Single Channel + Single Channel Does it effect performance?

[Lima123]

So I've already got one single channel stick of 4GB DDR3 1333MHz that's single channel. I do want to get some new RAM. But mine is single channel as i said. So do i buy another single stick and would that effect performance or do i buy a Dual Channel set?

My current RAM is something Like HyperLink,  I don't even know. Never even heard of it before

 

Any help is lovely

Thanks

~Liam

 

[Rolling Potatoe]

You could just buy another 4gb stick, put it in the right slot and run the two sticks in dual channel mode.

Your mobo would however run the other stick slower to match your first stick (if its faster) and there might still be issues,

so it is generally not recommended. The advantage for gaming is pretty much nonexistent, for things like video editing there might be a sliiiiight  advantage (Im talking like 5% here). Most DDR3 you can get now is faster anyways.

 

Bottom line, dont bother with dual channel. If you do want to anyway, get a stick with the exact same specs and test your setup later on to avoid problems.

[i_build_nanosuits]

So I've already got one single channel stick of 4GB DDR3 1333MHz that's single channel. I do want to get some new RAM. But mine is single channel as i said. So do i buy another single stick and would that effect performance or do i buy a Dual Channel set?

My current RAM is something Like HyperLink,  I don't even know. Never even heard of it before

 

Any help is lovely

Thanks

~Liam

that's not how it works...your RAM stick operate in single channel mode beacause he is alone, if you get a second stick they will operate in dual channel mode provided you populate the correct slots on your motherboard (see motherboard manual for informations about which slots to populate for dual-channel)

Every RAM sticks can be runned in dual channel.

[DirkW]

RAM itself is neither single, dual, triple or quad channel. These are just modes, depending on your CPU, your motherboard, the number of RAM sticks you use and the slots you put them into.

 

Kits just have matching RAM sticks with the minimum number of sticks required for that mode.

[Lima123]

that's not how it works...your RAM stick operate in single channel mode beacause he is alone, if you get a second stick they will operate in dual channel mode provided you populate the correct slots on your motherboard (see motherboard manual for informations about which slots to populate for dual-channel)

Every RAM sticks can be runned in dual channel.

ooohhhh okay thank you, thank you everyone else

[Sintezza]

that's not how it works...your RAM stick operate in single channel mode beacause he is alone, if you get a second stick they will operate in dual channel mode provided you populate the correct slots on your motherboard (see motherboard manual for informations about which slots to populate for dual-channel)

Every RAM sticks can be runned in dual channel.

 

If both sticks are the same then yes.

if you have diffrent sized sticks then things are diffrent.

[Ethermaster]

If you have your CPU overclocked then really if you want to populate more channels (in your case single to duel channel) please bare in mind that the IMC of the intel CPU will just run in dual channel with both sticks at the speed of the slowest one, AMD on the other hand where the memory time is including with overclocking matched pairs is really the only the only way to go because different sticks (even the same brand and model number) may use different NAND with different timings which can be a right royal pain in the back side.

[Lima123]

If you have your CPU overclocked then really if you want to populate more channels (in your case single to duel channel) please bare in mind that the IMC of the intel CPU will just run in dual channel with both sticks at the speed of the slowest one, AMD on the other hand where the memory time is including with overclocking matched pairs is really the only the only way to go because different sticks (even the same brand and model number) may use different NAND with different timings which can be a right royal pain in the backI

I've got a AMD FX 6300

[Ethermaster]

In your case then I would if you want to upgrade either buy just a another stick of some random brand (knowing that the RAM will run at the slowest speed and may effect your final overclock), or buy a matched pair and just stick your single stick into another slot as this will behave as single channel anyway (until you put a forth stick in) but you will benefit still from the increase capacity but will still take the performance hit with your final CPU overclock as the memory overclock with AMD is directly tied to the CPU blk clock unlike Intels main stream platform