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December 27th, 2012 10:00
Memory upgrade for PowerEdge T610
We need more Ram. I not sure if I'm reading the User Manual right, so I just wanted to confirm with you folks.
We currently have 12 X 2GB Dual Ranked RDIMMs for 2 CPUs, Optimized. 24 GB total, the original configuration purchased from Dell.
I'd like to swap out 4 of the 2GBs for 4 new 8GBs, that'll give us new total of 40GBs (4*8 + 8*2). Does this sound right? So this will be "mixed" configuration. I'm assuming that with 2CPUs, and per guideline a) "all channels must hace identical configuration" and b) "memory for each processor must be identical" , means that memory upgrades must be in groups of 4, 4 being the minimum.
Do I simply swap in the new 4 8GBs into sockets #1 & #2 on each of the 2 sets of sockets? Will we still be "Optimized" mode?
Your comments are really appreciated!
John
Daniel My
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December 27th, 2012 12:00
Hello John
No, that configuration will not work. That configuration would work in a dual channel memory layout, but this server has a tri-channel layout. Memory must be identical throughout the bank, and identical across the lanes. The banks are:
Bank 1: 1,2,3
Bank 2: 4,5,6
And of course the lanes are the A and B sides, coinciding with the 2 processors.
The configuration you are suggesting is dependent on a paired bank like this:
Bank 1: 1,2
Bank 2: 3,4
Bank 3: 5,6
That is not how it is laid out though. The best way to accomplish mixing the 8GB DIMMs with the 2GBs would be to populate the 8GB in 1,2,3 and the 2GB in 4,5,6 on each side. This will require 6 of each size DIMM. If you only populate 4x 8GB DIMMs then you would need to populate the 8GB DIMMs in 1,2 and the 2GB DIMMs in 4,5,6.
Either method you choose will run in Optimizer(Independent Channel) Mode. I hope that clears it up.
Thanks
JohnReam
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December 27th, 2012 14:00
Hi Dell-Daniel:
Thank you for that excellent detailed reply. I also found this Dell document quite helpful, with nice visual explanations & examples: http://i.dell.com/sites/doccontent/business/solutions/whitepapers/en/Documents/server-pedge-installing-upgrading-memory-11g.pdf
Your best way suggestion of 8GB in 1,2,3 and the 2GB in 4,5,6 on each side, is indeed perfectly "balanced" and will be the way I go. I'll have to buy 6 chips instead of 4!
The other suggestion leaving socket 3 open both sides I think is "unbalanced" per that document... since the 3 populated channels will not have the same identical configuratation, channel 1 & 2 would be 8+2 and channel 3 would just be the 2 and an empty slot. Not recommended. I think.
Thank you for the great support!
John