RAM upgrade question

[purecomedy]

I've got a Dell 435T/9000 that came with 4 sticks of 2 Gb RAM sticks. I want more RAM as I seem to be able to max out 8 Gb fairly often.

I believe this system runs in triple-channel mode if I fill 6 slots, am I correct to assume that I can't add 2 4 Gb sticks of RAM to this setup as I need to have 3 sticks of RAM all the same size? Same size in slots 1,3,5 and then same in 2,4,6.

My best options:
1. Buy 3 sticks of 4 GB RAM and use with 3 sticks of existing 2 Gb for a total of 18 Gb
2. Buy 2 sticks of 2 Gb RAM (total of 12 Gb) and one of the "triple" channel trios of RAM would have one mismatched stick of RAM (would that be a problem?).

This site here seems to confirm that 4 Gb sticks are the biggest I can go. https://www.memorystock.com/memory/DellStudioXPS435T9000.html

[Philip]

The second option may work, or it may not (depends if they have all the same timings, single/double sided). If you wan to go with 2GBs, I'd also try to figure out the speed of the existing modules you have (i.e 10600 or something else) and match it. Newegg (actually 18004memory) has 3 2GB for $30. https://www.newegg.com/kingston-6gb-240-pin-ddr3-sdram/p/N82E16820134852?Item=9SIAB0Z9BB8148


On the other hand, if you go with 4GB modules (3ea.), they're a bit more future-proof, and you can use them alone without the 2GBs, if they don't work well together.. Depends on how much money you want to spend, really.

[purecomedy]

It's PC8500 with a CL of 7. The newer DDR3 RAM on the market I'm seeing seems to have higher latency than that.

[Philip]

Well, higher speed DDR will have higher CL.. Also, if you are buying different memory for the same bank, I'd make sure it is similar to the old one in the number of chips (some are single and some double-sided too).

[BrandonMiller84]

I'd definitely advise against using a mismatched RAM. Save yourself from a headache down the road and buy exact same RAM sticks.