1.5GB single channel or 1GB dual channel. Which is better?

[bigspice]

I am currently running 1gb (2x512) of corsair ram in dual channel mode on my p4c800e-dlx P4 mobo. I can get a good deal on another stick of 512.
Question is, by going to single channel mode with 1.5gb, am I going to lose any performance gains I got from the extra ram?
Appreciate your help.
Thanks

[1cem4n]

Depends what you're doing. 1.5gb will do a lot better in BF2 while 1gb dual channel will be a little slower. I would just go for 2gb.

-1cem4n

[bigspice]

The most demanding things I do are DVD compression (legally) and play BF2.
So you are saying 1.5gb single is better than 1gb dual for these things?
Thanks

[avalanche83]

The more ram you add the less performance you will see out of them. Adding another 512mb stick to your 1gb will provide more space for BF2, but when wanting performance I would go with 1gb.

The only ram that I have seen at 2gb that gets impressive clocks for the size is these (http://www.insanetek.com/review.php?id=19&page=3) Ballistix.

[silent bob]

I am glad you asked that question, I was going to post the same thing , Why do most of the new mobos only have 3 slots anymore? so you have to buy more memory?

silentbob

[Prodromo]

Go with dual channel. I think you will be displeased with the performance degradation that will occur when you lose the dual channel.

[Jerryhey]

You should especially consider the fact that you're using a Pentium 4, which is a beast for bandwidth. Don't choke off that dual-channel, another 512mb isn't worth it for the loss in performance you'll see because you aren't running dual-channel. If this was an A64 or an Athlon XP, it would matter much less.

[kbtat2]

I know I have a different MB than you but I also have only 3 dimm slots and I already had 2 x 512 sticks in dual-channel but needed more for BF2. So I bought a 1 Gb stick and put that in slot 3 with the 2 x 512 in slots 1 and 2 and I still have dual-channel.
My MB, if it matters, is an Abit NF7-S rev 2.0

[silent bob]

I have the same mobo , well it looks like I have to find out for myself

[Avg]

I don't know if P4 mobo are different but when you add more ram to a AMD system already running in the dual channel, it will still run on dual channel. Here is what happens, on a dual channel system there is literally two channel, or two pathways for data, and if you place 1 stick on one channel and another one in the other channel then you are running in dual channel, so if you add more ram to one channel it is still running in dual channel.

[GQBalla]

for my mother board i can run dual channel as long as its same memory blah blah...but when you add a odd chip of ram it takes dual channel off. so if i wanted to run dual channel i would have to buy 2 more sticks of ram same kind each

[Nathan0490]

Duel Channel, 2 gigs

[batboy]

Dual channel is much more important on Intel systems than on AMD systems. With Intel systems, dual channel only works with 2 or 4 matched sticks. Here are your choices: 1) stay with your current 2X512, or 2) add another matched 2X512 for a total of 4X512, or 3) dump what you have and get 2X1GB modules.