what are the advantages of a dual channel ram over a non-dual ram?

[Solodays]

Isn't a dual channel uses 2 stick of ram at a same time? thanks

 

[hjo3]

To quote a page from the Legend Corp.'s web site:

Dual Channel DDR structure uses Twin Bank mode, and requires two memory modules plugged into the appointed DIMM slots in order to enable 2 Channel DDR.

There is no such thing as Dual Channel DDR Memory Modules. Regular DDR is installed two modules at a time, each module controlled by a separate channel of the memory controller.

Dual channel RAM basically increases memory bandwidth, usually by ~30-40%.

 

[Confused]

On AMD platforms:

The use of Dual Channel memory is advantageous when using onboard VGA on boards such as the nForce2 based 8RGA+. It will allow the IGP to use one channel of memory, and the rest of the system to use the other channel of memory, therefore increasing performance. On a Non-IGP board, then the performance increase on a AMD based system is a lot lower, around 10-20%. Increasing the memory bandwidth does not yield as much peformance increase as is sometimes implied.

On P4 Platforms:

The P4 is a VERY memory bandwidth intensive processor. It LOVES high FSB, and high bandwidth memory, as this was how it was designed, with Intel banking on using high bandwidth RDRAM, which did not take off. Therefore, going to dual-channel memory with the P4 architecture provides a good increase in peformance, as it is able to feed the P4 what it wants!


Both platforms will need at least 2 sticks of memory to take advantage of the Dual-Channel chipset.



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Confused

 

[LordJezo]

But will anyone but the most hardcore actually notice a difference with today's games and applications?

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
But will anyone but the most hardcore actually notice a difference with today's games and applications?

If it's the difference between 25fps and 30fps in Doom3, then yeah, you will notice the difference

If you're doing video encoding, and it runs faster, then yeah, you will notice a difference.

If you're running a distributed computing project, will you notice the drop in times/increase in peformance, yes. I noticed a drop of about 10 mins in a Seti@home work unit when going from SCDDR to DCDDR. That all mounts up

Will you notice a difference if you're browsing the web and listening to music? No, you won't.

It is nice to have that extra power there for when you need it, such as in the examples I have outlined above

 

[Regs]

On many AMD boards the performance increase was stated to be anywhere as little as 5%. AMD mobos that use integrated graphics like Confused stated helps separate the bandwidth usage so the performance increases some what more.

As for Intel boards that support large quad pumped FSB's, duel channel is practically essential.Duel channel comes standerd anyway with mobo's that support these chips.

 

[Solodays]

Hey Thanks! what is nForce2? and what does it have anything to do with the rams? and i was told that inorder to activate dual channel, you need 2 stick of the same ram, will PC2700 and PC3200 be compatiable with dual channel? and how do i tell if dual channel is enable?

 

[redhatlinux]

Dual Channel is a feature of the memory controller, thats built into the Northbridge of the mobo chipset. Its not part of the memory modules. The memory controller has two seperate paths or channels to access the memory, giving the potential of twice the bandwidth. AMD CPU's can't get the data out of the memory controller into the CPU fast enough because the Front Side Bus is too slow. The new Intel cpu's with 800 mhz FSB just suck up all that memory bandwidth.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: Solodays
Hey Thanks! what is nForce2? and what does it have anything to do with the rams? and i was told that inorder to activate dual channel, you need 2 stick of the same ram, will PC2700 and PC3200 be compatiable with dual channel? and how do i tell if dual channel is enable?

Look at a pic of a nforce 2 mobo or a 865PE mobo like the one shown Here.

You will notice how there is two RAM banks containing 2 slots or memory modules each. In order for it to work you must have at least one equal DIMM on each of the RAM banks. One PC2700 on one, and another pc 2700 on the other. Another example would be one PC3200 on one side and yet another one on the other side, ect. Rather simple concept.

 

[Solodays]

Once it's enable, how do you know it's enable? Is there somewhere i can check and see if it's ebable or not?

 

[Nebor]

No, there's no where you can see FSB: 800 mhz. And that's always bothered me. For all we know, it's made up. I asked Asus Tech support about it, they said there's no way to see if it's working, you just have to trust that it is.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Nebor
No, there's no where you can see FSB: 800 mhz. And that's always bothered me. For all we know, it's made up. I asked Asus Tech support about it, they said there's no way to see if it's working, you just have to trust that it is.

kinda like God, Allah and the government....you suckers

 

[Solodays]

well...that sucks, does it say anything in the bios? anyways, i'm still confused about the Nforce chip, i thought it's an intergrated video card, and again, what does it have anything to do with the RAM?

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: Solodays
well...that sucks, does it say anything in the bios? anyways, i'm still confused about the Nforce chip, i thought it's an intergrated video card, and again, what does it have anything to do with the RAM?

The integrated video utilizes system memory, instead of onboard memory on a graphics card. Think of it this way. The motherboard allocates a certian portion of RAM for video card use, and this is your video memory. On a graphics card, the memory is on the card itself, and it only uses system memory for texture storage if the graphics card memory is full.

 

[azkiwi]

<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e8e8dd">Later BIOS in Asus NForce boards have a message during post that says "dual channel enabled".</FONT>