MSI K8N Neo2 nForce3: Cannot install any combination of 3 sticks of RAM?!

[luciddreams]

I have recently purchased a MSI K8N Neo2 nForce 3 Ultra motherboard which I will soon install. My current setup had 2x256 of single-sided DDR 400. Recently, I added 1x512 of dual-sided DDR to bring my system up to a full G.

Now, the MSI motherboard?s manual states:

Dual-channel DDR works ONLY in the 3 combinations listed in the table shown in the previous page [none of those 3 combinations allow for any combination of three sticks.]

Later (regarding all types of RAM),

DO NOT install three memory modules on three DIMMS, or it may cause some failure.

?grrr!

Will it really cause failure (or even just poor performance) to use 2x256 of single together with 1x512 double in any combination? If so, is it bad design by MSI?s motherboard, NVIDIA?s nFORCE 3, or is this just inherent in any Athlon 64 system?

P.S. If I do have to purchase RAM to bring my rig back up to a G, would it be better to have 4x256 single DDR or 2x512 double DDR?

 

[luciddreams]

bump

 

[Tweakin]

Because of the design of the memory controller, don't mix dd and sd sticks in any combination...I don't think it would kill the board, but it won't boot. I'd start out with the one stick of 512, sell the other two and pickup a matching stick to bring you up to 1GB.

 

[luciddreams]

Okay, thanks for the advice.