I am in the process of building a new machine centered around Intel's i7-980X chip and a Gigabyte X58A-UD7 motherboard.
I am having a very difficult time finding the correct RAM for the 980X. Intel did an interesting thing - they put the RAM controller on the CPU the stepped the voltage DOWN, not UP, which makes sense, considering the density of the CPU.
Well, that's dangerous. In the RAM world, as speeds and capacity increased, so did voltage, as one would expect. But, Intel said, essentially, that they were going to do more with less. So, now, the required RAM voltage for the 980X is 1.5V ~5%, not the 1.65V that the majority of the faster RAM requires at the moment.
Fine.
After much research, the ideal RAM for this machine would be 24GB in six slots of 4GB each at 1.5V and 10666GHz.
G.Skill makes such modules and I would be happy to buy 6x4GB Ripjaw modules with the above specs from G.Skill as I am confident that the machine would work very well with them.
But, here's the problem, and a question or two...
This whole new approach to RAM by Intel is as new to me as it is to everyone else, so, while my questions may sound naive, everybody is naive at the moment, and the questions are important to sound buying decisions and optimal implementation with very expensive CPUs.
Questions:
Is there an actual, physical design difference between modules that can do dual-channeling and triple channeling?
For instance, here are the identifying numbers for two Ripjaws modules:
Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
[ RL ] F3-10666CL9T-12GBRL
I don't know what [ RL ] means. I do know what 8GBRL and 12GBRL mean, but, still not what the 'RL' means.
But, far more importantly, the 'D' and the 'T' have me confused.
Are they identical chipsets? One being sold as dual-channel and one being sold as triple-channel? Same specs, same latency, 9-9-9-24 I believe.
And, if that's the case, is there any reason I can't buy the F3-10666CL9D modules and triple-channel them? Or is there really something on the chips that differentiates them? Makes one a dual-channel set, and the other a triple-channel set?
I realize that if it's true that modules marketed as dual-channel can also be used on triple-channel capable machines, that presents a bit of a problem for RAM manufacturers. Initially. Sure, the cheaper, slower stuff becomes the more desired stuff. But, it's easier to make.
But, right now, everybody is losing. People have to know what they're buying. And people like me are willing to spend the money to buy the right thing, one time.
So, if you can tell me that I can put the Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL modules in the computer I'm building, and that I will be able to triple-channel the 'D' modules, I'll buy 24GB in a heartbeat.
If that is not the case, and I actually need the 'T' modules, please be kind enough to tell me where to source them in Germany, as I can't find any. Anywhere.
Thanks very much for your help!
-JAG
I am having a very difficult time finding the correct RAM for the 980X. Intel did an interesting thing - they put the RAM controller on the CPU the stepped the voltage DOWN, not UP, which makes sense, considering the density of the CPU.
Well, that's dangerous. In the RAM world, as speeds and capacity increased, so did voltage, as one would expect. But, Intel said, essentially, that they were going to do more with less. So, now, the required RAM voltage for the 980X is 1.5V ~5%, not the 1.65V that the majority of the faster RAM requires at the moment.
Fine.
After much research, the ideal RAM for this machine would be 24GB in six slots of 4GB each at 1.5V and 10666GHz.
G.Skill makes such modules and I would be happy to buy 6x4GB Ripjaw modules with the above specs from G.Skill as I am confident that the machine would work very well with them.
But, here's the problem, and a question or two...
This whole new approach to RAM by Intel is as new to me as it is to everyone else, so, while my questions may sound naive, everybody is naive at the moment, and the questions are important to sound buying decisions and optimal implementation with very expensive CPUs.
Questions:
Is there an actual, physical design difference between modules that can do dual-channeling and triple channeling?
For instance, here are the identifying numbers for two Ripjaws modules:
Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
[ RL ] F3-10666CL9T-12GBRL
I don't know what [ RL ] means. I do know what 8GBRL and 12GBRL mean, but, still not what the 'RL' means.
But, far more importantly, the 'D' and the 'T' have me confused.
Are they identical chipsets? One being sold as dual-channel and one being sold as triple-channel? Same specs, same latency, 9-9-9-24 I believe.
And, if that's the case, is there any reason I can't buy the F3-10666CL9D modules and triple-channel them? Or is there really something on the chips that differentiates them? Makes one a dual-channel set, and the other a triple-channel set?
I realize that if it's true that modules marketed as dual-channel can also be used on triple-channel capable machines, that presents a bit of a problem for RAM manufacturers. Initially. Sure, the cheaper, slower stuff becomes the more desired stuff. But, it's easier to make.
But, right now, everybody is losing. People have to know what they're buying. And people like me are willing to spend the money to buy the right thing, one time.
So, if you can tell me that I can put the Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL modules in the computer I'm building, and that I will be able to triple-channel the 'D' modules, I'll buy 24GB in a heartbeat.
If that is not the case, and I actually need the 'T' modules, please be kind enough to tell me where to source them in Germany, as I can't find any. Anywhere.
Thanks very much for your help!
-JAG
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