Overclocked bundle

[adski01]

Hi,

I'm not usually worried about making my own decisions with regards to my pc setup but in this instance I thought it might be worth checking with the pros.

Bought a overclocked bundle (cpu, ram, motherboard) just over a year ago.

Krypton Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz @ 4.00GHz
6GB (3x2GB) Corsair 9-9-9-24 PC3-12800 1600MHz
Gigabyte GA-X58-USB3 MB

Now need more Ram for Virtual work and don't know whether the RAM is specifically tuned in to the bios and whether there are any potential pitfalls I should expect or look at first.

The manual for the MB makes the suggestion that when using all six Ram slots, you should use same size, speed, make, model etc. I was hoping to utilise the entire 24GB maximum.

Do I need to find two groups of tri chan 12GB sticks? Do they need to have the same settings i.e 9-9-9-24 or can they be different?

Anyone responding with info, suggestions or experience on this matter would be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

[RJC]

What operating system are you using, as certain versions can only utilise 16gb ram and the Professional & Ultimate can support higher.

Overclockers don't have a great range but I would try and keep the same settings, but you might need to adjust or remove the overclock to avoid possible issues.

 

[adski01]

Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit, don't worry, I had done my homework and I work in IT. The max that version can handle is 192GB.

I'm thinking of trying a (2x) 12GB (3x4GB) PC3-12800 1600MHz 8-8-8-24 timing but having trouble finding that at the moment.

 

[HazardO]

Your overclock will not be guaranteed if you use RAM other than the RAM in the bundle.

I'm not sure you'll be able to get 6 4GB dimms running at 1600MHz, you should be able to run 3 4GB dimms at that speed though. 6 sticks will put more strain on the on CPU memory controller than 3 (and this is exacerbated by running the RAM at a higher speed than the memory controller is rated for, i.e. 1600MHz)

 

[Justintime]

Your overclock will not be guaranteed if you use RAM other than the RAM in the bundle.

I'm not sure you'll be able to get 6 4GB dimms running at 1600MHz, you should be able to run 3 4GB dimms at that speed though. 6 sticks will put more strain on the on CPU memory controller than 3 (and this is exacerbated by running the RAM at a higher speed than the memory controller is rated for, i.e. 1600MHz)

I got lucky with my 920 in that regard, only needs 1.35v VTT and 1.3v for 4GHz, 24Gb at 1600 8 8 8 24 1.62v. My dad loves it since i donated it to him, great for internet and email... sigh.

 

[adski01]

Hmmm, now I'm not so confident.

Guess I will buy/put the 24GB (6x4GB) in and see how I get on with the current settings. Worse happens, I will remove the overclock settings.

Unless anyone has anything further to add, thanks for everyone's responses.

 

[hanluc]

If you can run all six slots then you may need to up the qpi/vtt voltage due to the strain on the memory controller as mention by HazardO. Also I don't know anything about your board but my Asus P6X58D-e only supports 1333mhz speed when all six slots are used.