Someone taught me a lesson on Dual Channel Today.

So, my local Microcenter has the Patriot Signature line 512DDR400 on sale for 37 after rebate. I went in and grabbed 2, to fill in the other 2 slots on my board for another set of Dual Channel. I currently have 2x512mb in DC mode.

Anyways, a salemane walked by and told me not to get them if I wanted to run dual channel mode. I'd need a package of 1 GB Dual channel kit (same patriot sig line) instead.

So I learned my new Lesson of the day: That I'd need Dual Channel Memories to run Dual Channel mode on my Dual Channel enabled mobo.

btw, anyone has any experience with patriot sig series?? Should I return the two individual 512mb pieces that I bought and wait a while till Memories go on sale again? I don't really need it. Just buy it for the sake of it since they're cheap.

Thanks for your suggestion.

That salesman tried to rip you off. You do not need a 1Gb Dual Channel kit to run dual channel. As long as they sticks match in size, speed timings and voltage, you can run them in dual channel. You can have 2x64mb DDR266 in dual channel as long as they are the exact same kind of sticks. Did you buy the 1gb kit AND the 2x512mb sticks?

naw, I laughed and told him that he didn't know anything about it. I got the two 512MB Patrio Signature Line that was on sale. I wasn't dumb enough to get the kit.

**I was being a little sarcastic in the post**

But my main concern is that. I DON'T NEED memories now. But I'd like to have some more. Should I return those 2 sticks and wait for prices to come down?

Oh okay. I would keep them because thats a pretty good deal right there. Memory isn't going to be coming down too much that would justify the wait. I dont know how good they overclock though, as I'm a Mushkin or OCZ man myself. Google up some reviews.

You missed the boat on low prices for memory. It is only been going up it seems.

My credit card has been itchy for some memory purchases myself, but the prices are a little to high and seem to be going up slightly. Like Apu mentioned, you may not be able to justify the wait for a price drop. I been keeping my eye on memory for a couple of months now.

yea, I've realize that. I guess I'll hold out with these two for a while. At worse case, they'd only be ~20 buckes cheaper total compared to what I paid for now = ~74.

Yes, definitely return the two single sticks and get a dual channel kit. Just because they'll run in dual channel mode doesn't make them dual channel RAM. Oh, and be sure to get the extended warranty on the new kit. RAM usually comes with a lifetime warranty, but what if something should go wrong with it in the next year?

If a salesman tells you something, you should generally do that, because they really know what they're talking about.

Edit: Casting irony aside, my best guess is that DDR1 prices will be holding steady for a while or even going up.

Getting two sticks of identical ram will "usually" run in dual channel mode, but not always.

Getting a matched pair is a much safer option...especially is you expect to run at the lowest timings, or overclock. There is a reason ram is sold in matched pairs.

Shane

wow come again? I have two totally different view here. Is there such thing as DC DDR RAM? I mean, DDR RAM are DDR RAM right? If they're the same thing, rated at the same specs, and the mobo supports DC then I should be good? At least that how I know it.

Those that do not agree, please elaborate.

Thanks again.

that is generally correct, but if you buy it in the kit and it doesn't work in DC mode you can return it, if you buy two sticks that don't run together you don't have a case. It just depends, some motherboards are more fickle with their ram than others.

so should I return them (full refund if not opened) and wait? I already have 1GB in DC mode already. I think the price would be lower by X-mas time at the latest.

Dunno.

Id say due to DDR2 and the like DDR Prices are going to go up. If its in a set Doesnt it just mean they have been tested to be able to run in dual channel? Or something like that. I know a couple of people running 2x Generic 512mb sticks in dual channel and their Overclocking. Otter "Edit: Casting irony aside, my best guess is that DDR1 prices will be holding steady for a while or even going up.: He was being sarcastic. Chances are they will run dual channel,

What you can "expect" from buying a kit is that the sticks will have the same PCB and the same ICs. Note that I said what you can expect. I know for a fact, having pulled spreaders off so called "kits", that it is not always so. I was shocked to see that because I used to be so sure that at least when buying a kit you could count on the same ICs being used.

When you buy single sticks that are covered by heatspreaders you have no way of knowing for sure that they are the same, all you know is that the default settings are the same. If you buy Kingston Value Ram with rebranded ICs you could have the same Kingston part #, but no idea as to what ICs are used as there is no telling how many different ICs are used buy Kingston in producing their value ram line.

To me, the advantage of a dual pack is strictly if and when you have to RMA.

If you buy a kit and one goes bad, you return the kit and get a replacement kit. If you buy two single sticks and one goes bad, you return the single stick and pray that you get back a matching stick. Highly unlikely unless it is a very specific product, like Mushkin Redline PC4000 that you know only comes with BP PCB and Winbond UTT. However, products like those get discontinued so then you could end up with two unmatched single stick anyways.

The reason for all that ranting is, again, that while in reality there is no difference between two single matching sticks and the two sticks in a kit, the real value of the dual pack is in the event that you have to RMA either one or both of your modules.

Just something to keep in mind next time you are buying ram.

Otter said:

Yes, definitely return the two single sticks and get a dual channel kit. Just because they'll run in dual channel mode doesn't make them dual channel RAM. Oh, and be sure to get the extended warranty on the new kit. RAM usually comes with a lifetime warranty, but what if something should go wrong with it in the next year?

If a salesman tells you something, you should generally do that, because they really know what they're talking about.

Click to expand...

Being a salesman myself, I can say that some do actually know what they are talking about. However after correcting a colleuge who told a customer that an Athlon 64 3200+ ran at 3.2GHz I can agree that it is not always the case .