16GB Additional RAM - DDR4 3000MHz - What is Compatible?

[MGP]

A couple of years ago I bought a nice black Friday bundle i7-5820K CPU on a Gigabyte X99 motherboard with 16GB (4x4GB) Team Group Vulcan DDR4, PC2400c16 CAS 16-16-16-32 timings. I don't run the PC overclocked, but it is often running 24/7 at 100% CPU load as part of OcUK's Distributed Computing Teams, so overclocking energy use for smaller output returns isn't viable.

Now I find that at times the 16GB RAM is limiting so I need more.

Can I buy 2x8GB, or should I be getting 4x4GB to fill the remaining 4 motherboard slots?

I could buy another 16GB of the Team Group Vulcan RAM, but that seems expensive now compared to other stuff on offer. But I have no idea what all those timings mean, so I have no idea what is compatible.

There is TeamGroup Vulcan T-Force 3000MHz CAS 16-18-18-36 or TeamGroup DarkPro 3000MHz CAS 15-15-15-35

Alternatively, if I buy TeamGroup Dark Pro 3200MHz RAM with the CAS 16-16-16-36 timings, would that work, simply having the motherboard presumably setting the RAM operating at the lower frequency?


This is why I buy CPU/RAM/Motherboard bundles, as that way I know someone has worked out that stuff is compatible. Note that I'm not worried about colours and looks of the components. I like my PC case with solid sides to hide the mess inside

Thanks in advance.

 

[bimbleuk]

It may be worth asking OCUK but the best change of compatibility is to use exactly the same RAM as X99 boards are notorious for cold boot issues with RAM. Not sure if you suffered but I bought exactly the same bundle and my first 2 boards expired with random deaths which were fixed with a BIOS linked to in the original bundle thread with OC settings listed.

I've swapped between the original Vulcan 16GB RAM and 2 kits of 16GB Team Elite+ 2400 (4 x 4GB) CAS 16-16-16-36 RAM giving me 32GB total. That has been working no issue and i'm actually running the 2400 RAM @ 3000 similar to the original Vulcan RAM.

What I haven't done is mix the two types of RAM together on the same board. If I remember I may try that later but I fully expect to get a black screen and a reset BIOS

 

[MGP]

Thanks for that. I did have some cold boot issues, but traced that to some USB devices, especially a Hotas joystick setup. Since then it's been fine but can't remember now if I ever changed the BIOS. I recall a lot of discussion at the time.