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A7N8X-X not going into Dual Channel?!?

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Ferocity

New Member
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Mar 12, 2004
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Somewhere I belong
I am running a Asus A7N8X-X with 2 x 512 Hynix PC 3200 memory, i have them in slots 1, and 3 (i also tried 1 and 2 but with no luck) and it will not go into Dual Channel Mode. (it says Single Channel Mode at startup). I looked in the bios for any hints at a Dual Channel option, but found none. I check the manual for a jumper, but didn't see anything regarding it. Can someone please help me? I don't know what is wrong with my setup. =/
 
As far as I know the A7N8X-X is not a dual channel board. I've checked the asus site and the manual and cannot find any evidence that it has it.

Jim
 
LOL Thanks guys, that makes a lot of sense, however it is a big disappointment. Now, i just flashed my bios to the most recent version, and it says "Single Channel Mode" for my memory still. I guess the reason i thought it could support Dual Channal was because it told me it was in Single mode. So...is there no way for me to ever get Dual Channel with my current motherboard? =/

However... Reading the FAQ from the sticky thread...

Q. What is the difference between the ASUS A7N8X, the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe, and the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe GOLD?

A. The ASUS A7N8X doesn’t include SoundStorm, only has 1 Ethernet port, doesn't have Firewire, doesn’t have SATA, doesn’t include the game port with extra USB ports on a breakout board, and does not include ASUS POST Reporter. The Deluxe model is the same as the regular model except it boasts a full featured MCP-T including SoundStorm, Firewire, USB 2.0, Dual LAN, and SATA with RAID 0/1 support. The Deluxe GOLD model is the exact same as the Deluxe model but comes with InterVideo WinCinema Suite, a collection of audio/video editing applications.

It doesn't mention anything different about the Dual Channel memory system between these two boards...Does this meen that the A7N8X has it, while the A7N8X-X does not?
 
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Yeah, I built a PC for somebody and used that Mobo and saw the Single Channel Mode enabled and spazzed. I looked in the manual and online, there was no mention of a Dual-Channel mode, so I realized my error.
 
I've got an X-X, too, but CPU-Z is showing that I've got dual channel.
What about mixing two sizes, and two speeds (and, for that matter, three brands?)

I.e., 512 Kingston HyperX PC2700, 256 Geil Ultra PC3200, and 256 Kingmax superRAM PC3200
and
from the 1 gig on A7N8X thread
I've had them set up like you described- the 512 in slot 1 and the two 256 in slots 2 & 3, but, and this is weird, CPU-Z is showing not only that I'm in dual channel, which shouldn't be possible with the A7N8X-X, but that the 512 is in slot 2 and the slot #2 256 is in slot 1.

I checked this, to make sure I wasn't seeing things, by swapping the ram around and putting the #2 256 in slot 1 and moving the 512 to slot 2. The 512 listed as slot 1 in CPU-Z and the 256, physically in slot 1, listed in slot 2. And again, it showed that I was in dual channel mode.

I'm confused.
 
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I'm having the same problem. There are 3 different aways i can arange the RAM. 2 of them didn't work. I havn't tryed the last one yet.

P.S. I'm using ver 1009 BOIS.
 
i have the nforce2 chipset which is NOT the ultra400, and mine runs in dual channel.

i wonder why they even branded it an "a7n8x." wtf..... did they disable the second memory controller?
 
You have the older revision nforce2 chipset...

Of the newest nforce2 chipsets capable of supporting 200 FSB, there are two different types:

Nforce2 ULTRA 400 - 200FSB, Dual Channel Mem.
Nforce2 400 - 200FSB, SINGLE Channel Mem.

The A7N8X-X does NOT have dual channel memory. CPU-Z is reading it wrong. I don't know why you posted the Asus and Newegg websites, but other than not being crystal clear, again, the -X is the budget Asus nforce2 board and does not have DCDDR.

Some Links:
http://www.lostcircuits.com/motherboard/asus_a7n8x-x/3.shtml
http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Motherboards/Asus-A7N8X-X/
 
mfjonny
I don't know why you posted the Asus and Newegg websites...
I posted them to show, at the time, and since changed*, that the information Newegg gave was wrong wrt the chipset.

Pretty simple, really- Asus and y'all said one thing, CPU-Z and Newegg said another and I was providing sites for my confusion to attempt to make a clear case for the misunderstanding.

New question for you, marc999 & mfjonny: So given that some of these boards can do 200 MHz FSB, is the dual channel really worth getting bent out of shape over?


*- Newegg changed the description information after I sent them an email asking why the hardware they sold me with the description of "Ultra 400" was not, in fact, "Ultra" and was just "400." They changed the title the next day while I was actually on the phone with them.
 
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dual channel offers at least 50% more memory bandwidth, if i remember correctly... when the nforce2 boards first came out they tested one 512 stick vs 2x256 dual channel at the same MHz on the same board...
 
For AMD systems, dual channel shows about 3% performance gains... I personally don't believe its worth getting "bent up" about. The X-X is a fine budget board that I've built several systems with...
 
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