PDA

View Full Version : ddr2


=112=
12-12-2005, 11:40 AM
quick question about ddr2 memory. i read somewhere that they need to be installed in pairs. is this true?
nhbilly
12-12-2005, 12:37 PM
you can run single if you want but you'll miss out on the purpose of a dual bus = performance = fast
hope i'm right ;-)
=112=
12-12-2005, 12:58 PM
so its just highly recommended right? not mandatory? thanks.
does it matter if the brands are different? or is it just optimal if i run say 2x512 crucials?
Bires
12-12-2005, 03:41 PM
Technically, they just have to be capable of running at the same timing.

But practically speaking, they should be the same brand, size, and be from the same lot, to insure that they run w/o a hitch.
=112=
12-12-2005, 04:42 PM
sorry, but im still a bit confused. do i need 2 sticks of ram or can i just run one? can i run a 256 in one slot and a 512 in the other?
DarkFury
12-12-2005, 04:46 PM
sorry, but im still a bit confused. do i need 2 sticks of ram or can i just run one? can i run a 256 in one slot and a 512 in the other?
Depends...

If you are trying to run in "dual channel mode" then you must have equally sized pairs (preferrably of the same make and manufacturer)

If you are not trying to run dual channel (i.e. 800 FSB) then I see no problem mixing the RAM... other than potential stability issues dependent on your motherboard in regards to the RAM you choose.
nhbilly
12-12-2005, 09:07 PM
more read here if your not confused enought as it is

http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic16821.html
=112=
12-14-2005, 11:44 AM
thanks for all your help. sorry but i have one more question. would it be better if i ran 2x256 sticks or 1-512 + 1-256? just wondering if it would be better to run in dual channel mode or would it be better to just run it at 768? the computer is a dell dimension 5100. computer usage would be everything minus games i guess. right now my friend is just using it for daily business use but all the programs really lag. thanks again.
DarkFury
12-14-2005, 12:13 PM
Honestly, I'd think it would depend on the applications you plan to run.

If you are a gamer, then the dual channel solution probably would be faster (as your CPU can process more throughput faster), however if you were using Office applications or something like Photoshop that is more memory intensive rather than CPU intensive, then you'd be better off with more memory.

Personally, I'd say sell the 256MB stick, buy another stick of 512 and do Dual Channel with 1 GB of memory. Best of both worlds :D
Kudos
12-14-2005, 12:58 PM
generally, the less physical dimms the better, and sticking to the same brand/model is best, if you're going to use the computer for games. As the timings will be the same so you won't have as many stability issues or errors, causing crashes, or lag etc.

However, if it's not an important computer or anything, you can use a value ram 512mb chip, and a 256mb chip of different brands and it will work