Question about running 4x4gb on SB

[boeckelr]

Hi -

I am building a new PC. Core i5 2500K, Gigabyte GS-Z68XP-UD3 motherboard and I bought 8gb (2 x 4GB) of G.Skill Ripjaws PC3 12800 w/9-9-9-24-2N timings.

The ram was only $30, and I decided I might as well put another 8GB in for that money.

Anyway Newegg only has the G.Skill Ripjaws X 2 x 4GB kit with same timings for $29.99 now...after reading a few threads I know it is essentially the same RAM.

But while I was finding this out, I read a post at another site (Toms) where the poster said the following:

"The SB CPU + Gaming is best suited with 8GB or more of DDR3-1600 CAS 8/9. If you're not going to be adding more RAM then the G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL ; when in 2 pairs i.e. 4x4GB they often will run at a slower DDR3-1333 instead of their individually Rated DDR3-1600 Frequency."

Has anyone experienced this - i.e. having DDR-1600 run slower when using 4 x 4GB? Especially if youre running 4 identical sticks of RAM? I just can't believe this, but I wanted to ask this here first before I order it.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

[greenhawk]

It sounds familar about the cpu dropping the memory speed for reliability when running 2 sticks per channel (so 4 total). But then I think most boards let you set it back to the faster rate (over clock to stock speeds) as a option. Can not remember the full story as it was a long time ago I read that.

 

[Dadofamunky]

That statement is wrong. I just now upgraded my system from 8 GB to 16 GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 1.5V memory at 9-9-9-24 timings and it is running flawlessly. Two different sets of memory even - one that is Vengeance CAS8 RAM with the high heat spreaders, and two new sticks that are CAS 9 low profile heat spreaders. They were the only ones that would fit against my CM212+ push-pull CPU cooler. So now I get all four slots filled without having to go water cooling. Bonus! I set my BIOS memory timings to 9-9-9-24 to make sure the two different sets of sticks had the same settings, and all is bliss. Booted up perfect first attempt.

It's all BS. You CAN run four sticks on SB without a hiccup. This was not always the case with previous generations of hardware. Now, it appears that so long as you stick with the same manufacturer and product family, and know what you're doing, there should be no issues. Intel nailed the IMC on Sandy Bridge. Easily the best chip I've ever owned.

 

[Meghan54]

Has anyone experienced this - i.e. having DDR-1600 run slower when using 4 x 4GB? Especially if youre running 4 identical sticks of RAM? I just can't believe this, but I wanted to ask this here first before I order it.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

Nope, not with a SB setup. What you've described used to happen with older cpus and chipsets, but not with anything current in the Intel line.

Dadofamunky is correct, you've been misinformed.

As an aside, my 2600k, running at 4.6GHz, has its memory running at its rated DDR3-1600 speeds, all 16GB of it (4 x 4GB Corsair Vengeance 1.35V.)

 

[Dadofamunky]

Unbelievable that you can use 1.35V DIMMs with it now. I didn't know that. Ivy will probably standardize on that. Certainly Haswell will.

 

[Shmee]

shouldnt give you any trouble unless something is faulty. I recently upgraded my x58 to 24GB of RAM, and even now everything runs flawlessly, OC included.