Simple Question: Trying to max out my RAM on my P6T but don't know which to get.

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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Hello hardware gurus! Quick explanation of my situation... I have been happily computing on my desktop machine for the past 4-5 years with an ASUS P6T Motherboard and an Intel i7 920 processor. Currently I have 6 GB of DDR3 1600 RAM installed, in 3 DIMMs of 2GB each (OCZ Gold, I believe). I am interested in getting some more life out of this machine, as the processor and other components are still good, but I'd like a bit more RAM now and I was thinking of pushing it from 6GB up to 12GB, which I think is the max this motherboard will support. I have the Qualified Vendors List from ASUS, which is a little confusing as I'm not really a computer hardware expert. (Though I have built about 3 machines myself over the past 13 years for personal use, every time I do it things have changed so much that I have to re-learn just about everything.)

My question is this: Can I simply add 6GB more of RAM to this machine as it is currently? It has 6 slots for DIMMs and only 3 of them are currently in use (it's triple channel). So conceivably I could get 3 more 2GB DIMMs and install them next to the 3 already there, but should they all be the same kind? After looking through the QVL I noticed that there is apparently only a few specific kinds of DDR3 1600 memory chips that the list claims are supported for the full 12GB. None are the same type as the OCZ I currently have, so the most appealing is a Kingston brand and comes in three 4GB DIMMs. IF the RAM should all be of the exact same type, and I need to follow this QVL exactly, then it would appear I would have to replace the 3 DIMMs I currently have installed (not ideal but I'll do it if necessary). Should I be worried about following this list to a T? Or is this more of a "sponsored" list and in reality I could get away with other brands and configurations that aren't listed? This is where my confidence in knowing what I'm doing falters, so I'm coming to you guys for help and recommendations! Thanks in advance!

Follow-up Question: Would XMP represent a noticeable increase in RAM performance? Or should I just go for the cheapest solution? I'm weighing my options...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104127
-OR-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365 PLUS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225

First option would get me the 12 GB plus XMP... second option saves me over $60 but is supposedly slower.
 
Solution
Tradesman1
Can try, but might not play together, best to get a single set of all the DRAM you want in a single package, mixing sets, even of the same exact model can and often is problematic...If you do try and mix another set, and have problems, give me a shout, no guarantees but have had good luck adjusting the timings and voltages and getting sets to play nice
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Thanks for the quick recommendation, however it seems you didn't read all of my question... I already have 6GB of ram installed. I'm looking for more because I do a lot of 3D rendering and video/photo editing. Unless you meant for me to use two of these kits for a total of 12? Also, 16GB is impossible to get in 3 modules, isn't it? 4x4 or 2x8... unless there's a size I'm unaware of.
 
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Thanks for the tip! This actually helped my understanding quite a bit... I had not heard of XMP, but that's what is listed next to the Kingston 4GB DIMMs in the QV List that I mentioned... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104127.

While it sounds like I could add 3 more 2GB DIMMs to the 3 I currently have already (despite that configuration not being "tested" by ASUS) and it should work... it will disable XMP (if I even have it) because XMP only supports one DIMM per channel. I don't know if my current RAM is XMP capable though, so that might be a nice upgrade to get if I go for three 4GB DIMMs as opposed to six 2GB DIMMs.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

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Jun 5, 2013
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Can try, but might not play together, best to get a single set of all the DRAM you want in a single package, mixing sets, even of the same exact model can and often is problematic...If you do try and mix another set, and have problems, give me a shout, no guarantees but have had good luck adjusting the timings and voltages and getting sets to play nice
 
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Solution
yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Yeah, this is exactly why I was hesitant to just run out to the store and get 6 more gigs... I really don't understand timings and all that BIOS stuff very well, so I think my motherboard is currently doing it for me automatically. The type of RAM I have currently installed does not seem to be available anymore, so even if 6 of those would work, it is unlikely that I'd be able to get it. I think I'm leaning towards the three 4GB DIMMs from Kingston at this point, unless someone has more information for me saying there is a better/cheaper way! Thanks for the help!
 
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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I most certainly will! Much appreciated! I actually just put some GSkill into my laptop last year to upgrade it. :) Been working great, though I've also had good luck with Kingston in the past.
 
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tachybana

tachybana

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Did you even notice the link i pasted in my answer? (My apologies about overlooking your 6GB (i went on about 8GB and 16GB). Because you're renderng images, yes more memory for the task helps.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225

Also you board manufacturer states your Max is 24GB

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P6T/#specifications

Best luck and hope all turns out well
 
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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I did see the link... which is why I was confused by your answer (you linked to three 2GB modules similar to the ones I already have). I just ordered some more RAM, and ultimately I decided to go with the three 4GB modules I found on the QVL, but it was good to get some outside feedback on the choices I was presented with first, so you have my thanks anyway! (You were also correct about the max supported RAM, but I think 3 more 4GB modules would still be a bit more than I need, plus it's too much money.) I just hope the ones I found work well! I'll try to remember to come back and post an update once I've got them installed, but it'll be about a week I'm guessing.
 
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Sorry it has been a while, but I sorta forgot to come back right away after installing my new SDRAM. I can say for sure though now that it is working great! I have been using my new 12 GB of Kingston memory for over a week and it has shown no signs of problems thus far. Everything works about like it did before, just gives some of my heavier applications more "breathing room."

That said, I am still a bit curious if I've gotten things working as well as they could be... I'm not terribly knowledgeable when it comes to BIOS settings. Do you have any advice or tips for getting the timings set manually or things of that nature? I expect you probably do... or should I even worry about that if the automatic settings are performing adequately? While I don't want to cause any unnecessary problems to my system, I wouldn't mind if things were running slightly more efficiently than they are now... if possible. And by that I mean better performance, not power efficiency. :p
 
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yrogerg77

yrogerg77

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Well, I'm back again! After another long hiatus... :p Lets just say life got busy... and I lost access to my Yahoo email account for a while too which made finding this thread difficult. Needless to say, no longer using Yahoo.

Back to business... My last request for now is help with optimizing my RAM timings in the BIOS as I doubt the automatic settings are as good as they can be. Earlier you asked for the output of CPU-Z, which is as follows:

DDR3 Triple Channel - 12 GB
NB Frequency: 2142 MHz

DRAM Freq: 535.5 MHz
FSB: DRAM: 2:8
CL: 8
tRCD: 8
tRP: 8
tRAS: 20
tRFC: 139
CR: 1T

The "new" RAM I bought and installed was this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104127
(Kingston Model KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX)

If Newegg's product description can be trusted, then the timings for this model are: 9-9-9-27

If I hadn't mentioned it before, I'm using an ASUS P6T motherboard (I forget the BIOS version). I know where to find the settings in the BIOS though, and I think I have adjusted them before but it has been years since then and I just don't want to screw anything up or make my system unstable. Where I tend to get confused is figuring out what do to with all the settings that are not a part of the 9-9-9-27 thing (I build my own computers now and then, but I'm not an expert in overclocking or any of that stuff...)

Thanks again for your assistance on this! And sorry I keep disappearing for months haha. :ange:
 
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