PCBUILD Archives

Personal Computer Hardware discussion List

PCBUILD@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Mark Rode <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 25 Oct 2004 10:10:55 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (30 lines)
At 07:07 PM 10/24/2004, you wrote:
>Is there a benefit of running 2 sticks of 512k PC3200/DDR400 in dual
>channel mode vs. 3 sticks of the same memory (for a total of 1.5g).  I had
>read that the "sweet spot" for Windows XP was around 1gb of ram.
>
>I play quite a few games (Doom 3, Sims 2, etc.).  Does the dual channel
>outweigh the extra 512k of memory?  I am using OCZ Enhanced Latency memory.
>
>ABIT AN7 Mobo w/ Athlon XP 3200+ processor.

I have never heard about a RAM sweet spot. A "sweet spot" is going to
depend on what you are using the PC for, but more RAM is always better then
less RAM. There are, however, diminishing returns in adding more
RAM,  above, say, a GB of RAM in XP.  If you have a GB of RAM in XP you can
get away with turning your swap file off in XP PRO.

  Sticking a third DIMM in, or one DIMM, in a single side of a channel,
will result in both channels operating in NON dual channel mode. If you
have a open channel,  or 2 DIMM slots, you might as well use them to put in
two DIMMS, as opposed to a single large DIMM. Dual channel will give you
around a 10 percent boost in memory performance.

Rode
The NOSPIN Group
http://www.freepctech.com/rode/

         PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml

ATOM RSS1 RSS2