Memory question! for ASUS RAMPAGE III EXTREME mobo

[inflex]

Hello,
I'm purchasing a ASUS Rampage III Extreme ATX LGA1366 X58 DDR3 4PCI-E16 PCI-E4 CrossFire SLI SATA3 USB3.0 Motherboard
and throwing a Intel i7 990x extreme 3.4GHz chip on it.
Available Memory Configuration:
6x DIMM, Max. 24GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Triple Channel Memory Architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs.


Now the tough part....

My question is what are the numbers in front of the O.C. representing and how does this translate into performance? Should I consider buying multiple 4gb sticks or multiple 6gb in order to maximize performance?
Thank you in advance for your input!

 

[suteck]

The numbers in front of the OC means that you will have to use the xmp or profile 1 & 2 settings, which will increase the memory multiplyer and an increase in voltage is required to reach these settings. You will not plug in a 2200 memory and get it to run at that speed by default.

It will depend on what you are using your machine for. In order to maximize the speed you will go with the higher numbers, like 2200, Which is a number for speed in MHz - megahertz. One stipulation with this is that you are limited to the number of sticks and size of GB you can use. For instance -
KINGMAX FLKE85F-B8KHA(XMP) 4G ( 2 x 2G ) goes with 4 DIMM: Supports four (4) modules inserted into the orange slots (A1, B1 and C1) and the black slot A2 as one set of Triple-channel memory configuration. Which means that you will be able to have 8 GB of memory running at the 2200 MHz speed. which is very fast. These numbers are taken out of the QVL for your motherboard.
If you are looking to maximize the amount of memory like 24GB's of memory usage them we are talking about getting 2 sets of
KINGSTON - KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX(XMP) - 12GB(3 x 4GB). These will run at 1600 MHz and you will be able to populate all 6 memory slots and run at the stated speed. - Also taken out of the QVL for your motherboard.

Other brand memory modules will work in different configurations, some you will have to tweak and others will work out of the box. So I do the simple thing and suggest what ASUS has already tested and stated in the Qualified Venders' List for that board.

So the biggest thing to keep in mind is which need are you trying to fill? Can't think of many programs or combination of programs that will use 24 GB's of memory. There are probably quite a few and if you are using any of those program(s) than you will already be aware of it so the choice is simple. Most people and programs don't so for best speed performance I'd go with the 2200MHz choice. Most things I read say that 8 GB's is the new gaming standard. Most games don't use it yet but us GAMERS like to stay ahead of the curve!

Hope this helps and let us know what you decide.

 

[inflex]

Best answer selected by inflex.