Mixing RAM?
- Thread starter HELP_ME
- Start date
Yea you can do that, but if its a dual channel it wont run in dual channel as far as a 256 and a 512 and if you use two different brands or speeds it will just run them at the speed of the slowest one.
Last edited:
OvenMaster
VIP Member
I know a guy who had a generic 256 and he added a Kingston 512 and his pc runs troublefree. Just do as StrangleHold says and keep the speeds the same and channel types the same and you'll have zero problems.
Tom
Tom
OvenMaster
VIP Member
Oho! If this isn't done, what happens? That friend of mine kept the smaller one in the first slot.
Tom
This is the recommendation seen for the older model boards for the best use of the two sizes. It won't harm anything the way it is now however. The idea there is to have the largest dimm on the primary channel if the board is a dual channel model. A Socket 754 wouldn't be along with many of the early Socket A and Intel models. If they are single sided dimms the information seen is not to mix sizes on those. The dual sided are far more tolerant there.
Here's part of one article on memory that will help explain this better for you.
Dual Channel DDR RAM:
When Dual Channel DDR Technology is activated, the bandwidth of Memory Bus will be double the original Memory Bus, with the fastest speed at 6.4GB/s DDR400. To activate Dual Channel DDR Memory, two DDR Memory Modules are inserted individually, one each into Channel A and Channel B.
If two DDR Memory Modules are inserted into the same Channel (DIMM 1,2,3 or DIMM 4,5,6) then Dual Channel Technology will operate ONLY as Single Channel Memory. Use Single Side Memory Modules and all Modules must be of equal values.
We never used nor advocated the use of RAMBUS Memory. Only DDR! And what does DDR stand for? Get it! Serious, Dual Channel DDR is a function of the Memory Controller and NOT the RAM although achieving the intended throughput requires Two DDR Modules of the same RAM as explained in detail below. http://www.buildorbuy.org/dualchannelddr.html
Here's part of one article on memory that will help explain this better for you.
Dual Channel DDR RAM:
When Dual Channel DDR Technology is activated, the bandwidth of Memory Bus will be double the original Memory Bus, with the fastest speed at 6.4GB/s DDR400. To activate Dual Channel DDR Memory, two DDR Memory Modules are inserted individually, one each into Channel A and Channel B.
If two DDR Memory Modules are inserted into the same Channel (DIMM 1,2,3 or DIMM 4,5,6) then Dual Channel Technology will operate ONLY as Single Channel Memory. Use Single Side Memory Modules and all Modules must be of equal values.
We never used nor advocated the use of RAMBUS Memory. Only DDR! And what does DDR stand for? Get it! Serious, Dual Channel DDR is a function of the Memory Controller and NOT the RAM although achieving the intended throughput requires Two DDR Modules of the same RAM as explained in detail below. http://www.buildorbuy.org/dualchannelddr.html
OvenMaster
VIP Member
Okay, that board of his is a Socket 754, with a Sempron 3100+ in it. IIRC, they are both indeed single channel/sided DIMMs, one in each slot. No ill effects in the four or five months they've both been installed, so I s'pose it's okay...
If there are no problems being seen no sweat there. Those are still DDR memory with the IC chips seen on one side only there. That's the older style memory seen for Socket A and still used on the later 754 and 939 boards as well as the Intel models prior to the DDR2 models now out. Many of the prebuild systems running the older boards will see those.