Sideways Memory

[OCSmash]

Shouldn't memory dimms be in line with case airflow like on the EVGA Z390 DARK (assuming front to back air channels)? When running highly OC'd RAM, it seems like a no-brainer that you would want a MB designed this way, yet this is the only board I've seen that does this. I get the 2-dimm limitation here, but that's often the case for boards that are designed for extreme memory clocking. Has anyone tested this to determine if there is an actual benefit?

[PopsicleHustler]

Because there is simply no space on the motherboard to put them horizontally.

 

Z390 Dark does it not for cooling, but for increased overclocking capability of the RAM.

[mariushm]

The memory is there because it makes it easy to route the traces from the socket to the sticks that way (there's 100+ traces between socket and ram slots and they're in pairs which must be length matched).

can't rotate socket easily because you also have lots of traces going down to the pci-e slots.

High end motherboards can be more flexible because they can make boards with more layers and route the traces through inner layers so there's more room to route everything in a more convenient spot... but extra layers make the circuit board more expensive to manufacture.

Even then, the benefits of arranging the memory in some orientation are too little to be worth doing it.

 

[OCSmash]

Thanks. I figured there must be a good reason. When I see these tiny top-down air coolers on high-end RAM kits, it just seems so ridiculous.  

[mr mans]

You see this in server workstations a lot. They sometimes have a shroud that goes from intake fans and over the memory slots. Not sure why this isn't more prevalent on consumer boards