32GB Trident Z RGB DDR4 - (2 x 16GB) or (4 x 8GB)? Maximus X Hero Z370 Motherboard

[chaosphoenix440]

Was wondering if having 2 or 4 sticks of ram is the better choice? I have heard that 2 sticks can overclock better, but I have also heard that they may be slower because of "rank". Four sticks may have better aesthetics though. What do you think I should go with?

F4-3200C14D-32GTZR

or

F4-3200C14Q-32GTZR

 

[UsandThem]

Whichever one is cheaper.

It won't really matter much on the Z370 chipset. If you are going to overclock your CPU, using only two sticks might give you better results as the IMC is on the CPU. But that also just comes down to winning the "silicone lottery".

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I personally am not all that much interested in running my RAM kits over spec anymore. There had always been some "low-hanging fruit" in that respect, particularly with G.SKILL modules. You could run the modules at spec excepting a tighter command rate of 1.

But with my Z170 board, while you can likely run a 2x16 = 32GB kit with CR=1, 4x8 configurations will limit you to CR=2. For me, it was a matter of rising RAM prices when I wanted to double my 2x8 kit of the GTZ CL 14 TridentZ. For the "low-hanging fruit," I might have chosen to simply replace the 2x8 kit with a 2x16. But it made more sense to spend half as much on the upgrade and get a second 2x8 kit.