I have a Gigabyte B850 Gaming X WiFi 6E motherboard, and right now, I've installed Team Group 2 x 8GB DDR5 6000 CL38 RAM in slots 2 and 4. I also have a G.Skill 1 x 16GB DDR5 6000 CL36 stick. Should I place the G.Skill 16GB in slot 3? I'm planning to sell the Team Group RAM and buy another G.Skill 16GB stick when prices drop, but that might take a year.
3 Answers
For optimal dual channel performance, you could place the 16GB stick in one channel and the 2 x 8GB in another. Options include 8GB + 8GB in slots 1 & 2 and the 16GB in slot 4, or the 16GB in slot 2 with the 2 x 8GB in slots 3 & 4. If not configured right, you might end up in Flex Mode, so just a heads up about tuning the RAM speeds!
You're spot on about putting the 2 x 8GB in slots A2/B2. The 16GB stick can go into either A1 or B1 without issues. Just remember that this might not give you true dual channel performance since it mixes different sizes of RAM.
You should keep the Team Group RAM in slots 2 and 4, and the G.Skill 16GB in either slot 1 or 3. Just a heads up, while this setup might work right away, there's a chance you'll need to fine-tune the speeds and timings to keep everything stable. Mixing RAM can be tricky, so adjust expectations accordingly!
Just keep in mind that this setup might lead to Flex Mode rather than full dual channel operation.
It's worth noting that mixing RAM could lead to Flex Mode, so you may want to consider all dual channel setups if you want to avoid performance drops.