New 1600MHz RAM runs at 800MHz

swarfega said:

You should always install dual channel memory in alternate slots, so A1 then B1 or A2 then B2.

Is that so?
This implies they have to be in order.

I found this in the mobo manual (pp16):

So apparently, IIUC, I need to split them.

Can't argue with the manual, nothing to loose by doing it.

Most people don't have motherboards that support quad channel memory. (Dual channel is much more common.)

I'm a little surprised that your X79 board offers so much flexibility for dual and 3 channel memory configurations, but that's cool.

(I have two quad channel desktops. Ones is an X79 system like yours, and the other is an X99 system. I run quad memory in both, even though its advantage is probably only detectable in synthetic benchmarks.)

So now I have 2x8GB-1600MHz installed, 2 empty slots and 2x4GB-800Mhz extra sticks.
What's the best configuration to install the spare sticks?

adish said:

So now I have 2x8GB-1600MHz installed, 2 empty slots and 2x4GB-800Mhz extra sticks.
What's the best configuration to install the spare sticks?

It may not matter. I believe that the DIMMs all need to be of the same capacity for quad channel operation.

(I wouldn't be deeply shocked to find that's not correct, though.)

You may not find this helpful, but if you could get another couple of 8GB DIMMs and throw them in for quad channel, why not? (This assumes that the RAM would be compatible. That's not guaranteed. I bought my RAM in quad channels kits.)

Thanks, but I already have the two unmatched pairs.
What is the best way to install them together within my available mobo and sockets?

DDR3 800 RAM Never seen DDR2 RAM put in a DDR3 Slot but whaddo I know


According to Wikipedia they exist, but I've Never seen a single module https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR3_S...andard_modules

Just wondering if that 800 MHz Ram is actually DDR3 1600 MHz and it was assumed to be 800 because of the GPUz readings.

clam1952 said:

It will give you the correct value in the Post.
As your memory is being identified as dual channel, you don't need to to move anything. Some motherboards such as ASUS need the ram in 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 for dual channel to work, wrong slot and it only works as single channel.

To add for ASUS, my latest M52_M32 has 4 black slots labeled as A1, A2, B1 and B2. Putting 2 modules in A1 and A2 work as Single Channel, putting the 2 modules in A1 and B1 work as Dual Channel. Just goes to show there could be issues in assuming how things go together hence the need for the manual. My 2 Gigabyte boards have 2 slots of black and 2 slots of blue, alternating. All 3 boards AMD-based, Intel-based boards may be different. Or as frequently like to say on the 'net and texting, YMMV.