If I put a 1GB stick along with two 512 sticks, will my memory run in dual channel mode? Also, is there anything wrong with having this abnormal combination?
I'm using Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 by the way...
2007-02-06 18:04:23 · 4 answers · asked by Jamal D 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
Probably not. It is remotely possible if the 512s are banked that they will run in dual channel, but the 1GB definitely will notl unless it has a match in its bank as well.
Nothing wrong with it per se, but if your MB supports dual channel, it will obviously be faster if it can take advantage of it.
EDIT:
Thanks for the cute vote.
I would question the stability of any memory management system that would allow interleaving on non-identical banks of memory, especially if sticks with dissimilar CAS Latency values were used. It may work, but I wouldn't bet on it under pressure.
2007-02-06 18:07:45 · answer #1 · answered by Amanda H 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'd give Amanda a cute star for trying, but that's not necessarily true...
Some motherboards out there (particularly ones from vendors like HP) have 3 slots. Two of the slots are on channel A and are colored black. The other slot is on channel B colored white. In situations like that, you just have to balance the two channels so they equal each other. So I could have two 256MB DDR DIMMs on channel A and one 512MB stick in channel B to get a total of 1GB running in dual-channel.
The point is that it doesn't have to be in pairs. Many motherboards support dual-channel configurations using 2,3, or 4 DIMM sticks. The manual will tell you for sure if that's possible on your motherboard, as well as tell you what size DIMMs will work and where.
Please don't hate the "correctness"!
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UPDATE
Since you have decided to show the hand, I will even give you a model number that I'm familiar with - HP dc7600 slim desktops. This is a business model desktop that only has 3 slots. Now why would HP release a Pentium D board with 3 slots when dual-channel is necessary?
The answer is simple - because using 3 sticks doesn't matter! Dual-channel still works with all 3 slots filled. Boards with 4 slots often support 3 DIMMS in dual-channel mode as well. Again, you just have to check the manual.
Amanda,
You are right about making sure the timing specs match as much as possible among the sticks you have installed. Use identical sticks when possible. That's a must for best performance, no doubt. However, that has nothing to do with whether or not you install 2, 3, or 4 sticks...
2007-02-06 18:19:55 · answer #2 · answered by SirCharles 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
imagine a street with site visitors going both techniques. The automobiles are all dodging eachother and swerving to get to the proper. Then imagine a divided street the position the automobiles can flow one way on both part. a lot swifter and larger valuable. it really is purely ram that performs properly jointly to get the interest finished smoother.
2016-12-03 20:19:51 · answer #3 · answered by plyler 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, because if the bios detects memory sticks that dont have the same capacity/latency/frequency, it wont run in dual channel
2007-02-09 12:24:40 · answer #4 · answered by guy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋