Looking for advice on RAM

[Spider95]

Hi all,

I'm currently got a GA-X58A-UD3R motherboard with triple channel RAM 3x2Gb of Corsair TR3X6GC1600C9 DDR3 1600MHz.

I'm thinking of getting some more RAM but not sure if I'm best to go for another set of the exact same Corsairs (so another triple set of the 3x2Gb) or if there is other newer better RAM available that it's be ok to go for, (and if so what a good set would be) - not sure if there are any compatibility issues?

Thanks for any advice people can provide.

[Yellowbeard]

Mixing any 2 memory kits, even if they are the same part # etc, is never your best option. My suggestion would be to buy a 3 x 4GB kit. It may work with your existing kit or it may not. The ONLY way to know is to install it and test. But, if it won't work mixed, you still get the upgrade to 12GB.

[jim]

Agree with Yellowbeard, if for slightly different motivations. I would never fill up all the RAM slots on my motherboard unless I really needed to, not after the stability issues I suffered on the P35/X48 platform with all 4 slots populated.

Sell the 3x2GB and put 3x4GB into the board.

[KeyboardDemon]

I also agree with the two above, the only thing I would do that's different is look at getting faster RAM like 1866mhz or 2133mhz, I think the X58 mobos support up to 2200mhz modules, but not sure how much of a performance gain you would get from this.

[Yellowbeard]

If the user ends up running 6 modules 1866 and 2133 will be a complete waste of money as the system will be limited by the slower kit. Chances of compatibility are better if he buys a kit closer to or at the same spec as the first kit.

[Spider95]

Thanks for the info. Curious to know why 3 memory kits (even same make/part no) would possibly cause an issue?
My motherboard has 6 slots in total (i.e. 3 spare with current set-up), why is using them all a bad idea? i.e. why make a motherboard with all those slots if they aren't to be used? (maybe this is a noob question - i dunno

I've already got 6Gb of RAM that's working fine, not sure I want to just 'buy more and sell the old on'. However take the point on board that if I went for the 12Gb (3x4Gb) option I would have at worse 12Gb of working memory (and at best 18Gb I reckon?).

I'd be thinking of doing this with 2 systems so price does come into it as well. At the moment I'm more thinking of going for as close as I can get to the original spec - i.e. buying the same RAM kit again (3x2Gb) to go in the spare 3 slots. To get best chance of compatibility.

[jim]

Thanks for the info. Curious to know why 3 memory kits (even same make/part no) would possibly cause an issue?
My motherboard has 6 slots in total (i.e. 3 spare with current set-up), why is using them all a bad idea? i.e. why make a motherboard with all those slots if they aren't to be used? (maybe this is a noob question - i dunno

On old boards, i.e. from the P35 era, the motherboards didn't have enough juice typically to run all memory slots and overclock, so it could cause stability issues. I agree, don't know why they bothered to put 4/6 if they wouldn't all run, but there you go.

I've already got 6Gb of RAM that's working fine, not sure I want to just 'buy more and sell the old on'. However take the point on board that if I went for the 12Gb (3x4Gb) option I would have at worse 12Gb of working memory (and at best 18Gb I reckon?).

I'd be thinking of doing this with 2 systems so price does come into it as well. At the moment I'm more thinking of going for as close as I can get to the original spec - i.e. buying the same RAM kit again (3x2Gb) to go in the spare 3 slots. To get best chance of compatibility.

There's no benefit really to keeping the old RAM. I guess you can if you really want to, but I can't for the life of me see what benefit you get. I certainly wouldn't use the 18GB option.

12GB in 3 slots > 12GB in 6 slots. And obviously the former is much easier to upgrade in the future.