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Thread ID: 51111	2004-11-11 21:18:00	Dual channel DDR	bk T (215)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
290780	2004-11-11 21:18:00	To set up 'Dual Channel' DDR ram, I need 2 sticks of say, 256 x 2 = 512MB, right? What are the advantages of Dual Channel over 'single channel'? If the MB supports dual channel, should I or should I not use dual channel? Cheers	bk T (215)
290781	2004-11-11 21:21:00	They have to be identical (the ram, the same ram, the same speed). I would check google or yahoo on the differences between dual and single channel. That'll explain a lot more than what we can tell you.	Spacemannz (808)
290782	2004-11-11 22:03:00	It will run faster while doing certain tasks, compared to a single stick of 512mb. However, it will depend on the speed of the RAM, the speed of your FSB on your CPU/motherboard. There's no reason not to use it, especially as I think buying 2 sticks of 256mb ram is probarbly cheaper than buying one 512mb stick. Make sure you get 2 identical sticks of RAM - same brand if possible, but definetely same speed.	somebody (208)
290783	2004-11-11 22:53:00	i highly advise to get the same brand, many have had problems down the line with not having the same brand my 5 cents (not for long since it may be going :p)	Prescott (11)
290784	2004-11-11 23:03:00	I have 2 sticks of different brand and speeds of DDR266 in my PC adn I have no problems with dual chanell... I think it depends on the board!	wintertide (1306)
290785	2004-11-12 01:16:00	so long as you are sure that you are getting dual channel...............just haveing two sticks of ram in your pc doesn't mean the motherboard will support 'dual channel'.....	drcspy (146)
290786	2004-11-12 07:49:00	if you know your motherboard supports dual channel then most definately take advantage of it. i run duall channel ddr ram.. 2 x 256 megs of ram the sticks of ram must be exactly the same brand and make size and type in my board i have 4 dimms and for duall channel to work, the ram must be in dimm1 and dimm3, youll know the dual channel is enabled when you boot your pc the first message you get will be "duall channel enabled".. if it isnt either the board ram or both isnt capable or the ram is in the wrong dimms eg.. having 2 sticks of ram 256 in dimms 1 and 2 wont enable dual channel.. with the dual channel effectively the 2 x 256 sticks of ram are accessed as if it was a single stick of 512 megs of ram.. eg the memory isnt accessed sequentially.. eg thru 1 stick of ram then through the other.. resulting in faster access than 2 x 256 megs of ram running single channel. now im pretty sure thats how dual channel works.. if im not right please advise! so i can be further educated :-) my continuing 2 cents worth on pf1 :-) Term X	Term_X (560)
290787	2004-11-13 10:35:00	> . . . and for > duall channel to work, the ram must be in dimm1 and > dimm3, youll know the dual channel is enabled when > you boot your pc the first message you get will be > "duall channel enabled" . . if it isnt either the board > ram or both isnt capable or the ram is in the wrong > dimms eg . . having 2 sticks of ram 256 in dimms 1 and > 2 wont enable dual channel . . Thanks, Term X for your information . It is interesting to know that they must be in dimm1 and dimm3 . What about DDR2? Can DDR2 be used for dual channel?	bk T (215)
290788	2004-11-13 10:55:00	I don't think anyone has said that it doubles the memory bandwidth on the bus . So if you have 2 x 256mb DDR400 (PC3200) RAM in, then you now have 3200 x 2 = 6400mb/s of bandwidth available . Intel CPUs tend to make better use of it than AMD and you tend to get up to about 20% performance increase . > What about DDR2? Can DDR2 be used for dual channel? Yes . Very expensive at the moment though . :)	alphazulusixeightniner (185)
290789	2004-11-13 20:21:00	You will need a motherboard which supports DDR2 as well, as (I think) the pin configuration and stick length is different.	somebody (208)
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