Quad channel memory on a dual channel motherboard?

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Tweed

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Is it better to get a quad channel memory for a dual channel motherboard or is it better to get 2 dual channel memory for a dual channel motherboard. My motherboard is the ASUS Maximus Hero VIII and I want to get 32GB of RAM. Do I get 4x8GB (Quad Channel memory) or 2x(2x8GB) (two dual channel memory)
 
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Why would you want to put additional stress on any component if you don't have to? The MC is in your CPU and additional sticks could affect the OC potential of the CPU, as well as affect the overall performance of the rig. A lot of things go into fine tuning and OCing a rig, most people coming here looking for help are not higher end builders, if they already had the knowledge and the skills they prob wouldn't be here. Many of us provide advise base on core building essentials. This is what I try and do, getting into more indepth help like OCing CPUs, GPUs, DRAM etc is also available, but everyone should start and learn the basics first...as far as DRAM goes I wrote an article FAQs and Fiction to help people with basics of DRAM...

TJ Hooker

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Buying a 4 stick package of RAM doesn't inherently make it quad channel. It depends on the CPU/mobo. In your case, it will still run dual channel.

But to answer your question, it is better to buy all your memory as a single kit to ensure compatibility. So get a 4x8 kit rather than two 2x8 kits.

As an aside, 16 GB is more than enough for the vast majority of people.
 

Tradesman1

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Get a 4 stick set, that's all they really mean when talking quad, that way all 4 sticks have been tested to play nice - there are no guarantees when getting two 2 stick sets that they will even play. I've gotten identical sets right from the manufacturers that wouldn't play at all ;)
 

Tweed

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What am I look for exactly? Am I supposed to download from one of these (6) options?
 

TJ Hooker

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Sometimes the memory controller will struggle to run RAM (especially high speed RAM) at the rated speed/timings if you populate two RAM sticks per channel. So in that video, he's not saying two dual-channel kits are better than 1 quad on a dual channel mobo. He's saying a single dual channel kit is better than a quad channel kit in terms of running at the rated timings on a dual channel board. At least, I think that's what he's saying. So it would be better to get a 2x16 GB kit rather than 4x8.
 

Tweed

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OH I get it now. Same as what Tradesman1 said. It all makes sense now. So best option is to get 2x16GB, but my guess is most people fill up the RAM slots (4x8GB) to make it look better?
 

Tradesman1

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Not if they know what they are doing ;) 4 sticks is more stress on the MC (memory controller) than 2. It's best to use the least amount of sticks you can while filling the need for the amount of DRAM and the channel capabilities - i.e. 2 sticks for a dual channel mobo, 4 for a quad 3 for a tri
 

Tweed

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May I ask the specs of your PC build? Just curious of what you did and everything
 

Tweed

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Sig? I see on the right hand side of various parts: 6600k, Z170 Hero, 48GB 3200 TriZ, etc. I too am going with G.Skill Trident Z RAM, but how did you get 48GB? Do you have like 16GB filling up 3 out of the 4 RAM slots or something else?
 

Tradesman1

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Currently running a pair of 2x16GB along side a pair of 2x8GB of 3200/14 Trident Z, set it up as I didn't have a 64GB set available and needed the extra memory for some simulation software I was evaluating for a client, It's run so well I've simply left it in there ;)
 

Tweed

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So you said before that having 4 sticks (or filling up all the RAM slots) is more stress on the MC than 2. Why say that when you filled up your RAM slots? Is it fine to do so then to get 4x8GB than 2x16GB, or since I have the option and I'm not going to upgrade in the later future and certain on 32GB of RAM, I should go with 2x16GB?
 

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
Why would you want to put additional stress on any component if you don't have to? The MC is in your CPU and additional sticks could affect the OC potential of the CPU, as well as affect the overall performance of the rig. A lot of things go into fine tuning and OCing a rig, most people coming here looking for help are not higher end builders, if they already had the knowledge and the skills they prob wouldn't be here. Many of us provide advise base on core building essentials. This is what I try and do, getting into more indepth help like OCing CPUs, GPUs, DRAM etc is also available, but everyone should start and learn the basics first...as far as DRAM goes I wrote an article FAQs and Fiction to help people with basics of DRAM which can be found here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2741495/ddr3-faqs-fiction.html
 
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TJ Hooker

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Because he needed/wanted more capacity than 2 sticks could provide. As he said before, it's best to use the the least number of sticks you can while still having at least one stick per channel and getting however many GB you want. For his build, that happened to be 4 slots. For yours, it's two.
 
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