Memory channels? wut?

[Alir]

So I just saw:

 

the board i will buy: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97prowifiac

 

So my question is, in order to populate all four ram slots, will I need to buy 2 dual ram sticks, as opposed to 1 set of four ram sticks?

 

And what is a ram "channel"? is one channel the set of ram slots coloured in with a single colour?

So for example, my to be board has 2 ram channels?

[Enderman]

2 dual ram sticks, as opposed to 1 set of four ram sticks

These are the same thing. Its just that the set of 4 are validated together, but there should be no issues using two kits of 2.

 

Same colour slots=same channel.

If your motherboard has 4 slots, then it probably has 2 channels, supporting up to 4 DIMMs (aka RAM sticks).

[WereCat]

You can get two SAME dual kits of RAM and be OK but if you want to have better guarantee for it to work then get one quad kit. Usualy same color mean same channel.

[R4nD0m_aCc3sS]

There is a Channel A and B (when the board has 4 Slots). When you have a RAM Kit of 2x 4GB you need to install them in Channel A or B. You cant install 1 module in Channel A and the other in B.

 

Example:

Channel A: Slot 1+3 (black)

Channel B: Slot 2+4 (blue)

 

 

When you have like 4x4GB you can just built them in the banks. 

When you have 2 Kits of 2x4GB you should  install the first kit in Channel A and the Secon in Channel B. It will work when you just build the ram in the 4 Slot without looking for the Channels. But it is tested with only one kit in the same Channel.

 

In the manual of your MoBo there is written how you have to install the ram with 1 module with 2,3 or with all 4.

[Alir]

The impression I got from Linus is that 1 set of four sticks are optimised for quad channel (mobos with 8 ram slots) and 1 set of 2 sticks are optimised for dual channel (mobos with four slots)

 

[WereCat]

Well... same color isn't same channel, same color means different channels in order to get multichannel

for example, we put two same sticks in blue, so one stick is in channel 0 and the other one in channel 1, enabling dual channel (2x64 bit bus= 128 bit bus).

If they were in the same channel then it'll run under single channel mode (1x64-bit bus)

You are right. I have it slightly mixed in my head. I dont even think about single cahnnel because dual channel is minimum requirement most likely so 2 same colored slots = 1 channel for me.

[Alir]

Oh so I'm using the word 'channel' incorrectly?

 

So will it be fine for me to just buy 1 set of 2 sticks now, and upgrade later if i need to?

 

I intended to buy 2 4gb sticks, totalling 8. And then upgrade later if i need to.

 

But the Linus filled me with doubt.