Is an odd number of RAM sticks okay?

[Deuteros]

I have two sticks of 512MB of RAM in my computer. I recently put in another
stick of 512 for a total of three 512 sticks. Will this negatively affect the
performance of my computer? I ask this because I read that not putting RAM
stick in pairs will cause them to run in single channel instead of dual
channel and I'm not really sure what that means. Does this apply to just the
one stick or to all of them? I haven't really noticed an increase in
performance since installing the third stick.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have two sticks of 512MB of RAM in my computer. I recently put in
another stick of 512 for a total of three 512 sticks.

Take one out and stick it up your arse.

 

[Mike Walsh]

You won't see any performance increase when configured for dual channel if the motherboard and / or the memory supports only single channel. You won't see any performance increase after adding the third DIMM if you don't run anything that uses more than 1 GB.
Make sure that the BIOS and OS recognizes all three of the DIMMs. You can run a performance test to check the speed with various configurations. Adding more memory, assuming that you did not have enough to begin with, will increase performance much more than increasing memory speed.

 

[Deuteros]

You won't see any performance increase when configured for dual channel
if the motherboard and / or the memory supports only single channel. You
won't see any performance increase after adding the third DIMM if you
don't run anything that uses more than 1 GB. Make sure that the BIOS and
OS recognizes all three of the DIMMs. You can run a performance test to
check the speed with various configurations. Adding more memory,
assuming that you did not have enough to begin with, will increase
performance much more than increasing memory speed.

Thanks. My computer recognizes the third DIMM. My motherboard and original
memory support dual channel. If I have an odd number of DIMMs will all three
DIMMs revert to single channel or will only the third DIMM be single channel?

 

[Bob]

Take one out and stick it up your arse.

Finally you have gone completely over the top. It took a while but
everyone knew it was inevitable.

Now please crawl back in your hole and leave us alone. We do not need
your trolling here.


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

Individualism is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes individual
liberty, belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues
of self-reliance and personal independence. It embraces opposition to authority
and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by
the state or society. It is thus directly opposed to collectivism.

 

[kony]

Take one out and stick it up your arse.

Normally I'd find that excessively cruel way to treat a
memory module, but considering the ridiculous cross-posting
level some kind of sacrifice must be made.

 

[chrisv]

Finally you have gone completely over the top. It took a while but
everyone knew it was inevitable.

Now please crawl back in your hole and leave us alone. We do not need
your trolling here.

That wasn't the real Rod Speed.

 

[Ed]

You won't see any performance increase when configured for dual channel if the motherboard and / or the memory supports only single channel. You won't see

There is no such thing as Single Channel ram.

 

[Mike Walsh]

All three will revert to single channel.

Thanks. My computer recognizes the third DIMM. My motherboard and original
memory support dual channel. If I have an odd number of DIMMs will all three
DIMMs revert to single channel or will only the third DIMM be single channel?

 

[troy]

Its called single channel configuration compared to dual channel
configuration.

 

[Deuteros]

All three will revert to single channel.

I'm guessing that 1.5GB of single channel is better than 1GB of dual
channel. Would this be correct?

 

[troy]

No, Dual channel is twice as fast


If a single channel of DDR266 memory supplies 2.13GB/sec of bandwidth, then
naturally a dual-channel memory controller (using two modules or sticks of
DDR266) can enjoy 4.3GB/sec of bandwidth.

 

[DaveW]

That depends. You didn't bother to mention WHICH brand and model of
motherboard you have, so we can't even know if your motherboard supports
dual-channel memory.

 

[kony]

No, Dual channel is twice as fast


If a single channel of DDR266 memory supplies 2.13GB/sec of bandwidth, then
naturally a dual-channel memory controller (using two modules or sticks of
DDR266) can enjoy 4.3GB/sec of bandwidth.

Not quite, there is a slightl overhead but most important,
you'd have to be using the system for a purpose where the
memory was the bottleneck to get any benefit, THEN contrast
that with applications where one had needed more than 1GB of
memory... which brings up the central issue, that IF one
doesn't actually need more than 1GB, then why would they be
putting more than that in a system in the first place?

 

[Bob]

That wasn't the real Rod Speed.

You could have fooled me. Both are obnoxious as all Hell.

But thanks for the heads up. Must give credit where credit is due.



--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

Individualism is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes individual
liberty, belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues
of self-reliance and personal independence. It embraces opposition to authority
and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by
the state or society. It is thus directly opposed to collectivism.

 

[Bob]

which brings up the central issue, that IF one
doesn't actually need more than 1GB, then why would they be
putting more than that in a system in the first place?

RAM is macho.


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

Individualism is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes individual
liberty, belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues
of self-reliance and personal independence. It embraces opposition to authority
and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by
the state or society. It is thus directly opposed to collectivism.

 

[dawg]

CRAP!!

No, Dual channel is twice as fast


If a single channel of DDR266 memory supplies 2.13GB/sec of bandwidth, then
naturally a dual-channel memory controller (using two modules or sticks of
DDR266) can enjoy 4.3GB/sec of bandwidth.