3 DDR Mobo questions.

[Hyperlite26]

Hello, I have 3 questions i need some help on. 1. For a DDR mobo you don't have to use them in pairs like you do Rambus sticks right? 2. Is it better to go w\ 2 sticks of 256 Corsair 3200 DDR or 1 stick of 512 Corsair 3200 DDR? 3. What's better Cas 2.0 ot 2.5? (Better I mean faster, of course.lol... that's always betta right. Thx for the advice.

 

[mechBgon]

DDR can be used like PC100 and PC133... you can mix and match. If you were getting an nForce 420 or 420D motherboard, then you would have the exception to the rule since it will work at its best with two matched modules. (edit: there is at least one Intel dual-channel DDR chipset also, E7500, where this would probably hold true also)

I don't know which is better between 2 x 256 or 1 x 512. Since a 256 and a 512 have the same number of chips, I'd guess your odds of having slow chips is 1/2 if you use one 512, and conventional wisdom says that stability decreases as you add modules. But with that brand/model of RAM, it's well-tested before you buy it.

The lower the rating, the better. 2.0 is better than 2.5.