-=PCTechTalk=- Re: help,bluescreen yikes

  • From: Gman <gman.pctt@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:15:56 -0400

Cristy,
    I don't recommend you seperately buy another stick and try to match the 
one you already got.  Chances are really, really good that the computer will 
not be impressed or convinced that it can run them in dual-channel mode 
since the info embedded within the sticks must match in all aspects before 
the mode will be upgraded.  You were told that you can bring it back if 
you're not happy and that's just what I would do.  But I would have them 
return it to the original condition it was in when you first walked into 
their store and return your money to you.  Then, I would order a matched set 
from the link I sent you (I made sure that every pair shown was specifically 
approved for use in your system by the system manufacturer).  It will save 
you a bunch of money, you'll learn how to install RAM (which is incredibly 
easy to do) and you'll know for sure that you finally got your money's 
worth.

    Assuming your system was running in dual-channel mode before you had 
your brother add the extra stick, adding a single stick anywhere (unmatched 
with an identical stick) would immediately take the system out of 
dual-channel mode, even if he had not moved one of the original sticks to a 
diffeent location.  So, the following wouldn't run in dual-channel either, 
even though the 1st & 3rd are matched.

Slot 1:  256MB
Slot 2:  512MB
Slot 3:  256MB
Slot 4:  0

    Having said that, adding the extra stick didn't hurt the performance 
because you still doubled the amount of memory available to your system. 
Dual-channel mode won't double the performance of a system like doubling the 
amount of memory will.  I don't know how to properly compare the two changes 
in numbers or percentages, but my guess would be that the overall effect of 
doubling the memory while taking it out of dual-channel mode would be 
somewhere around a 30-40% improvement.  Of course, if a matched pair of 
256MB sticks been installed in slots 2 & 4, it would have been a 100% 
improvement and dual-channel mode would have been preserved.  In other 
words, the overall effect was an improvement in performance, but not nearly 
what it could have been.

    When you first turn on or reboot a system (during the POST), you may be 
able to see info flash across the screen as the system wakes up (or 
refreshes).  One line of that info should tell you the mode in use by the 
installed memory.  Most OEM systems cover up this info with their logo.  On 
some of these logo displaying systems, you can press the ESC key to peek 
behind it.  I have no way of knowing if yours will or not, but that's how we 
can easily tell with most systems.  Otherwise, you'll need to use a utility 
like SIW to check the memory status.

    Finally, you should see a HUGE leap in responsiveness once this stuff is 
straightened out.              :O)

Peace,
Gman

"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cristy" <poppy0206@xxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 8:51 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: help,bluescreen yikes


> Gman,
>
> As per your email from last night:
>
> 'Specifically, a matched set of 1GB sticks installed into slots 1 & 3 or
> slots 2 & 4 would
> allow 2GB in dual-channel mode.  Any other combiniation of slots would 
> force
> the board back into single-channel mode which is how it's running right
> now.'
>
> So then you recommend I buy an additional stick of 1 gig memory to match
> the other I bought (unless I can return that one and get a better price
> online) and take out the older three sticks?
>
> So then, regardless of what slot my brother had put the extra stick of 512
> memory in (to add to the already installed two sticks of 256 that came 
> with
> the computer), it did not really improve any performance and may have in
> fact caused the computer to stop using dual-channel mode and to go into
> using single channel mode? (How do you know what mode it is performing in
> unless you look at the memory sticks and how they are placed then?  Will I
> notice a big improvement if I ever get this straightened out?
>
> thanks, 


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