it, which runs on 1.65V. This RAM is currently downclocked by my motherboard to 1066 mhz (Gigabyte EX58-UD4P mobo). (This is a thing I didn't know would happen when I was building PC).

Since I work with video editing and effects a lot, I often find myself not having enough RAM which is stressful, that's why I decided that I need to buy more RAM (change of system isn't possible at this time).

Now my question is, what do I have to look out on, when buying extra RAM. Does the new RAM have to be of the same voltage (1.65v), does it need to have the same frequency (1866mhz), does the timing have to be the same (CL9)? Can I put 12gb (3x4gb) RAM next to current 6gb (3x2gb) RAM?

Please explain everything, I don't want to buy the wrong RAM which won't work next to my current one. It is already a problem finding triple channel RAM kits, picking the correct one is even harder. What do I have to look at, so that the new RAM will work with my old RAM sticks?

Thanks, I hope I didn't complicate things too much.

 

[geofelt]

Ram needs to be compatible with your motherboard.
Ram vendors have apps where you enter your motherboard, and you will get a list of compatible kits.

And, all ram must run at the same frequency, voltage and timings.

Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards can be very sensitive to this.
That is why ram vendors will NOT support ram that is not bought in one kit.

Check your os to see how much ram it supports. Some are maxed at 16gb.
Your motherboard will support up to 24gb.
I suspect your motherboard is limited to 4gb sticks.
If so, buying a 16gb kit of 4 sticks will work.

 

[Blarzor]

This is my motherboard:
http://www.gigabyte.si/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2986#ov

I found this list of compatible RAM's for my motherboard:
http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Memory/motherboard_memory_ga-ex58-ud4p.pdf

It seems that max size of GB per stick here is 4, so you are right. My OS max limit is 192GB, so this is not a worry.

So your suggestion is that I buy a 16GB kit of 4 sticks and use only 3 sticks, to get 12gb of extra ram?

My currents RAM's are downlocked by motherboard to 1066 mhz, does that mean that new RAM kit can be just 1066 mhz, or they need to be stock 1866mhz anyway?

 

[Tradesman1]

You can look for a 3x4GB set 1600 or maybe 1866 (if you are OCing your CPU), or could go to a 4x4GB set and run the entire 16GB in dual channel or the mobo supports flex mode so could try running 12GB (3 sticks) in triple or set the three up in triple and then add the fourth stick (it will run in single channel mode along side the rest that are in tri-channel mode) - think I'd suggest the 4x4GB that Geo suggested (and probably the GSkill Snipers or Ripjaws in 1600/9) and run all 4 in dual channel

 

[Blarzor]

Can I even mix 3x4GB 1600mhz rams with 3x2GB 1866mhz rams?

 

[Tradesman1]

I don't adivise mixing sets of DRAM - even two identical sets there's no guarantee they will play together - if you get a 3x4 an try and mix them and have problems, give me a shout and we can try voltage/timing adjustments - again - no guarantees though

 

[Blarzor]

I found this in the motherboard manual:
When memory modules of different capacity and chips are installed, a message which says memory is operating in Flex Memory Mode will appear during the POST. Intel ® Flex Memory Technology offers greater flexibility to upgrade by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in Dual/3 Channel mode/performance

It seems that motherboard supports Flex mode, does that mean that I can easily get 3x4GB ram 1600mhz and put it in the computer?

Another thing, I found this:
When enabling 3 Channel mode with four memory modules, be sure to install them in the DDR3_1, DDR3_2, DDR3_3 and DDR3_5 sockets

Does that mean that I can run triple channel mode with 4 modules? This way I could get any 4x4gb ram and remove the old one to achieve 16gb of ram.

 

[Tradesman1]

Yes flex will have the 3 sticks in full tri channel and the fourth stick in single mode

 

[Blarzor]

Are there any cons to putting in 4x4gb RAM's in DDR3? Is the RAM a bit slower in that config or not? I'm close to getting 4x4GB rams, but still need more info. Also, one of the cons is probably that I have 2 slots of RAM empty right?

 

[Blarzor]

Another concern I have. My motherboard supports only one DIMM per channel above 1333mhz, what does that exactly mean? I want to keep my CPU overclocked from 2.6ghz to 3.5ghz, I was reading that if I want to overclock my CPU, the frequency of ram should be at least 1600mhz. How will I make this work?

How can I make an 4x4gb 1333mhz kit work with overclocked i7 920 to 3.5ghz?

 

[Tradesman1]

The DRAM will still run at 1333, set it manually if need be

 

[Blarzor]

Will it be OK if I get this RAM?
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/1333+Low+Voltage/50807/16GB-Kit+G.Skill+RipJaws-X+PC3-10667U+CL7-7-7-21+%28DDR3-1333%29.article

It's pretty cheap and it's quad, so I can use it in flex mode. In the features window it says: Dual channel. Is it OK if it says that it is dual channel RAM? Will It still run in triple channel + single channel = Flex mode?

 

[Tradesman1]

Yu could try it, it's stock 1.5 DRAM (not low voltage), should work fine