understanding ram samples in manual

[garebo]

This is from pdf manual for my mobo:
DDR Population Rules
Install at least one DIMM module on the slots. Each DIMM slot supports up to a maximum size of 1GB. Users can install either single- or double-sided modules to meet their own needs. Please note that each DIMM can work
respectively for single-channel DDR, but there are some rules while using dual-channel DDR (Please refer to the suggested DDR population table on p.2-8).Users may install memory modules of different type and density on different-
channelDDR DIMMs. However, the same type and density memory modules are necessary while using dual-channel DDR, or instability may happen.
Please refer to the following table for detailed dual-channel DDR. Other combination not listed below will function as single-channel DDR.

DIMM1(Ch A) DIMM2(Ch A) DIMM3(Ch B) DIMM4(Ch B)Sys Density
128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB 256MB~2GB
128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB 256MB~2GB
128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB 512MB~4GB

I dont quite understand what it means in the second row
where they have the first dimm blank but the second dimm populated, then the 3rd dimm blank and the 4th dimm populated.
Same with the first row?
The last row says you can put anywhere from 128 mb to 1 gig in each slot.
But I dont understand the first two rows of examples.
Can someone explain this to me?
If I have 2 - 256 mb ddr ram sticks, would i put them
one each in channel a?

Thanks in advance.





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[frankygee]

Are you chips single or dual channel.
The manual is saying if your chips are dual then you would need to put them in DIMM1 and DIMM3 or DIMM2 and DIMM4.
If their single channel then it's not going to make much of a difference.
Have not noticed much of a performance improvement using dual channel DDR.

 

[garebo]

How do you know if they are dual channel?


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[lgebhart]

Dual channel usually have heat spreaders over them and they are a matched pair.

See them here:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1368

lgebhart

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[paparazi]

Sorry but some of the above information is just not accurate:
Any suitable memory (correct type for your motherboard) can be dual channel (it doesn't have to have heat spreaders fitted) the modules just need to be a matched pair.
That could be a pair of value Kingston, Corsair, Twinmoss or even Non descript OEM as long as they are the same capacity, brand and module type, so in short, two modules brought at the same time and of the same type are fine.

Of course, users with high performance systems will often buy high performance, low latency memory modules (generally with heat spreaders) OCZ, Kingston Ballistix, Geil etc etc and the new marketting trick is to sell them in matched pairs for dual channel motherboards NOTE* MARKETTING TRICK! because they are just two modules the same, that's all.
Martin

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[garebo]

thanks for the info!

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[Freestone]

DIMM1(Ch A) DIMM2(Ch A) DIMM3(Ch B) DIMM4(Ch B)

The Ch A and Ch B are referring to two channels (A & B), so in order to achieve dual-channel DDR (an A channel and a B channel), your DIMMS sockets must be populated as:

DIMM1 and DIMM3
or
DIMM2 and DIMM4
or
all four DIMM slots (DIMM1 - DIMM4)

"If I have 2 - 256 mb ddr ram sticks, would i put them
one each in channel a?"

No, if you put both ddr sticks into channel a, you've only populated 1 channel, therefore you won't have dual-channel

 

[garebo]

thanks for the info!
I really messed up now. Got things running fine, installed bunch of progs, then put mobo in standard case. Mobo is large, case is med-standard.
Anyway, all was well but ide burner hit mobo and knocked off a teeny tine chip, size of match-head and now i am cooked.
Unless i can get someone to solder it back, too tiny for my heavy hands, lol. I am got good at soldering. Hope it will work when soldered!
Thanks 4 the help!

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