Dual channel...worth it?

NinjaZX6R · Apr 28, 2004

Well, I saw this coming 6 months ago when I bought my ram....

I bought 512mb of dual channel pc3200 hyper x memory. I have three memory slots on my NF7-S.

Now I am in the position where I need a gig of memory, so I will be buying another 512 of memory, but this will get rid of my dual channel operation.

What I am asking is: Will I see a difference in gaming performance with no more dual channel? Will the fact that I have doubled my memory make up for it?

-Collin-

Albuquerque · Apr 28, 2004

Depends on what you're doing... Overall, your framerate is going to go down, but the extra memory will buy some smoothness in games that can use it (BF:V, UT2K4 with all features maxxed, FarCry, etc)

NinjaZX6R · Apr 28, 2004

Hmm...but I will still lose framerates? bummer.

-Collin-

druidelder · Apr 28, 2004

I'm not familiar with the nf7-s, but if you have three memory slots, you should not loose dual channel. Two of the memory slots are actually one channel and the third is the second channel. Put the 2X256MB 3200 in the two slots and a 512MB 3200 in the third slot. That would preserve your dual channel. Check your mobo manual to see which slots are which, but my general experience is that the two blue slots are one channel while the black slot is the other channel.

jlin453 · Apr 28, 2004

Yes it preserves the dual channel by having the pair still in the two slots, which doesn't help much on the nf7-s anyways.

NinjaZX6R · Apr 28, 2004

Wow, I'm a little confused then.....how does it preserve the dual channel if I have three sticks?

Is there only going to be dual channel on two of then. Sorry to sound like a newbie!

-Collin-

glock19owner · Apr 28, 2004

the DIMM farthest away runs one memory controller...the other two DIMMS (closest to the CPU socket) controlls the other memory controller...this is how you can run all 3 dimms and still be in DC...

druidelder · Apr 28, 2004

It preserves dual channel if you put the sticks in correctly. Two of the slots are actually one channel. This is why dual channel only works with pairs in slots 1 and 3 or slots 2 and 3, but not slots 1 and 2 (slot numbers may vary by board manufacturer, but you get the idea). By putting the 2x256 MB sticks in the two slots that comprise a single channel you saturate the channel. Dual channel with the nForce2 chipset works under the conditions that each channel has the same speed and size of ram. 2x256=512 in the first channel and 1x512=512 in the other channel.

jlin453 · Apr 28, 2004

http://www.amdmb.com/article-display.php?ArticleID=279&PageID=3

You can use three modules in Dual Channel Mode, by filling the third unoccupied slot. With three sticks, slots 1 remains as channel 0 while slot 2&3 become channel 1. To maintain 128-bit mode, with all three slots filled, each channel must have an equal amount of memory. For example, slots 1 should be filled with a 512 Mb module, while slots 2 & 3 are populated 256 Mb modules. If you were to use three modules of the same size, then only the first two modules would be running in 128 bit Dual Channel Mode. Example, using 3x 256 Mb modules will have the first 512 Mb running in 128 bit Dual Channel mode, while the remaining 256 Mb will be in 64-bit Single Channel mode

NinjaZX6R · Apr 29, 2004

awesome! I guess I will be getting another 512 stick shortly.

aNTiChRisT · Apr 29, 2004

Man, thats pretty sweet! I always wondered why those nf2 boards had 3 slots

~t0m

Como · Apr 30, 2004

isnt it? when i up my ram io may get 2X256 used, or i may just get 1X512 and have a gig in 2 slots...i dont know yet, probly whatevers cheaper.

Dual channel...worth it?

NinjaZX6R

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