I would like to know which DDR3 memory modules I need if I want to populate the X8DAH+-F motherboard with 288 GB RAM. Do I need dual-rank memory modules or does it also work with quad-rank modules? This motherboard has 18 DIMM slots, therefore I need 16 GB modules if I want to populate it with 288 GB RAM. But the only 16 GB DDR3 memory modules that are currently available are quad-rank.
The X8DAH+-F motherboard has the capability to support up to 288GB with 18 DIMMs under one condition:
Using the dual-rank 16GB registered memory (RDIMM)
The total number of the ranks for each CPU can't exceed 24. Unfortunately, the regular 16GB RDIMM modules available on the market now are all quad-rank modules. If the motherboard is fully populated with this kind of memory, the total number of ranks will be 36, which is over the limit allowed.
There is the hybrid memory that is the dual-rank 16GB module. However, it hasn’t been validated, as of April 2011. We are not sure yet, if it’ll work just fine.
The next choice is to use the LRDIMM. With the special BIOS, a quad-rank DIMM can present itself as the dual-rank DIMM. However, the BIOS is still at the beta stage, and the LRDIMM is not widely available yet. Though it’s probably the best way to achieve it, but will take some time.
Therefore right now, if the hybrid memory and the LRDIMM are not considered, the highest memory size possible is with 12x 16GB RDIMMs per CPU. The total memory size will be 192GB.
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