Same speed RAM, but revision mismatch causing single channel mode?

[David_01]

Hello, I have a Dell Dimension 8300 3.o ghz 1 gb RAM nvidia FX 5200 Video Card. The dell uses an intel 875 chipset that supports dual channel memory. Currently I am running 2-512MB Sticks of PC3200 in dual channel mode. However, I added two more sticks of 512MB PC3200 with the same timings and specs in the correct slots(there were only 2 left) and now I run in single channel mode. I used HWINFO and the only difference between the old pair of 512's and the new pair is that the old pair has a 1.0 revision and the new pair revision shows "n/a"-all other specs are exactly the same.

 

[mosox]

It happens, dual channel is no big deal anyway.

 

[David_01]

The computer seemed to run faster with 1 GB of memory in dual channel mode than with 2 GB in single channel mode so I would say that it is a big deal when you are trying to speed-up your computer-not slow it down.

 

[pjmelect]

Unless you get new memory there is nothing that you can do to get it working in dual channel mode. However as has been previously said dual channel only gives a few percent difference in speed which you won’t notice where as the extra memory should give more of an improvement.
I think that your perception of the computer running noticeably slower in single channel mode is psychological as the difference is so small that I am sure that nobody else would be able to tell.

 

[David_01]

I did get it working in dual- channel mode, and I didn't have to buy new memory. I just traded the used memory I bought for some other newer, used PC3200 that evidently had the 1.0 revision that the installed memory has, so it seems that you can have all the timings, latencies, and type of RAM identical, but if the revision is different, it will not work in dual-channel mode, so with this computer at least, EVEYTHING (except for the manufacturer) must be identical, not just the timings,latencies, and type of RAM, but even down to the revision.