3gb ram?

[Zoom123]

Hello,

I have an older Core 2 Duo system running win XP. This computer has 2GB DDR2 RAM. (1GB x 2). I was initially planning to get another 2GB, but since win XP doesn't support 4GB (and since I am not planning to upgrade to 64bit OS), I thought that maybe I should just get 1GB RAM, for a total of 3GB.

The question is: Since RAM is dual channel, will this additional 1GB RAM run in single channel mode, and will this make all the RAM run slower?

Thanks!

 

[boochi]

If 3 sticks, it all runs in single channel.

 

[Zoom123]

So would I be better off with 2GB instead of 3 then?

 

[boochi]

for xp x86, yes 2 is fine. will run faster in dual channel than single.

edit: you could go to 4GB and keep dual channel and make use of the whole 4GB by using the ram above ~3.2-3.5 for a ramdisk to store your internet cache and such.

 

[Zoom123]

thanks!

 

[Bryf50]

A double sided 2gb stick and a double sided 1gb stick should work just fine in dual channel. That's how my laptop currently is.

 

[zagood]

A double sided 2gb stick and a double sided 1gb stick should work just fine in dual channel. That's how my laptop currently is.

eh?

 

[Bryf50]

eh?

My memory is a bit hazy but you can get a one stick of ram with 2 banks of memory. This would let you run dual channel with only 1 stick. This is how my laptop currently does it with a 2gb stick + 1gb stick and is still capable of running dual channel.

 

[fffblackmage]

My memory is a bit hazy but you can get a one stick of ram with 2 banks of memory. This would let you run dual channel with only 1 stick. This is how my laptop currently does it with a 2gb stick + 1gb stick and is still capable of running dual channel.

You need separate sticks of ram for multiple channels. You can't just use a single double-sided stick of ram for dual channel.

I'm under the impression that if you have two sticks of ram, but they're not equal, like the 2GB stick and a 1GB stick, then the first 1GB from each stick runs together in dual channel mode, and the leftover 1GB from the 2GB stick ends up in single channel.

I think this configuration is similar to having three sticks of 1GB memory. Two sticks operate in dual channel mode, but the odd one left runs in single channel mode.

 

[zagood]

Oh, I see. That's Intel's Flex Memory. Better than single channel, not as good as dual. I don't think AMD has anything like that, so depends on your system.

Good read: http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/cs-011965.htm

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Usually, when this question comes up, one assumes there are four memory slots for dual channel, and you'd use 2x1GB + 2x512MB kits . . .

My Mom's system uses a Gigabyte mATX board with a C2D. The mATX board only has two slots for dual-channel.

I ended up putting a 4GB kit in it which I had on hand. Seems like a waste, but then, so is running a 32-bit OS if you think you'd "been to the mountain" and seen 64-bit versions work. But try and get an aging parent to change. She ain't gonna move to Win 7-64 anytime soon!

It works fine though . . . . Now . . . to get her to let go of the machine (and her "internet" and genealogy friends) for a day so I can replace the old E2140 C2D with an E6700 dual-core Wolfdale. . . . . [And that's the only way I can improve performance further, until she decides to let go of XP-Pro . . ]

 

[alkemyst]

More ram single channel is usually better than less dual