5 sticks of RAM in an X58 system?

jamieboo

jamieboo

jamieboo

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My nice new X99 system is up and running now, and I'm going to be giving my old X58 system to my cousin.
Just trying to work out the best configuration from all the random bits and pieces I have lying around.
My question is about RAM. Triple Channel RAM to be exact - as appropriate for an X58 system.
I have 6 sticks of 2gb Crucial RAM but one stick is a bit dodgy and so unusable. Which would be best: 3 sticks totalling 6gb; or 5 sticks totalling 10gb but sacrificing tri-channel integrity?

Thanks folks.
 
Go with the 10GB then as chrome ect can fill up ram really easily and triple/quad ect does not make a huge difference unless you know exactly why and how you are going to use it ie very specifically set up for video rendering.
 
Thanks very much!
Just as a matter of interest - and as I've completely forgotten - what are the advantages of sticking with triple channel mode?
Even if it's not noticed in the planned usage, what, technically, is the downside of using 5 sticks as opposed to 3 or 6?
 
A channel is basically a road from the RAM to the CPU. Having more channels effectively gives you more roads road to move data across from the cpu-ram or opposite.

So dual channel effectively gives you double the bandwidth capability of single channel.
 
Checked my manual (pdf) and it says you can run 4 dimms in triple channel mode. I guess something is reporting triple channel to CPUZ with my 5 dimms.

:edit: copy / paste of the relevant page

Side(s): SS - Single-sided DS - Double-sided

DIMM support:
•

A*: Supports two (2) modules inserted into slot A1 and B1 as one pair of Dual-channel

memory configuration.

•

B*: Supports three (3) modules inserted into the blue slots (A1, B1 and C1) as one

set of Triple-channel memory configuration.

•

C*: Supports four (4) modules inserted into the blue slots (A1, B1 and C1) and the

black slot A2 as one set of Triple-channel memory configuration.

•

D*: Supports six (6) modules inserted into both the blue slots and the black slots as

two set of Triple-channel memory configuration.
 
Last edited:
And it also states:

You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A, Channel B and Channel C. The
system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel or
triple-channel configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel is then
mapped for single-channel operation.

Bottom line again for me i'd rather have more memory than not ;)
 
Just found the manual for the motherboard (Gigabyte EX58 UD5) and I'm finding similar information to what you just described Sh4rkie.
Descriptions of using 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 DIMMs, but nothing for 5.
Is there a chance that using 5 dimms could lead to problems, and maybe I should use 4?
 
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