Dummy Sticks?

[jawn]

Does G.Skill make Dummy-Sticks to populate your other slots just for looks or can I use 4 sticks of RAM without gimping performance?

[emissary42]

To my knowledge there are no dummy modules and that is unlikely to change (soon).

https://www.gskill.us/forum/forum/pr...h-dummy-sticks

There are some decent MB options with only two DIMM slots, where that wouldn't be an issue. Apart from the really high end OC models like the Apex, OCF or Tachyon, the new MSI B850MPOWER is the one, that intrigues me the most.

https://wccftech.com/review/msi-b850...-overclockers/

Also recently some quad kits have been announced/released, for those that either absolutely want to populate all four slots and/or need the extra capacity, those sets do provide. Motherboard compatibility might be a bit tricky still, at least some of those models currently have fairly short QVLs. At least the MSI X870 results with four modules look somewhat promising (so far).

[jawn]

Thanx much for the reply, emissary!

I should have mentioned my PC specs. I have an Asrock B650e Steel Legend WiFi, with an AMD 7800X3d, running G;Skill F5-6000J3036G32GX2-TZ5NRW, for a total of 64Gb. I can get another 2 identical sticks, but I've heard that populating all 4 slots gimp the performance. My MB manual states that 128 Gb is top. Not sure if I can get more. I was trying to max out my slots for aesthetics without handicapping my rig.

[emissary42]

Adding another set comes with two potential primary risks:

1. Compatibility issues between both kits.
2. Your system might not be able to keep the DRAM frequency at DDR5-6000 with four modules installed. So you potentially would have to lower it, if you run into stability issues or the system fails to POST with the EXPO at all.

If you don't actually need more memory, I'd recommend sticking to only two modules and not chasing aesthetics. In case you ever need more memory, there are now 2x64GB kits for that. They have been validated with B650 motherboards and probably just require the BIOS to be up to date.

[jawn]

Ok, for aesthetics, could I use a dummy pair from another brand, or would the LEDs not be synced?

[emissary42]

That idea sounds pretty wild. I would imagine it probably doesn't look good in the end, even if you somehow try to match the brightness, saturation etc.

( I'd rather exchange the MB for a 2 DIMMer or swap the side panels of my case, to not ever have to consider that )

If you really care more about aesthetics than performance, get another set and then test for yourself, if and at what frequency your system can handle the EXPO with four modules. Make sure the lot codes, the production codes above the bar code on the warranty sticker, of the two sets are identical. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and it all works out...

[jawn]

Lol! My thought is that the dummy sticks are relatively low in cost, while taking a chance on actual RAM can be an expensive oopsy!