Normal ram work with dual memory slots?

davie23223

New Member
I was wondering if you have a dual memory motherboard is it okay to have a non dual memory stick?

eg. You buy a 512mb ddr stick ram and put it in the computer will it work or do you have to buy another exact same ram stick and would that work because they arent dual but their exactly same kind. Do you have to buy dual ram packages fot dual motherboards only? Is dual ram just saying 2 of the same ram sticks so you can buy each seperately?
 
davie23223 said:
I was wondering if you have a dual memory motherboard is it okay to have a non dual memory stick?

eg. You buy a 512mb ddr stick ram and put it in the computer will it work or do you have to buy another exact same ram stick and would that work because they arent dual but their exactly same kind. Do you have to buy dual ram packages fot dual motherboards only? Is dual ram just saying 2 of the same ram sticks so you can buy each seperately?

no you dont have to buy 2 sticks of ram for dual channel if you dont want to 1 stick will work fine
 
davie23223 said:
Do you have to buy dual ram packages fot dual motherboards only?

dual ram package is just another name for 2 sticks of the same ram that you can buy in one pretty package and its a way companies charge more for the same products.
 
its a way companies charge more for the same products.

Not necessarily, I've seen dual channel kits for a couple of dollars less than buying 2 sticks individually. If they do charge more for the dual kit, it shouldn't be more than a $5 difference.
 
gamerman4 said:
Not necessarily, I've seen dual channel kits for a couple of dollars less than buying 2 sticks individually. If they do charge more for the dual kit, it shouldn't be more than a $5 difference.

Dual channel is more of a technology of the motherboard than the memory is how i see it.

i dont think he is talking about dual channel. i think what he want to know is that by having two memory slots(not necessarily dual channel) do they both have to be filled in order for the system to run, in which case the answer is no.
 
well in either case u dont have to fill both of the slots. but if u want to get alot better performance get that other stick :D
 
I was wondering if you have a dual memory motherboard is it okay to have a non dual memory stick?

eg. You buy a 512mb ddr stick ram and put it in the computer will it work or do you have to buy another exact same ram stick and would that work because they arent dual but their exactly same kind. Do you have to buy dual ram packages fot dual motherboards only? Is dual ram just saying 2 of the same ram sticks so you can buy each seperately?


No, One stick of memory will run. You just need two sticks to run them in Dual Channel. Its better to run two sticks of the same brand and model if you want them to run in Dual Channel. They have the same Speed/Voltage and Timing so they are more compatible.

But 2 different sticks will run in Dual Channel if you can get a compromise between the Speed/Voltage and timing that they both can run stable at together.

Memory is not Dual Channel. The Memory Controller runs them in Dual Channel.
 
its a way companies charge more for the same products.
Not really, most memory is just sold in "dual-channel kits" which minimizes any chances of your rig stugginfup because of having different sticks. Also, usually for what I've seen "the more you buy = the less it costs"; buying dual-channel kits (or even just a bigger single stick), you get more for the money. Usually, that is. Not denying that it's just one form of marketing.
 
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