4x 512MB Vs 2x 1GB: Advice Please

[HookeyStreet]

Hi,

You may have seen my recent post about upgrading my RAM from 1GB (2x 512MB sticks) to 2GB (4x 512MB sticks)
Ive just been told that 4x 512MB causes problems and to go for 2x 1GB instead Is this true?

I would be using identical sticks of RAM with identical timings so do you think this would be ok? (to be honest I cant really afford to buy 2x 1GB sticks and sell my old ones )

 

[klootzakje]

i think it shouldnt matter with a good chipset/mainboard... on a not so good mainboard/chipset it does underclock your mem when you use 4 sticks..

 

[HookeyStreet]

i think it shouldnt matter with a good chipset/mainboard... on a not so good mainboard/chipset it does underclock your mem when you use 4 sticks..

Do you think I will be ok with my motherboard then?

 

[klootzakje]

lol, your mobo doesnt like 2 gb, wether its 2x 1gb or 4x 512 mb it will let it run on 333 mhz instead of 400

 

[HookeyStreet]

lol, your mobo doesnt like 2 gb, wether its 2x 1gb or 4x 512 mb it will let it run on 333 mhz instead of 400

F*cking GigaByte peice of s*it LOL How did you find this out m8?

 

[djbbenn]

All boards do that because the limitation of the chipset/mem contoller. I believe the newer AMD's will let you run 400 @ 2T on some boards. And some board have options to manuly bring the frequency up to 400MHz. So most people say get 2 x 1Gb sticks so you don't run at 333MHz. But the disadvantage to 1Gb sticks is they are a lot more expensive and usally are harder to get tighter timings.

-Dan

 

[ChAce]

I know A64's can run 1T @ DDR400 @ 2-3-2-5 with 2x1GB sticks. Cuz that's what I've got. Trust me on this, this is good stuff. Winchesters can't do this though, but San Diegos (like mine) and Venices can. Some Intel MoBo's can't either...

 

[djbbenn]

That was one of the improvements of the E revison. The ram support.

-Dan

 

[ChAce]

Yeah, and the cranky memory controllers in overal, the Winchesters overclocked very unpredictably.

 

[scope54]

ummm he has a pentium 4, i didnt think the P4's had that limitation like earlier athlon 64's did...
and i looked at both manuals (one for each revision of the board) and they both say that he can support up to 4gig 4 modules, i dont know what the heck you guys are talking about.

so my opinion get 4x512 sticks

 

[ChAce]

All A64's support that too, but it'll drop them to 166Mhz and sometimes 2T. Like I said, some Intel chipsets can't do it either.

 

[HookeyStreet]

ummm he has a pentium 4, i didnt think the P4's had that limitation like earlier athlon 64's did...
and i looked at both manuals (one for each revision of the board) and they both say that he can support up to 4gig 4 modules, i dont know what the heck you guys are talking about.

so my opinion get 4x512 sticks

Cheers m8, I did read that my board would take 4GB of Ram. I might just try the 4x 512MB solution