Viper 3 Intel® Extreme Masters Memory, performance

[maromero]

Hi,

I have registered in your forum because I need to ask you a question that might find it silly, but really is not:

If you review the website of the product, there are multiple speeds available (1600MHz, 1866MHz, 2133MHz):

DDR3 - Viper 3 Intel® Extreme Masters Memory, Limited Edition
http://www.patriotmemory.com/product...d=34&src=5,3,9

I would like to purchase the fastest memory (2133MHz), because I recently bought an Intel Extreme DX79SI Desktop Motherboard, to operate with a processor i7-3960X; because my main area of work is the 3D design.

Intel Extreme DX79SI (siler) Desktop Motherboard - Intel X79 Express Chipset - LGA2011
http://ark.intel.com/products/55799/...p-Board-DX79SI

Intel® Core™ i7-3960X Processor Extreme Edition (15M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz)
http://ark.intel.com/products/63696/...he-3_30-GHz%29

As an important part of my future workstation are memory, I want to use 64 GB of DDR3 RAM (# of DIMMs: 8), in the technical specifications of my motherboard, indicates that memory can work with "Quad channels" optimum; but:

It is the same install 4 DIMMs of 2133MHz (faster), when the 32GB kit is only for work at 1866MHz (slower)?
Are there any technical differences if you buy and install the DIMMs in pairs instead of four in this kind of DIMMs?
They stop working good on four channels if bought in pairs (faster), although installed in groups of four (slower)?

Thank you very much.

Marco

[Patriot_Ben]

It is the same install 4 DIMMs of 2133MHz (faster), when the 32GB kit is only for work at 1866MHz (slower)?
Are there any technical differences if you buy and install the DIMMs in pairs instead of four in this kind of DIMMs?
They stop working good on four channels if bought in pairs (faster), although installed in groups of four (slower)?

Thank you very much.

Marco

Hello Marco,

It really depends what you are doing. Since you're applications is CAD Design, more memory capacity will generally be more beneficial to you. Speed is more important usually with gaming. However in your setup you would probably see more gain at 32GB @ 1866 rather than 2133 @ 16GB.

[maromero]

Hi Ben,

Thank you very much for your answer.

To be more specific in my question, I wish to maximize the performance of the motherboard with 64 GB of RAM "quad channel" (two groups of 32GB):

The chips that are purchased in packs of 4 (@ 1866MHz), are specifically designed to work in groups of 4?
...It is not the same thing if I buy 2 kits (4 chips of 8GB) @ 2133MHz?
...Why not sell the 32GB kit (4 chips of 8GB) @ 2133MHz? ...Only sell the 32GB kit @ 1866MHz, There is some reason for it?!!!

My fear is that if I buy 2 kits of 16GB @ 2133MHz, the chips do not have "the best" performance working in "quad channel".

Thank you very much.

Marco

[Patriot_Ben]

Hi Ben,

Thank you very much for your answer.

To be more specific in my question, I wish to maximize the performance of the motherboard with 64 GB of RAM "quad channel" (two groups of 32GB):

The chips that are purchased in packs of 4 (@ 1866MHz), are specifically designed to work in groups of 4?
...It is not the same thing if I buy 2 kits (4 chips of 8GB) @ 2133MHz?
...Why not sell the 32GB kit (4 chips of 8GB) @ 2133MHz? ...Only sell the 32GB kit @ 1866MHz, There is some reason for it?!!!

My fear is that if I buy 2 kits of 16GB @ 2133MHz, the chips do not have "the best" performance working in "quad channel".

Thank you very much.

Marco

Hey Marco,

The reason for that is that the kits are tested at rated speeds in the configuration they are sold in. If adding the additional, kit we cannot guarantee that it will work at the rated speeds. Therefore the 4 x modules at 1866 will work at the rated speeds (as tested), 2 separate kits of 1866 or 2133 might not work.