Tri-channel RAM question

[dremorabanisher]

Is it advisable to use 2x4gb + 1x8gb = 16gb setup from 3 memory modules, in terms of speed? Does that depends on the motherboard & chipset? It's H97 chipset, DDR3 CL9 ram.

Thanks

 

[Dylan Smit]

Well, all boards and ram sticks are difrent so you will never be sure but mostly in my cases it only uses one amound counted up (here 4+4+4 here) and it doesn't use the other 4 gb. For what is it used?

 

[dremorabanisher]

Thanks for ultra fast answer. I'm curious about dual/tri-channel speed? The modules are mostly the same:

2x Kingston 1600mhz HYPERX, CL9, 4GB
1x Kingston 1600mhz SAVAGE, CL9, 8GB

Using mostly for Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects and a few games.

 

[k1114]

Only x58 supports tri channel. You'd be in flex mode, a mix of single and dual in this case. It really doesn't matter to performance as the extra ram does more than the channel bandwidth for the part in single.

 

[dremorabanisher]

Got it, thanks a lot!

I guess I will either go for 3 modules or sell 2x4gb and buy an additional 8gb.

 

[Dylan Smit]

Thanks for ultra fast answer. I'm curious about dual/tri-channel speed? The modules are mostly the same:

2x Kingston 1600mhz HYPERX, CL9, 4GB
1x Kingston 1600mhz SAVAGE, CL9, 8GB

Using mostly for Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects and a few games.

Still it doesn't make a lot of difrence, in editing programs maybe a few seconds but not hours, maybe a idea to get a third 4 gb stick and 3 2 (or 1) gb sticks?

 

[dremorabanisher]

Thanks Dylan. My plan is to have 16gb ram total. And actually 2x4GB DDR3 isn't that common anymore. It's best for me to just sell those and buy 2x8gb instead. Or go DDR4 and LGA 1151. But that's another topic! Thanks a lot everyone!