Must your RAM be symmetrical...i.e. 3gigs = 2X1gig and 2X512MB?

[cobalt16]

Hi I want to know if RAM must be installed symmetrically...

I have a 32bit version of windows so don't really want to buy 4Gigs of RAM...So I would like to buy 3Gigs which is the max a 32bit can address rite?

Must the ram be configured 2X1gig and 2X512MB

Or can I have a 2gig chip and a 1gig chip?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

it doesn't have to be... but if you want it to be in dual channel mode it has to be

 

[dengamle]

Newer Intel chipsets tries to optimize such a config, by mixing dual and single channel at the same time. But since ram is so cheap these days, try and check out what is most expensive 2x2 or 2x1 + 2x512

 

[eklipz330]

i personally would get 2x2, even is 32bit wont read it all, its probably cheaper

 

[Gravemind123]

You can run a 2GB stick and a 1GB stick in asymmetric dual-channel mode, which is supported on current Intel chipsets. 32-bit can actually address 3.5GB(that's what it is reporting to me out of my 4GB total), so you would still benefit from having 4GB over 3GB.

 

[knotknut]

Here is a link:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-011965.htm

 

[Gravemind123]

Here is a link:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-011965.htm

In my post I referred to it as asymmetric dual channel, but Intel calls it "Flex Mode" in that documentation.

 

[dengamle]

Intel has both something called asymmetric and flex. Only flex does you any good.

 

[Gravemind123]

Asymmetric single channel, I had heard flex referred to before as Asymmetric dual channel, as that is basically what it is, you don't have the same thing in each slot of the channel.

 

[dengamle]

In most of their documentation it is called "dual channel asymmetric". They call it single in that link you posted, because you need a very special environment to take advantage of it. In normal use, it just behave as single channel.

Flex is something completely else.

 

[Guest]

get the 2 X 512

32 bit only reads about 3.5 gigs of ram... GPU included so with your gpu you'll be at about 3.5 gigs with that setup

if you have 4 gigs... your losing an entire gig of ram