Hello everyone,
The time is approaching for a memory upgrade on my ASUS M4A785-M Mobo. This particular board has dual channel memory and is upgradable to 16GB, but unfortunately does not offer DDR3 compatibility. I started out light with two 2GB DDR2 Corsair modules, which perform at 800MHZ, 5-5-5-18 and use 1.8V. The other two slots were temporarily left empty.
If I want to get the most out of my current system I will eventually need to use four 4GB modules, but I was surprised to learn they are actually more expensive than DDR3 memory now. Rather than purchase another two 2GB modules and replace them all later on, I'm looking to pick up two 4GB sticks, combine them with my current setup and see if the results warrant the full upgrade to 16GB.
I did a decent amount of research on how best to accomplish this, and the most informative threads I came across on the subject were here, so here I am. The discussion has played out in numerous threads already, but variations between different motherboards, the occasional miscommunication and the standard dose of thread-derailing web forum argumentativeness have left one or two questions unanswered in my mind. I learned in my research that their speeds should match (or else the lowest is used), and that their timing and voltage should all be identical, so that was of great help in narrowing down my product options. My motherboard manual indicates that I can install varying memory sizes in channels A and B, but that only the lower sized channel will be mapped for dual memory use.
My questions (at long last): Is it more important to match the memory sizes of both modules within a given channel so that their arrangement would be 2-4-2-4 (bear in mind my slots are arranged A1-B1-A2-B2) or is it preferable to mismatch memory amounts (2-2-4-4) within a channel so that the full 12GB would all be mapped for dual memory operation? Which of these create a clear advantage or detriment to the system's operation and why?
This was an issue I felt to be near to the center of debate on previous threads, and one that was worth revisiting. I am a lifelong PC user who finally got around to building one, so my knowledge on the subject is not particularly vast but I did my homework and had enough common sense to put a decent machine together. I'm hoping a few of you can offer opinions based on a greater body of experience and more refined intuition. Thanks in advance.
The time is approaching for a memory upgrade on my ASUS M4A785-M Mobo. This particular board has dual channel memory and is upgradable to 16GB, but unfortunately does not offer DDR3 compatibility. I started out light with two 2GB DDR2 Corsair modules, which perform at 800MHZ, 5-5-5-18 and use 1.8V. The other two slots were temporarily left empty.
If I want to get the most out of my current system I will eventually need to use four 4GB modules, but I was surprised to learn they are actually more expensive than DDR3 memory now. Rather than purchase another two 2GB modules and replace them all later on, I'm looking to pick up two 4GB sticks, combine them with my current setup and see if the results warrant the full upgrade to 16GB.
I did a decent amount of research on how best to accomplish this, and the most informative threads I came across on the subject were here, so here I am. The discussion has played out in numerous threads already, but variations between different motherboards, the occasional miscommunication and the standard dose of thread-derailing web forum argumentativeness have left one or two questions unanswered in my mind. I learned in my research that their speeds should match (or else the lowest is used), and that their timing and voltage should all be identical, so that was of great help in narrowing down my product options. My motherboard manual indicates that I can install varying memory sizes in channels A and B, but that only the lower sized channel will be mapped for dual memory use.
My questions (at long last): Is it more important to match the memory sizes of both modules within a given channel so that their arrangement would be 2-4-2-4 (bear in mind my slots are arranged A1-B1-A2-B2) or is it preferable to mismatch memory amounts (2-2-4-4) within a channel so that the full 12GB would all be mapped for dual memory operation? Which of these create a clear advantage or detriment to the system's operation and why?
This was an issue I felt to be near to the center of debate on previous threads, and one that was worth revisiting. I am a lifelong PC user who finally got around to building one, so my knowledge on the subject is not particularly vast but I did my homework and had enough common sense to put a decent machine together. I'm hoping a few of you can offer opinions based on a greater body of experience and more refined intuition. Thanks in advance.
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