Dual Channel?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nubius

Golden Master
Messages
11,599
My motherboard has two RAM slots, now, the way I've been reading things is that 'Dual Channel' memory is something completely different. Can someone clarify exactly what dual channel memory is, and is it in the title of specific ram or is it a mobo setting or what?
 
its a setting on the mobo, sorta... it lets your mobo access the memory from two locations, so double the amount can be read.

if that made sense... :confused:
 
It's a specific type of ram that cost almost twice as much (last i checked) and it is required if you want to run dual channel ram. They have to have the same specifications, and are usually sold in two packs. You also have to have a motherboard which supports dual channel ram, else you just have two sticks of ram.
 
the ram that is for dual channel has to be sold in pairs, so that each module is exactly the same. the reason some of it costs so much, is because it is registered and ECC (error checking)
 
From what i've heard its only with NFORCE2.

And not all dual modules are ECC or Registered. Most mobos dont even support ECC or Registered.
 
some clarifications and additions:

1: not all Dual Channel RAM's are ECC (someone else has corrected it, thanks)

2: they arent special, you an use any standard 2 similar sticks to enable dual channel.

3: Dual Channel is charecteristic of Mobo, not RAM's. it happpens as in older boards, if u r on single channel board (here i'll quote example of PC3200) that has Data Transfer rate of 3.2GB/s. so in single channel boards, if u have 2 slots, adding 2 X 256MB of similar sticks will make total ram 512MB, but Data Transfre Rate (DTR) remains 3.2GB/s. as in Dual channel mobo, if you add 2 similar Modules, it will double the amount of Memory to 512MB (Agreed) but at the same time will double DTR to 6.4GB/s..Got it?

4: as far as N-Force3 is concerned, although having three slots. doesnt meanas u have to install 3 modules to enable dual-channel. 2 makes dual channel work perfectly. but u have to install the DDr's in 2 blue banks to enable dual channel, rathe than installing 2 in close banks. similar case is in my 875p chipset, having 4 banks, 2 would have been enough to make dual channel work, still I installed all 4 banks (my requirement).
 
TheMajor said:
some mobo's (mostly with 3 slots) support 3 same sticks to run in dual channel

That would be triple-channel. The max u can go is quad-channel. ;)
 
ahhh yeah its all becoming a little more clear. my mobo memory specs are:

Main Memory

• Supports four memory banks using two 184-pin DDR DIMMs
• Supports a maximum memory size up to 2GB
• Supports 2.5v DDR SDRAM DIMM
• Supports DDR400/333/266/200 SDRAM

nothing about dual channel mentioned =/ Oh well, I was just curious about the informative side anyway, already have some RAM in the mail, just wanted to know what it was all about. Thanks guys for the clarification =)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom