dual channel ram. Does 2 x 256 = 512?

[Vagrant]

In dual channel mode, will 2 x 256 meg sticks be seen as a fast 256 meg, or as 512 meg?
What real speed difference does this make for gaming?

Cheers

 

[Algere]

512

And it depends on platform i.e. AMD or Intel

 

[Peter]

It'll be seen with all its size of course. It's the layout that changes - rather than e.g. 64 million datasets, each 64-bit wide, a dual channel RAM controller gets you 32 million 128-bit-wide datasets. Yet still, the total remains the same 512 megabytes (4 billion bits).

How that theoretically doubled bandwidth shines through to the application largely depends on the application, and of course on the platform's efficiency.

 

[Vagrant]

Thanks.
I got a weird answer from the "salesperson", don't think she had any idea what dual channel meant to start with.

I was planning on an Asus P4P800 with a 3.0 P4 and 2 x 512 megs. Video to be a Radeon 9600XT.

 

[zodder]

If that "salesperson" even remotely suggested that 2 x 256 would be seen as "fast 256MB", never EVER go back. Run away as fast as you can.