Duel channel question...

The_Neon_Cowboy · Oct 1, 2004, 11:35 PM

Do pairs have to be exactly matched?

As in if I buy 512 now, 512 later, and maybe another 512 later same part number/brand am I going to run into trouble?

Duel channel kits have memory matched, from the same batch, and tested to ensure it runs correctly.

Is this marketing or is it so important the sticks match?

Bruuce · Oct 1, 2004, 11:43 PM

I second the notion. I have 512mb but an added 1gig would be nice to my comp. So I have to make the decision to go with either trying to match up another stick of 512mb to my current ram or just say F it and go with a gig. So, is dual channel hard to match up without buying the ram at the same tiime, or is it all a marketing ploy?

Shinjikun · Oct 1, 2004, 11:47 PM

As far as I know for dual channel to work at it's 'best' both sticks should be exactly the same size, speed, and preferably model number.

I think this is a topic different people might have different opinions on so I'm interested in seeing everyone's responses.

The_Neon_Cowboy · Oct 1, 2004, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinjikun

As far as I know for dual channel to work at it's 'best' both sticks should be exactly the same size, speed, and preferably model number.

I think this is a topic different people might have different opinions on so I'm interested in seeing everyone's responses.

but i've herd is best to even be of the exact same batch of memory.... wich seems a bit harsh for us poor people

who want to by one stick now and more later

Shinjikun · Oct 2, 2004, 12:12 AM

Yes, it is 'supposedly' best to be from the same batch -- all though I don't know how true that is.

Memory controllers now-a-days are just a pain in the ass in general; especially when it comes to Dual Channel memory. Hopefully someone will be able to share some more technical information.

Vampyromaniac · Oct 2, 2004, 07:14 AM

No they don't have to be the same anything.
BWX ran a pair of memory on nforce2 that were different brands, sizes, and speeds, and he said it ran great.
Although the A64 might be pickier, but I think you're talking about an nforce2 setup right?

Rasta Monsta · Oct 2, 2004, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Neon_Cowboy

but i've herd is best to even be of the exact same batch of memory.... wich seems a bit harsh for us poor people

who want to by one stick now and more later

I doubt the same batch is required, but surely you need identical chips on both sticks. My buddy got burned in this one. . .bought two sticks of Geil RAM from the same vendor about 6 months apart, same vendor part number, same Geil part number, but his i865 board detected some difference and gave an error message about dual channel operation requiring matched pairs. Fortunately, the vendor let him RMA the older stick, and now he is back in the saddle.

If you only want to go 512 now and 512 later, the safe bet would be to go for 2x256 and start up your dual channel adventures that way.

rasta

GutterPunk · Oct 2, 2004, 08:05 AM

Well optimal would probably be timings being the same i would think... All though I do not know, imo if timings match you would probably be much better off

Necrosis · Oct 2, 2004, 08:09 AM

I purchased one stick of Corsair XMS PC3500 512 in January of 2002, then another in May of 2003. It ran great on my A7N8X.

Bruuce · Oct 3, 2004, 01:02 AM

Straight from the horse's mouth....

"What is dual channel DDR?
Dual channel DDR involves using 2 DDR memory modules to double the memory bandwidth. The DDR memory modules themselves are not any different. The only requirement is that the memory controller on the motherboard supports this dual channel interface."

http://www.ocztechnology.com/support/systems/

However compared to the detailed responses posted here, there probably is more to it than just a mobo supporting dual channel.

Rasta Monsta · Oct 3, 2004, 01:53 AM

http://www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/faqs/kb/11,16.html

http://www.sis.com/support/learn/tec...ualchannel.htm

Apparently, some chipsets can tolerate mismatches more readily.

rasta

classic_leon · Oct 3, 2004, 09:59 AM

I bought a stick of Corsair XMS PC3200 512 C2PT on Jun, 2003. And I bought another one on Mar, 2004. Two of them are not exactly same, but I they are performing well as dual DDR now.

CDsDontBurn · Oct 3, 2004, 10:07 AM

i bought my first stick of Corsair XMS 512 400 back in july 2003, and purchased my second stick of Corsair XMS 512 400 in july 2004. Put both stick of RAM into my Abit IC7-G board, and it runs great. i haven't had any problems w/it what so ever.

Shinjikun · Oct 3, 2004, 04:29 PM

I think it's pretty much hit and miss judging by the responses here. Basically it depends on your board... in most cases it should work (again by the responses) but if it doesn't then you're SOL.

I'd like to avoid problems like this by just buying a matched set and running with just 2 DIMMS but then again it is good to know that there are options with today's pain in the arse memory controllers.

~~HawK~~ · Oct 3, 2004, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampyromaniac

No they don't have to be the same anything.
BWX ran a pair of memory on nforce2 that were different brands, sizes, and speeds, and he said it ran great.
Although the A64 might be pickier, but I think you're talking about an nforce2 setup right?

I'll second that to.. had 1 512 0rg. samsung 333 and one corsair 400 mhz runnin in dual for a month no problems ( corsair needed to lower speed & timings to adjust to samsung ofcourse)
Now runnin 2 sticks corsairs and dual channel is ok 2890mb/s read, 1120mb/s write (Aida32 measurement)

pr0digal jenius · Oct 3, 2004, 07:44 PM

i agree with the 'depends on the anal retentiveness of the chipset' arguement repeated here many times. My guess is that the A64 is far pickier then anythign else(originally it required registered RAM, etc)

I personally have 2 pair of TwinX corsair DDR 333 in here bought at the same time, so presumeably they are all 4 from the same batch. I have the 875p + ich5r chipset from intel on an asus mobo. My friend has a radeon IGP board running a p4 2.8C with non paired OCZ DDR 400 in dual channel and it runs fine. the only nforce i can speak for is running single channel on a barton 2600, so I';m of no assistance in the nvidia arena, but my guess is it should work fine.

it would seem to me the most important thing is that the actual memory modules all be the same, be it BH5 or BH6 or what not, and have the timings match the slower of the 2.

classic_leon · Oct 3, 2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinjikun

I think it's pretty much hit and miss judging by the responses here. Basically it depends on your board... in most cases it should work (again by the responses) but if it doesn't then you're SOL.

I'd like to avoid problems like this by just buying a matched set and running with just 2 DIMMS but then again it is good to know that there are options with today's pain in the arse memory controllers.

I also think so. BTW, my mainboard is ABIT NF7.

davidnsibs · Nov 2, 2004, 10:04 PM

i know this is slightly old thread, but I just bought 512mb of 'major brand pc3200 cas2.5' RAM to go with my 2x256mb of pc2700 which has micron chips. i figured that the price was v good at about Â£45 and thought i'd give it a shot - if they wern't compatible then ive been building a server which hasnt got any RAM yet, so i could have used my old stuff in there. anyway, the ram arrived and it uses infineon chips, it all works like a charm running at 166fsb (333DDR) timings as in sig. Have to say it made a huge difference to games, particularly the mohpa single player demo which was basically unplayable at max settings 1024x768, was constantly accessing the HDD, but now, smooth as a hot knife through butter. shame that the demo (and the game probably) didnt seem all that great, but thats just my opinion

Geminiwave · Nov 4, 2004, 10:43 PM

yeah actually by now the nForce system has pretty much been mastered and dual channel should work as long as each memory channel has the same amount of ram (ie: one channel with 2x256 and one channel with 1x512 still works in dual channel)

Chaos · Nov 4, 2004, 11:56 PM

All I can add is this: With 2 512 MB sticks of Infinion PC 2700 installed in Dual Channel configuration never reported back as Dual Channel in system diagnostic programs just PC 2700. I got a good deal on some Kingston PC 3200, both sticks were made in the same week #, Those 2 sticks register as Dual Channel PC 3200 in the same diagnostic apps and I have much better throughput

Geminiwave · Nov 5, 2004, 01:56 AM

PC2700 ram was always a bit weird about dual channel. Even if the 3200 ram is running at 2700 speeds, its better RAM all around and generally the same price.

bug77 · Nov 5, 2004, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Neon_Cowboy

Do pairs have to be exactly matched?

As in if I buy 512 now, 512 later, and maybe another 512 later same part number/brand am I going to run into trouble?

Duel channel kits have memory matched, from the same batch, and tested to ensure it runs correctly.

Is this marketing or is it so important the sticks match?

They should not need to be exactly matched.

I'll try to explain why. Each stick comes with it's own latencies. It's this that the system uses to read from the stick. If you add another stick with different timings, you should be able to run in dual channel if you set the timings right. If one stick in CAS2 and the other one is CAS2.5 you should set the CAS to 2.5. The same for the other timings. If this doesn't work, it's the chipset's fault, not the memory's.

Oct 1, 2004, 11:35 PM	#1
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	Duel channel question... Do pairs have to be exactly matched? As in if I buy 512 now, 512 later, and maybe another 512 later same part number/brand am I going to run into trouble? Duel channel kits have memory matched, from the same batch, and tested to ensure it runs correctly. Is this marketing or is it so important the sticks match? __________________

Oct 1, 2004, 11:43 PM	#2
Bruuce DriverHeaven Winner Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 293 Rep Power: 0	I second the notion. I have 512mb but an added 1gig would be nice to my comp. So I have to make the decision to go with either trying to match up another stick of 512mb to my current ram or just say F it and go with a gig. So, is dual channel hard to match up without buying the ram at the same tiime, or is it all a marketing ploy? __________________

Oct 1, 2004, 11:47 PM	#3
Shinjikun 第3 子供 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nerv HQ Posts: 1,319 Rep Power: 0	As far as I know for dual channel to work at it's 'best' both sticks should be exactly the same size, speed, and preferably model number. I think this is a topic different people might have different opinions on so I'm interested in seeing everyone's responses. __________________ Xfire: [Shinji1225 \ Status] A7N8X-E Deluxe Athlon XP 2500+ (@ 2.2 GHz 11x200 MHz FSB) Corsair TwinX XMS 1GB PC3200 Dual Channel (2-2-3-5) [color=red]ATi [/color][color=white]Radeon 9500 Pro (@ 330\310) \ [/color][color=white]Omega Catalyst Drivers v2.5.90[/color] [color=white]Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU[/color]

Oct 2, 2004, 12:12 AM	#5
Shinjikun 第3 子供 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nerv HQ Posts: 1,319 Rep Power: 0	Yes, it is 'supposedly' best to be from the same batch -- all though I don't know how true that is. Memory controllers now-a-days are just a pain in the ass in general; especially when it comes to Dual Channel memory. Hopefully someone will be able to share some more technical information. __________________ Xfire: [Shinji1225 \ Status] A7N8X-E Deluxe Athlon XP 2500+ (@ 2.2 GHz 11x200 MHz FSB) Corsair TwinX XMS 1GB PC3200 Dual Channel (2-2-3-5) [color=red]ATi [/color][color=white]Radeon 9500 Pro (@ 330\310) \ [/color][color=white]Omega Catalyst Drivers v2.5.90[/color] [color=white]Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU[/color]

Oct 2, 2004, 07:14 AM	#6
Vampyromaniac confutatis maledictis Join Date: May 2002 Location: somewhere dark Posts: 5,974 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	No they don't have to be the same anything. BWX ran a pair of memory on nforce2 that were different brands, sizes, and speeds, and he said it ran great. Although the A64 might be pickier, but I think you're talking about an nforce2 setup right? __________________ *Digitalis 3.3* Athlon 64 3000 // ASUS K8V SE Deluxe // 1024MB PC3200 (2-2-2-10 1T) ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro // 20" Dell 2005FPW (DVI) M-Audio Revo 7.1 + Philips Acoustic Edge // Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 320/16 Western Digital WD3200KS + 120/8 Seagate 7200.7 NEC ND-3550A 16x DVD±RW + Lite-On 52x24x CD-RW Antec Sonata case // 480W Antec TruePower personal bests \|\| Aq'3: 46796 \| 3D'01: 20461 \| 3D'03: 6336 \| 3D'05: 2677 \| PC'04: 4605 \| PC'02: 7691,9092,1250

Oct 2, 2004, 08:05 AM	#8
GutterPunk I = Greatest Dood Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nebraska Posts: 5,949 Rep Power: 70	Well optimal would probably be timings being the same i would think... All though I do not know, imo if timings match you would probably be much better off __________________ Rock On \m/ Thank you Mousey for the Sig! --------------- Intel Core2Duo E6660 (3.4GHZ) ~ Tuniq Tower 120 ~ Enermax Galaxy 1000W ~ Corsair Dominator @ 1090MHZ 5-5-5-15 (OCZ XTC Modded Cooler)~ EVGA 8800GTX W/ HR-03 Plus 120MM ~ Asus DVD-RW LiteScribe ~ LG DVD-RW ~ Corsair Voyager 2GB ReadyBoost Drive ~ Vantec Nexus Fan Controller ~ ThermalTake Armor 25CM fan ~ Personal Finance Blog: Dent Your Debt

Oct 2, 2004, 08:09 AM	#9
Necrosis HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,838 Rep Power: 129 System Specs	I purchased one stick of Corsair XMS PC3500 512 in January of 2002, then another in May of 2003. It ran great on my A7N8X.

Oct 3, 2004, 01:02 AM	#10
Bruuce DriverHeaven Winner Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 293 Rep Power: 0	Straight from the horse's mouth.... "What is dual channel DDR? Dual channel DDR involves using 2 DDR memory modules to double the memory bandwidth. The DDR memory modules themselves are not any different. The only requirement is that the memory controller on the motherboard supports this dual channel interface." http://www.ocztechnology.com/support/systems/ However compared to the detailed responses posted here, there probably is more to it than just a mobo supporting dual channel. __________________

Oct 3, 2004, 09:59 AM	#12
classic_leon HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wu Han, Hu Bei, P.R.China Posts: 1,238 Rep Power: 0	I bought a stick of Corsair XMS PC3200 512 C2PT on Jun, 2003. And I bought another one on Mar, 2004. Two of them are not exactly same, but I they are performing well as dual DDR now. __________________ Fashion keeps us alive. YouP-PAX Please visit http://www.A-PAX.co.uk to discuss the computer mods. The latest YouP PAX modded drivers are provided on the site.

Oct 3, 2004, 10:07 AM	#13
CDsDontBurn 127.0.0.1 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,458 Rep Power: 202 System Specs	i bought my first stick of Corsair XMS 512 400 back in july 2003, and purchased my second stick of Corsair XMS 512 400 in july 2004. Put both stick of RAM into my Abit IC7-G board, and it runs great. i haven't had any problems w/it what so ever. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Oct 3, 2004, 04:29 PM	#14
Shinjikun 第3 子供 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nerv HQ Posts: 1,319 Rep Power: 0	I think it's pretty much hit and miss judging by the responses here. Basically it depends on your board... in most cases it should work (again by the responses) but if it doesn't then you're SOL. I'd like to avoid problems like this by just buying a matched set and running with just 2 DIMMS but then again it is good to know that there are options with today's pain in the arse memory controllers. __________________ Xfire: [Shinji1225 \ Status] A7N8X-E Deluxe Athlon XP 2500+ (@ 2.2 GHz 11x200 MHz FSB) Corsair TwinX XMS 1GB PC3200 Dual Channel (2-2-3-5) [color=red]ATi [/color][color=white]Radeon 9500 Pro (@ 330\310) \ [/color][color=white]Omega Catalyst Drivers v2.5.90[/color] [color=white]Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU[/color]

Oct 3, 2004, 07:44 PM	#16
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	i agree with the 'depends on the anal retentiveness of the chipset' arguement repeated here many times. My guess is that the A64 is far pickier then anythign else(originally it required registered RAM, etc) I personally have 2 pair of TwinX corsair DDR 333 in here bought at the same time, so presumeably they are all 4 from the same batch. I have the 875p + ich5r chipset from intel on an asus mobo. My friend has a radeon IGP board running a p4 2.8C with non paired OCZ DDR 400 in dual channel and it runs fine. the only nforce i can speak for is running single channel on a barton 2600, so I';m of no assistance in the nvidia arena, but my guess is it should work fine. it would seem to me the most important thing is that the actual memory modules all be the same, be it BH5 or BH6 or what not, and have the timings match the slower of the 2.

Nov 2, 2004, 10:04 PM	#18
davidnsibs 9500pro Forever Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 273 Rep Power: 0	i know this is slightly old thread, but I just bought 512mb of 'major brand pc3200 cas2.5' RAM to go with my 2x256mb of pc2700 which has micron chips. i figured that the price was v good at about Â£45 and thought i'd give it a shot - if they wern't compatible then ive been building a server which hasnt got any RAM yet, so i could have used my old stuff in there. anyway, the ram arrived and it uses infineon chips, it all works like a charm running at 166fsb (333DDR) timings as in sig. Have to say it made a huge difference to games, particularly the mohpa single player demo which was basically unplayable at max settings 1024x768, was constantly accessing the HDD, but now, smooth as a hot knife through butter. shame that the demo (and the game probably) didnt seem all that great, but thats just my opinion __________________ Goodbye 9500pro, you've been a faithful servant through Half life, Deus Ex, Unreal 2, Max Payne 1+2, Nolf 1+2, CoD, Far Cry, Civ IV, F.E.A.R and many more

Nov 4, 2004, 10:43 PM	#19
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 62	yeah actually by now the nForce system has pretty much been mastered and dual channel should work as long as each memory channel has the same amount of ram (ie: one channel with 2x256 and one channel with 1x512 still works in dual channel) __________________

Nov 4, 2004, 11:56 PM	#20
Chaos Number Nine Join Date: May 2002 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 5,269 Rep Power: 165 System Specs	All I can add is this: With 2 512 MB sticks of Infinion PC 2700 installed in Dual Channel configuration never reported back as Dual Channel in system diagnostic programs just PC 2700. I got a good deal on some Kingston PC 3200, both sticks were made in the same week #, Those 2 sticks register as Dual Channel PC 3200 in the same diagnostic apps and I have much better throughput __________________

Nov 5, 2004, 01:56 AM	#21
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 62	PC2700 ram was always a bit weird about dual channel. Even if the 3200 ram is running at 2700 speeds, its better RAM all around and generally the same price. __________________