Will old DDR motherboards support Single Sided DDR Ram?

[techmaster98]

I am going to order 10 memory sticks to upgrade systems in our school which have 266 fsb motherboards. I've heard that single sided ram is faster and you can possibly have more memory too when use these sticks, so overall its better.

But I'm wondering, would there be compatibility issues to worry about with single sided ram?

We are ordering 512 mb modules. In our current systems that just have 1 256 mb module, we'll replace it to bring the memory up to 512. The old 256 mb chip will be used to upgrade another system.

 

[Chadder007]

I don't recall of hearing about problems with single sided RAM using 1 stick on a DDR mobo.

 

[piasabird]

I have always recommended going to the companies website and seeing if they have a compatability guide. Many sites run by the Ram Manufacturers have compatability databases where you can enter the MODEL or Motherboard Model and then see what they recommend.

Sometimes the RAM chips are high Density and that can cause problems.

You also need to be aware of the Guarantee and the return policy.

I recommend using Quality brandnames like Corsair, Crucial and other retail brandnames. Generic (No Name) RAM can be a big hassle if it is bad.

The average PC under normal conditions will not see much of a difference in single or double sided configurations. It is so minimal most users will never know. There can be some advantage in certain motherboards to using one pair of RAM modules as opposed to 2 pairs.

This is all specific to the motherboard, the brand and the chipset.

 

[techmaster98]

hmm, so is there a general tendency when using single or double sided ram, on older DDR motherboards?

 

[myocardia]

Actually, the only time it's ever mattered is with Skt 754-based systems. All of the earlier steppings require a maximum of 3 "sides" of RAM. If you use 2 dual-sided sticks, it will be forced to run at a lower frequency. That's the only difference I've ever heard of, at least since DDR came out.

 

[techmaster98]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Actually, the only time it's ever mattered is with Skt 754-based systems. All of the earlier steppings require a maximum of 3 "sides" of RAM. If you use 2 dual-sided sticks, it will be forced to run at a lower frequency. That's the only difference I've ever heard of, at least since DDR came out.

heh, that explains some odd behavior i remember in a system of mine 🙂

but 2 single sided sticks should work fine in a system like that. Or a single and a double sided stick. right?