3930K - Trident X: 32GB 1600 PC3 F3-1600C7Q-32GTX cas 7 or 16GB 2133 F3-2133C9D-16GB cas 9

The 32GB setup is 4x8GB and the 16GB setup is 2x8GB.

The one thing I am not sure on other than the latter should be faster overall is that I heard the 3930K need certain memory layouts. Does that CPU need to run 4 DIMMS at a time to be optimal? What do I give up (other than 16GB of RAM that I probably don't need) using only 2 instead of 4 DIMMS). I have eight DIMM slots on the ASUS Ramage IV Extreme I could use...any benefit to using all the RAM as different timings? I never have done this.

I am shooting to a good overclock. I am inheriting this rig from my father who recently passed away. I was getting ready to build a 2600K setup already. I have that chip and two motherboards (Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4 box, manual, backpanel, etc and a ASRock Z77 Extreme4 with IO shield only) that I am looking to unload too if anyone wants to shoot me an offer before I list here and ebay/other places. All came from working machines that were not overclocked yet so I do not know the capabilities of them beyond stock specs.

With 4 DIMMs, you will have Quad channel, with 2 DIMMs, you will have dual channel.

I would see how high you can get the 1600Mhz RAM. With a default timing of CAS7, I would think that you could crank them up pretty far by loosening up the timings.

unless youre benchmarking, you prob wont notice a difference.

I am sorry for loss. I would go with the faster 16GB kit.

stick with the 4x8gb kit
1600c7 is actually fairly fast thanks to the tight timings and from memory it uses the same chips that the 2133c9 kits use so as above just overclock it