Intel Core i7 - 6700K - Choosing right RAM (4 vs 2 channel)

[JF171]

According to 6700k specs it supports 2-channel DDR3/DDR4. Does it mean that I can only use 2 memory sticks at a time ? (Like if I want to have 16 GB RAM I'll have to buy 8GBx2, right? ) And if Im wrong, will it work worse if I use 4 sticks at a time? If both options are OK, which is better - 8GBx2 or 4GBx4?

[Hman1250]

The channel meaning like the DIMM slots with the same color. You can put 2 different makers of RAM in each slot and will work.

[stealth80]

2x 8gb is best, i believe it puts less pressure on the memory controller and also leaves you the option of adding another 2x 8gb in the future

[JF171]

The channel meaning like the DIMM slots with the same color. You can put 2 different makers of RAM in each slot and will work.

 

Whats the difference then? I mean, between using 2 slots or 4?

[79 Potatoes]

channels =/= sticks

1151 CPUs only support dual channel. If installing the same capacity (for example: 2x8 vs 4x4) get 2 sticks then. That way you'll have 2 slots free for future upgrades (and less power consumption, but it isn't like they take that much power...) and keep dual channel mode

[Notree]

Whats the difference then? I mean, between using 2 slots or 4?

Nothing.. Either way will run dual channel.

[JF171]

The main question which bothers me is that I've been choosing between 6700k and 5820k. When I found out that 6700k was 4GHZ against 3.3 of 5820K, I thought that I'd better take 6700k. But then I saw that it was 2 channel only (why should it be so that new Skylake architecture is worse than Haswell-E, I dont know yet,or maybe its not worse, nevermind). So the main question is - What I lose if I choose 2 channel over 4 channel memory (besides of having less memory slots) ?

[Yoinkerman]

Functionally it won't make a difference for you.

[Hieb]

Each channel can have more than one stick of RAM. The motherboard/CPU treats each channel like one big DIMM. So if you have 4 sticks of RAM in a dual-channel system, it will be treated like 2 big DIMMs in dual-channel mode. Each channel must have an identical amount of memory. So you cannot have 4GB in one channel and 8GB in the other channel, or it will run in single channel mode.

[Hieb]

The main question which bothers me is that I've been choosing between 6700k and 5820k. When I found out that 6700k was 4GHZ against 3.3 of 5820K, I thought that I'd better take 6700k. But then I saw that it was 2 channel only (why should it be so that new Skylake architecture is worse than Haswell-E, I dont know yet,or maybe its not worse, nevermind). So the main question is - What I lose if I choose 2 channel over 4 channel memory (besides of having less memory slots) ?

 

dual channel vs quad channel makes almost no difference in everyday use.

 

Also don't worry about the clock speed. The 5820K can easily overclock beyond 4GHz and reach a similar speed to the 6700K. However if you aren't doing anything that demands good multithreaded performance (which is where the 5820K will excel over the 6700K), then don't bother with Haswell-E.

[JF171]

Clear, thanks for help!