RAM upgrade question

[ShaunOfNintendo]

So I've never actually upgraded RAM before, and sure it's a fairly simple process (pop the old sticks out, pop the new ones in, easy)

 

I'm upgrading from 8GB (2x4GB) of RAM to 16GB of RAM and I've got two questions:

1. Would I benefit from having 4x4GB sticks instead of 2x8GB sticks for multitasking purposes? (The two linked are the ones I'm considering buying)
2. If I do go with the 4x4GB option, is there any BIOS configurations that need to be changed?

thank you for your time!

[JebKerman]

you can probably just put the 2 new 8GB sticks straight in alongside the existing 4GB ones, they won't/shouldn't mind.

 

you shouldn't need to mess with the BIOS, the memory is in dual channel anyway (ram works in pairs)

[Deltek]

Well it all depends on if your MB supports dual channel or quad channel ram etc.  If it does then ideally you only want to fill those slots.

As for the BIOS you probably won't need to change anything there unless the new memory has XMP profiles, in which case you may need to select in the BIOS.

[Daniel123dk]

So I've never actually upgraded RAM before, and sure it's a fairly simple process (pop the old sticks out, pop the new ones in, easy)

 

I'm upgrading from 8GB (2x4GB) of RAM to 16GB of RAM and I've got two questions:

1. Would I benefit from having 4x4GB sticks instead of 2x8GB sticks for multitasking purposes? (The two linked are the ones I'm considering buying)
2. If I do go with the 4x4GB option, is there any BIOS configurations that need to be changed?

thank you for your time!

1. I would personally go with 2x8gb sticks instead of 4x4gb sticks, then you have even more upgradeability

2. In certain lower end motherboards the motherboard does not recognize the new ram dimms before you tell it to do. As for higher end boards, they recognize them, so no problems what so ever

[Naeaes]

The 4-stick kits are designed for the processors that have quad-channel capability. They usually come from the same factory lines as the 2-stick kits but are tested on quad-channel processors. Your processor, Intel i7-4790k, is a dual-channel processor. The settings you input in BIOS are pushed onto all the sticks but is you use XMP, they're taken from the first stick in channel B and then pushed on to the rest. That's, BTW, the first issue that present itself with incompatible sticks.

There's no speed benefit from having four sticks over two sticks if the processor isn't quad-channel. The upside of two two-stick kits, however, is that you don't have to RMA all four if one fails for whatever reason.

 

My advice is stick to the QVLs. If anyone says it's not that important are two things: a ) not the ones that pay actual money for the sticks that might fail off the bat or years later and b ) indifferent to the struggles of battling with RAM issues like random hangs and crashes.

 

I'm one of the above but I'll help you pick the best kit if you elaborate on one thing. The motherboard you have, is it the basic GA-Z97X-Gaming G1 or the Black edition with integrated Wi-Fi (GA-Z97X-Gaming G1 WIFI-BK)

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[ShaunOfNintendo]

The motherboard you have, is it the basic GA-Z97X-Gaming G1 or the Black edition with integrated Wi-Fi (GA-Z97X-Gaming G1 WIFI-BK)

 

 

The motherboard that I have is the basic GA-Z97X-Gaming G1

[Naeaes]

The motherboard that I have is the basic GA-Z97X-Gaming G1

 

Ok, thanks!

 

CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9 (the 4x4 kit you linked) is on the Gigabyte list but not on Corsair list.

BLT2CP8G3D1608DT1TX0CEU (the 2x8 kit you linked) is on Crucial list but not on Gigabyte list.

 

Crucial does this stupid thing, they use one p/n themselves and give another to retailers but CT5852278 is the same as BLT2CP8G3D1608DT1TX0CEU. I guess one refers to the product and one to the package with the paperwork and product inside.

 

For whaever reason the Corsair tested RAM list doens't show any 1600MHz Vengeance kits as compatible at all even thou the Gigabyte list does. It could be due to customer complaints or some revamping in the manufacturing after Gigabyte did their tests. The Gigabyte list is dated 2014/06/20. In any case. CMZ16GX3M2A1866C9 is on both lists. That's an 1866MHz kit so it's on paper a bit quicker that the kits you were looking at. In real-life use that won't show at all.

 

I'm a play-it-safe kind of guy. I'd go with CMZ16GX3M2A1866C9.  It's in your price range too, isn't it? And Corsair is one of my favorites too. Kingston comes close but their 1866MHz sticks are CL10. If you plan on getting more RAM in the future, I'd start keeping on eye on an identical kit. It's most likely to work and with DDR4 out and now mainstream processors for it too, DDR3 prices and availabilities might go either way. I'm guessing still for now and up in about a year. That's how it went for DDR2 at least.

[ShaunOfNintendo]

I'm a play-it-safe kind of guy. I'd go with CMZ16GX3M2A1866C9.  It's in your price range too, isn't it? And Corsair is one of my favorites too. Kingston comes close but their 1866MHz sticks are CL10. If you plan on getting more RAM in the future, I'd start keeping on eye on an identical kit. It's most likely to work and with DDR4 out and now mainstream processors for it too, DDR3 prices and availabilities might go either way. I'm guessing still for now and up in about a year. That's how it went for DDR2 at least.

 

 

Thanks for the advice man. And yeah it's within my price range =)