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Dual channel: 2 pairs of RAM with different capacities

damdam -  
 damdam -

Hello or good evening,

I know that this topic is widely discussed, but I can't find an answer to my specific situation. I have 2 G.Skill 16GB 3600 MHz CL17 RAM sticks with a dual channel motherboard that has 4 slots. I would like to get 2 more G.Skill 3600MHz CL17 sticks, but with a capacity of 8GB.

I know it's possible to use these 2 pairs together without throttling the latency or frequency, but I'm not sure if the dual channel can limit the capacity of my 2 16GB sticks by reducing them to 8GB.

In the end, will I end up with 4 sticks of 8GB, totaling 32GB of RAM, or with 2 sticks of 16GB and 2 sticks of 8GB, totaling 48GB of RAM?

Will my performance be affected considering I want to overclock them to 4000MHz CL17 or 16 if possible?

Thank you in advance for your answers ;)

3 réponses

Réponse 1 / 3
jeannets Posted messages 28327 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   Ambassadeur 6 597
 

Hello,

On the manual of your motherboard, there is a list of recommended memory... You can also read what is written on the RAM already in place... The label stuck on the modules; and get the same one...

There are things that work; it's true, but not for everyone, depending on the hardware references.

I would add that you don't buy RAM before knowing... It's the other way around, you need to know exactly what hardware you have and then look for the RAM that can work with it...
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Réponse 2 / 3
damdam
 

Thank you for your response.

Actually, I'm building a PC and I only have part of the hardware. I knew I wanted 32GB with 2 RAM sticks, but I've decided to go for custom water cooling and I want a flawless aesthetic while using all 4 slots. Not wanting to spend too much money on it, I decided to get the same pair but with different capacities. So apart from the capacity, nothing changes. (I haven't bought them yet)

I don't have the motherboard yet, but I know what I want; however, nothing is indicated in the online manual regarding these specific characteristics. I know it supports dual channel and where the A1-B1 A2-B2 slots are located.
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flo88 Posted messages 28657 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 158
 

Hello

The dual channel works in pairs. There are two channels; if the RAMs are 2x16 identical + 2x8 identical, placed in the correct slots, the dual channel will function.

I myself have this type of "mix".

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damdam > flo88 Posted messages 28657 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention  
 

Thanks! I'm thinking of buying the pair with 16GB and seeing if it works well; if not, I'll return them.

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Réponse 3 / 3
jeannets Posted messages 28327 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   Ambassadeur 6 597
 

You should be able to download the manual or the user guide from the manufacturer's website...

You can also contact them by email for relevant answers.

In my opinion, it is preferable to have the same RAM, with the same capacity and frequency.

Depending on the processor and the disk, you will only partially utilize the capacity of the dual channel.
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damdam
 

I am thinking of buying the 16GB pair and testing it. If it doesn't work well, I will return them and buy the same ones. Thank you for your comment.

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