Which RAM configuration is better for a very old PC?

[Filingo]

Right now it has 2x2GB DDR2 PC2-6400 (800MHz) @ dual channel. I can add either:

1) 1x2GB DDR2 PC2-6400 (800MHz) -> total of 3 sticks running at 800MHz (but I guess no dual channel?)

2) 2x1GB DDR2 PC2-5300 (667MHz) -> total of 4 sticks running at 667MHz but dual channel?

 

I know I'm bored

thanks!

[Chris Fortune]

Does it actually make use of dual channel memory on DDR2

?

[WhitetailAni]

Only some chipsets support dual channel memory on DDR2 according to The Google.

[Filingo]

Oh so CPU-Z and Speccy just say dual-channel because they don't even recognize it? How can I be sure?

[Chris Fortune]

I think it was a motherboard issue at that time, what are you running?

[Filingo]

It's an Q33 Express motherboard: https://www.intel.com/assets/pdf/prodbrief/317312.pdf

According to this Intel page, it does support dual channel?

mobo is Hewlett-Packard 2820h

[Chris Fortune]

If it supports dual channel I suspect it would be the way to go, personally i want you to try both and post results so we have another datum in the history of how shit gets confusing

[Fasauceome]

8 minutes ago, Filingo said:

It's an Q33 Express motherboard: https://www.intel.com/assets/pdf/prodbrief/317312.pdf

According to this Intel page, it does support dual channel?

mobo is Hewlett-Packard 2820h

make sure you quote people so we can see your responses.

 

10 minutes ago, Filingo said:

Oh so CPU-Z and Speccy just say dual-channel because they don't even recognize it? How can I be sure?

if CPU-Z is saying dual channel, you're getting dual channel.

[Filingo]

 

12 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

make sure you quote people so we can see your responses.

 

if CPU-Z is saying dual channel, you're getting dual channel.

 

18 minutes ago, Chris Fortune said:

If it supports dual channel I suspect it would be the way to go, personally i want you to try both and post results so we have another datum in the history of how shit gets confusing

 

Thanks guys, I left only 1 stick and it changed to "Single" so it does support dual channel as @Fasauceome said.

 

And if it does support, which configuration would be better? slower 4 sticks or faster 3 sticks without dual channel

By the way, even when I put 3x2GB PC-6400 (800MHz) it still says Dual channel.. so it's weird

[Fasauceome]

1 minute ago, Filingo said:

And if it does support, which configuration would be better? slower 4 sticks or faster 3 sticks without dual channel

 

dual channel is literally twice the bandwidth, so for the faster ram to match dual channel it would have to be double as fast.

 

2 minutes ago, Filingo said:

By the way, even when I put 3x2GB PC-6400 (800MHz) it still says Dual channel.. so it's weird

hybrid mode has been a thing for a while, if you have 2x2 GB and 1x2GB, the system will run in dual channel mode until more than 4GB of ram is being used.

 

but that 667MHz ram is probably reducing the speed of that 800MHz ram so you're better off with 4 dimms.

[Filingo]

2 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

dual channel is literally twice the bandwidth, so for the faster ram to match dual channel it would have to be double as fast.

 

hybrid mode has been a thing for a while, if you have 2x2 GB and 1x2GB, the system will run in dual channel mode until more than 4GB of ram is being used.

 

but that 667MHz ram is probably reducing the speed of that 800MHz ram so you're better off with 4 dimms.

thank you. Just to make clear when I use 3 sticks it's all of them at 800MHz (so it doesn't reduce), but as you said, 800 is still not double of 667, then 4 sticks it is?

Thank you! I also learned a few things