RAM question

[Galileon]

Hi all, I have a noob question;
I have a desktop with dual channel memory having four slots, and I'm wondering which would be the best way, performance wise, to get 16GB of RAM in this machine. 2 8GB sticks or 4 4GB sticks?
FYI: I have an Asus Sabertooth Z77 MB with a I7-3770 CPU running Win7 64 pro. Neutron GTX 480 GB SSD and an AMD Sapphire HD7950 graphics card.
Right now I have 32GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum that I transferred from an older machine and since this is my gaming rig I'm always looking to optimize performance. Thanks in advance.

 

[Blain]

2 x 8GB @ 1.5v (or less).

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

2 x 8GB @ 1.5v (or less).

This.

It's more likely to work well (memory compatibility wise) using only 2 of 4 slots, and leaves you room to expand in the future, if necessary, to 32 Gb. Without having to sell/dispose of no longer needed 4 Gb rams.

 

[Galileon]

2 x 8GB @ 1.5v (or less).

Great! Thanks for the quick reply. You have any suggestions on which manufacturer?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Hi all, I have a noob question;
I have a desktop with dual channel memory having four slots, and I'm wondering which would be the best way, performance wise, to get 16GB of RAM in this machine. 2 8GB sticks or 4 4GB sticks?
FYI: I have an Asus Sabertooth Z77 MB with a I7-3770 CPU running Win7 64 pro. Neutron GTX 480 GB SSD and an AMD Sapphire HD7950 graphics card.
Right now I have 32GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum that I transferred from an older machine and since this is my gaming rig I'm always looking to optimize performance. Thanks in advance.

Generally I agree with all your other respondents, but I'm a tad puzzled.

You say you have 32 GB of Corsair RAM, which would most likely be 4x8GB, given Sabertooth Z77 slots and the sizes of DDR3 available.

So I can only guess you're splitting the 4x8 to use the spare pair in some other way. Or I could wonder why you just haven't socketed all four of the modules (under my above assumptions).

Personally, I'm pretty much settled on the idea that I have "surplus RAM" with my 2x8GB kit, but it isn't wasted: the Magician RAPID caching uses whatever it pleases. 32GB would be more than I need, and a b**** to test. That is, testing would test my patience.

 

[Blain]

Great! Thanks for the quick reply. You have any suggestions on which manufacturer?

____

If I were shopping for high quality memory, I would use the following parameters as a guide...

* DDR3 rated at 1.5v or lower
* DDR3 rated at the lowest CAS I could afford
* DDR3 rated at the highest clock speed I could afford
* Limit the scope of my purchase to G.Skill, Mushkin, Samsung, Corsair XMS or Crucial (non-Ballistix)

While not wavering on the voltage point, I would balance the other issues with my budget.

Remember, my goal is not pure "benchmarking" performance, but simply finding the highest quality memory I can afford. ^_^

The only reason I pay a premium for low latency, high speed, low voltage memory is...
Quality and quality alone.

1.5v is the JEDEC DDR3 voltage standard.
Stay with 1.5v or less if you can afford it..

What he said

 

[Galileon]

@Blain
Outstanding, thank you very much!