X99 Dual Channel vs Quad Channel

K1LLER HORNET · 25 Nov 2014 at 12:25

I'm set on going X99. CPU ordered and decided on pretty much everything but the RAM.

Should I get 2X8GB sticks (Crucial Ballistix) or 4x4GB (other brand)?

The former will give me more expandability, although I don't see myself maxing out the memory on this platform (64GB on Asus X99-S) unless memory prices drastically drop.
I'm just wondering if the potential benefits of Quad Channel outweigh the drawbacks of DIMM capacity.

Cheers.

tipes · 25 Nov 2014 at 12:59

K1LLER HORNET said:
I'm set on going X99. CPU ordered and decided on pretty much everything but the RAM.

Should I get 2X8GB sticks (Crucial Ballistix) or 4x4GB (other brand)?

The former will give me more expandability, although I don't see myself maxing out the memory on this platform (64GB on Asus X99-S) unless memory prices drastically drop.
I'm just wondering if the potential benefits of Quad Channel outweigh the drawbacks of DIMM capacity.

Cheers.

AFAIK - if you run only two sticks of ram they will only run in dual channel mode, which somewhat defeats the object of going for X99. I would suggest you go for a 4x4Gb ram set. That said the performance loss of dual v quad will probably not be really noticeable except in benching etc. Depends on your usage really etc.

Mark

bledd · 25 Nov 2014 at 13:09

If I bought a quad channel board and only used it in dual channel, I wouldn't sleep right.

Even if it's a 1% performance increase, I'd have to get quad channel.

K1LLER HORNET · 25 Nov 2014 at 14:05

tipes said:
AFAIK - if you run only two sticks of ram they will only run in dual channel mode, which somewhat defeats the object of going for X99. I would suggest you go for a 4x4Gb ram set. That said the performance loss of dual v quad will probably not be really noticeable except in benching etc. Depends on your usage really etc.

Mark

I didn't think there would be a noticeable difference.

bledd. said:
If I bought a quad channel board and only used it in dual channel, I wouldn't sleep right.

Even if it's a 1% performance increase, I'd have to get quad channel.

Would you be able to sleep at night running 32GB on a board capable of handling 64GB?

That's the way I'm seeing it. Getting 4GB modules wouldn't allow me the possibility of maxing out the memory down the line without selling the existing modules.

bledd · 26 Nov 2014 at 15:00

In your case, I would get 4x 8gb sticks.

Then eat cardboard for a month.

tipes · 26 Nov 2014 at 20:27

bledd. said:
In your case, I would get 4x 8gb sticks.

Then eat cardboard for a month.

Lol. Could always put some baked beans on the cardboard to liven it up a bit

Mark

Gibbo · 26 Nov 2014 at 20:29

Quad channel is the only way!

rtho782 · 29 Nov 2014 at 20:14

Can you even buy DDR4 dual channel kits?

Legend · 29 Nov 2014 at 21:56

Why are there 8 slots if it's 'quad' channel... can you have 8 sticks, i.e 8 x 4GB?

Armageus · 30 Nov 2014 at 09:04

Legend said:
Why are there 8 slots if it's 'quad' channel... can you have 8 sticks, i.e 8 x 4GB?

The same way most dual channel boards have 4 slots. Each channel is linked to 2 slots.

ALXAndy · 30 Nov 2014 at 12:42

If quad channel was all that 1150 would support it IMO.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Triple channel made barely any difference over dual channel when it was released.

ginjaninja · 30 Nov 2014 at 13:48

if the performance difference of 2 channel was minor...and the expected price trajectory of ddr4 (steeply) downwards.....and the affordability in short term restricted..and the expected performance/specification of ddr4 development (steeply) upwards...then may be a good case to go for two sticks..

would need to seem some analysis of real workloads to establish the 2 channel vs 4 data point...

For me (games playing, transcoding and encoding), i cant forsee the need to increase beyond 16Gb for my needs, i dont think specification increases will make enough of a difference to care, its affordable enough..
4x4 is still expandable if necessary (but by that time..there may be very little residual value in the 4x4 in any case)
so i will go for 4x4...

Silent_Scone · 30 Nov 2014 at 19:12

X99 is all about bandwidth, why sacrifice

Armageus · 30 Nov 2014 at 20:39

Silent_Scone said:
X99 is all about bandwidth, why sacrifice

not really imho, more about the 6 core processors and pci -e lane counts that actually make sense for multiple gpus.

While I'm sure quad channel is nice, most of the advantage is just from the move to higher speed DDR4. Outside of synthetic benches I wouldn't expect more than a 5% improvement.

Struggling to find any non synthetic benches that compare single/dual/quad channel, but expect most sites are not allowed to if covered by Intel's reviewing guidelines.

Silent_Scone · 30 Nov 2014 at 21:20

My point is, why even run dual channel. Makes no sense. Unless you can give me a reason otherwise

8 Pack · 30 Nov 2014 at 23:29

Quad!! Dual is pointless on this platform.

tipes · 1 Dec 2014 at 17:24

Silent_Scone said:
My point is, why even run dual channel. Makes no sense. Unless you can give me a reason otherwise

8 Pack said:
Quad!! Dual is pointless on this platform.

+1 still think this is the right way to go - go quad and have done with it.

OCPete · 2 Dec 2014 at 12:43

Man buys brand new Ferrari...... AND:

Puts 95 RON supermarket petrol in it, fits the cheapest tyres he can find, and gets it "cleaned" by the £5 guys in the shopping centre carpark.

Mmmmmm savings!

Silent_Scone · 2 Dec 2014 at 13:00

Yeh, but...folks actually do that.