X99 with latest CPU upgrade – memory concerns.
X99 with latest CPU upgrade – memory concerns.
I received a used E5-2699A V4 XEON CPU for $50 from someone who recycles e-waste. My college son brought his old X99 with an i7-5820K CPU to visit and also shared his computer. I verified the motherboard BIOS is up-to-date, and the CPU is functioning well. The RAM might need an upgrade soon. During setup, I installed only 8GB of DDR4-2133 memory. The board is an ASUS X99/USB3.1 with eight slots. Anyone has advice on the best upgrade? This chip can run ECC DDR4-2400 or non-ECC. The 8GB sticks are performing well, but they could be improved. These parts are currently on sale for $12 each: Samsung M393A1G40DB1-CRC 8GB DDR4-2400 LP ECC REG Server Memory. However, they aren’t listed on the OEM approved memory catalog. Should I install four or eight sticks? Do the 8GB modules run faster than four? I’m a bit unsure about memory rankings and everything. For clarity, here’s a picture from Samsung showing the specs. The 1Gx72 rank is 1, and there are four versions available. Your suggestions and guidance would be greatly appreciated. My son is using it for virtual machines, file sharing, video editing, and not for gaming.
Prioritize using all available channels for optimal memory speed. Four sticks should give you the best performance. The mention of "no ECC memory support" seems confusing—actually, I'm running ECC DDR4 on my dual E5-2697 v4 units (four per CPU). It looks like Intel's site might have an error there. ECC compatibility depends on both the system and the processor.
The workstation only supports ECC memory, so there are no unregistered or unbuffered options. It’s recommended to use four sticks for optimal performance. Adding more than eight sticks won’t significantly impact speed, though one stick per channel remains the ideal choice.
- Dual channel setup can already enhance performance, especially in competitive scenarios beyond just gameplay.
- This configuration likely improves results outside typical gaming settings.
check if this model supports ECC RAM in non-ECC mode or otherwise. If yes, it might be worth purchasing some ECC GDs for testing. I’m planning to add a few W3500s, W3565s, Pentium E6700, or possibly some 1GB/2GB ECC sticks depending on what I decide next. Having 1x4/2x4 support would be useful for higher density without the issues with older DDR3 configurations. I’m curious about performance differences between 2x8 and 1x4 channels since they have similar IC counts but different testing history. The price around $12 for RAM is mid-range, so I might look for cheaper options if needed. Considering it’s based on a 4Gb DRAM die, it’s likely a lower-end version compared to the 8Gb model, so aim for ~3200 MHz with good voltage scaling if you want stable performance; beyond that, it probably won’t need much overclocking. Also, keep an eye on QPI and don’t stress too much about clock speed unless you’re aiming for a simpler setup. Cross-check results from other boards and community discussions as well.
My brother-in-law contributed (4) 16Gb DDR4-2400 ECC modules. Performance has improved noticeably after a few benchmarks. Planning an overnight stress test. Sharing recommendations with my child and letting him decide how many units to use. Starting with four 8Gb sticks, adding more later. It's surprising how an 8-year-old chip still handles well but can't run Windows 11! My son will really enjoy this when he returns from his girlfriend’s place.