RAM question

Okay I have a dual channel system and I read that 2 x 512mb runs faster than 1 x 1gb in this pc building bible magazine thing. Is this true?

I remember hearing that you should consolidate ram as much as possible (although this was after I bought my 4 x 512mb setup). So would I be correct in assuming that 4 x 512mb is faster than 2 x 1gb?

 

Okay I have a dual channel system and I read that 2 x 512mb runs faster than 1 x 1gb in this pc building bible magazine thing. Is this true?

that is true only if you are running DDR ram and put the ram into the coresponding slots.

As for you quetion "I remember hearing that you should consolidate ram as much as possible (although this was after I bought my 4 x 512mb setup). So would I be correct in assuming that 4 x 512mb is faster than 2 x 1gb?"

i dont think thats is correct but please feel free to correct me

 

Running in pairs in quicker if you have dual channel (not DDR). What essentially happens with dual channel is one stick does half the work while the other stick does the other half. Of course both sticks are maxing out their own bandwidth thus making things go faster. So yes running 2x512's is faster then running 1x1GB. Please note that due to over head in splitting the work load you will not see thigns going 2 times faster, even though it's two sticks doing the work of one. Although it is still significantly faster.

However running 4x512 is not faster then running 2x1GB simply because you only have two channels. Which is why it's called dual channel and not quad channel. In otherwords, in a 4x512 setup, each stick would do some of the work, but it wouldn't be quicker because there is only two channels, so each group of two sticks would share bandwidth, meaning splitting the work up between the four sticks would actually be slower then using two 1GB sitkcs. It would be slower because the overall bandwidth would remain the same but it would still waste a little time splitting it between the four sticks for no real reason. Although this slow down would go virtually unnoticed. In other words for practicle purposes running 4x512 or 2x1GB is basicly the same, but running 2x1GB would be perfered because of less over head and it would also leave you with room to upgrade in the future.

 

Makes sense, thanks much for the replies