RAM Dual Channel Help!

Computer Man5 · 07-01-2006, 05:45 PM

i really only need a simple question answered. i just upgraded..new specs in my sig. and i started with 2x PNY 512mb DDR400...now that was dual channel. i recently added 2x256mb ProMos DDR400 BUT The 256mb sticks were only one sided as the 512's were dual sided. with the bios that came with my board it would beep twice signaling a ram error but then it would work and load into windows. i recently updated the bios {6/7/06} and now it wont boot at all if i leave the ram the way it was. it isnt dual channel anymore and its only running the 4 sticks at ddr333...it sucks.. i want my dual back

.

so on with the question. im keeping my 2x 512's no doubt. im gonna yank the other 2 sticks for now. QUESTION: is it not working because i have 2 sticks double sided and the other 2 single sided.? or is it not working cause all 4 sticks arnt 512mb?

i heard people have managed it working with 2x512 and 2x256 ALL DOUBLE SIDED working in half dual channel and half single channel so whats wrong?

so right now im just running my 2x 512mb in dual channel.....i think the problem is that all sticks are not double sided...is that true? if it is ill go out and get 2x 256mb's that are double sided and it should work fine.

publiusdiamond · 07-01-2006, 06:34 PM

I can't help you but I do have a similar fix (I think) because I recently had an overhaul, including new motherboard which has dual channel. Now on my old mobo (not a dual channel board) I had 2 x single sided 256mb sticks (stock ones which came with the PC) as well as, like you, one double sided PNY 512mb stick. They ran fine in my old motherboard but not this new dual channel chipset. So at the moment I just have the two single sided 256s in, running with dual channel interface. The guy in the computer shop said I wouldn't be able to use the 512mb stick at all because it stopped the OS from loading (double BIOS bleep).
So yeah I'm not exactly hijacking the thread, but I have a similar problem and want to know:
Will buying an identical 512mb stick and using it with the other one AND the existing sticks work?
What are my(our) alternatives?

fade2green514 · 07-01-2006, 07:09 PM

ok... the cpu has a ddr controller and there are issues with 4 sticks (whether 4x512mb, or 2x512mb and 2x256mb). thats why its running ddr333 (and most likely 2T which is also a slower timing).
in order to run dual channel you need all sticks of the same size. for instance 4x512 or 2x1gb or 4x256mb. a combination such as 1x512mb and 1x256mb will not run in dual channel.

Computer Man5 · 07-02-2006, 02:56 PM

yea thats what i have heard...that AMD has a memory controller problem with DDR333....ok so im up for another 2 sticks of 512mb....what was strange is that after i got the bios bleep with the older bios it would reboot and load windows with the 2x256 and the 2x512mb in dual channel..now with the updated bios it wont let it boot...thats whats annoying to me....ok well thanks guys...

07-01-2006, 05:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
Computer Man5 Bronze Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 59	RAM Dual Channel Help! i really only need a simple question answered. i just upgraded..new specs in my sig. and i started with 2x PNY 512mb DDR400...now that was dual channel. i recently added 2x256mb ProMos DDR400 BUT The 256mb sticks were only one sided as the 512's were dual sided. with the bios that came with my board it would beep twice signaling a ram error but then it would work and load into windows. i recently updated the bios {6/7/06} and now it wont boot at all if i leave the ram the way it was. it isnt dual channel anymore and its only running the 4 sticks at ddr333...it sucks.. i want my dual back . so on with the question. im keeping my 2x 512's no doubt. im gonna yank the other 2 sticks for now. QUESTION: is it not working because i have 2 sticks double sided and the other 2 single sided.? or is it not working cause all 4 sticks arnt 512mb? i heard people have managed it working with 2x512 and 2x256 ALL DOUBLE SIDED working in half dual channel and half single channel so whats wrong? so right now im just running my 2x 512mb in dual channel.....i think the problem is that all sticks are not double sided...is that true? if it is ill go out and get 2x 256mb's that are double sided and it should work fine. __________________ ComputerMan5 ____________________ Windows XP SP2 PRO AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Biostar TForce-939 1.5gb PNY/ProMos RAM DDR400 80gb WD Raptor 10K HD w/8mb cache XFX 6800 Xtreme 256mb PCIE x16 500w Coolmax PSU BCC Case Samsung DVD+-RW 16x Asus Quietrack 16x DVD-ROM Sony 52x CD-RW Creative Audigy 2 Last edited by Computer Man5; 07-01-2006 at 06:33 PM.

07-01-2006, 06:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
publiusdiamond Bronze Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: England Posts: 67	I can't help you but I do have a similar fix (I think) because I recently had an overhaul, including new motherboard which has dual channel. Now on my old mobo (not a dual channel board) I had 2 x single sided 256mb sticks (stock ones which came with the PC) as well as, like you, one double sided PNY 512mb stick. They ran fine in my old motherboard but not this new dual channel chipset. So at the moment I just have the two single sided 256s in, running with dual channel interface. The guy in the computer shop said I wouldn't be able to use the 512mb stick at all because it stopped the OS from loading (double BIOS bleep). So yeah I'm not exactly hijacking the thread, but I have a similar problem and want to know: Will buying an identical 512mb stick and using it with the other one AND the existing sticks work? What are my(our) alternatives? __________________ Current Rig: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Gigabyte K8NMF-9 Maxtor 80Gb IDE HDD Stock 160Gb SATA HDD 1024mb RAM Ati X1600 Pro w00t

07-01-2006, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
fade2green514 Diamond Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: buffalo ny Age: 20 Posts: 3,651	ok... the cpu has a ddr controller and there are issues with 4 sticks (whether 4x512mb, or 2x512mb and 2x256mb). thats why its running ddr333 (and most likely 2T which is also a slower timing). in order to run dual channel you need all sticks of the same size. for instance 4x512 or 2x1gb or 4x256mb. a combination such as 1x512mb and 1x256mb will not run in dual channel. __________________ Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3ghz HD 4850 512mb (750/2350mhz) 2x2gb G.Skill ddr2-835 (5-4-4-10) 2x320gb sata2 in RAID 0 system drive 250gb sata2 storage drive 13,574 - 3dmark06 score

07-02-2006, 02:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Computer Man5 Bronze Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 59	yea thats what i have heard...that AMD has a memory controller problem with DDR333....ok so im up for another 2 sticks of 512mb....what was strange is that after i got the bios bleep with the older bios it would reboot and load windows with the 2x256 and the 2x512mb in dual channel..now with the updated bios it wont let it boot...thats whats annoying to me....ok well thanks guys... __________________ ComputerMan5 ____________________ Windows XP SP2 PRO AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Biostar TForce-939 1.5gb PNY/ProMos RAM DDR400 80gb WD Raptor 10K HD w/8mb cache XFX 6800 Xtreme 256mb PCIE x16 500w Coolmax PSU BCC Case Samsung DVD+-RW 16x Asus Quietrack 16x DVD-ROM Sony 52x CD-RW Creative Audigy 2

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