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Random Access Memory (RAM) Devoted to system memory of all types, including but not limited to FP, EDO, RD, SD-RAM, DDR SD-RAM and DDRII SD-RAM.

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Old 05/04/08, 22:05
dlf dlf is offline
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2+ GB of RAM

Probably seems silly, but would it be at all possible to find RAM that is lest a gig but NOT dual channel? This computer -- despite being (In my opinion) being very powerful & small -- canNOT read dual channel RAM, and ironically that's all i've been seeing in the ads lately.

May help if you have my RAM info:


Last edited by dlf : 05/04/08 at 22:50.
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Old 06/04/08, 05:12
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There's actually no such thing as "Dual Channel RAM". Dual Channel is a memory controller feature (as opposed to a RAM feature) that works in conjunction with paired memory modules. Normal SD-DRAM memory module have a 64-bit wide interface or channel. A Dual Channel memory controller uses an interleave or tile technique to achieve an effective interface width of 128-bit across two channels. To the RAM itself, this operation is completely transparent.

What you see marketed as Dual Channel RAM is just two paired modules. If you inspect the packaging you'll note that the memory manufacturer will guarantee that the modules will work in a Dual Channel configuration. This is nothing special; provided that modules have the same chip densities, dual channel should work fine with even the cheapest memory.

In Intel systems, the memory controller is integrated into the North Bridge, so Dual Channel is a motherboard fearture. You're even further off the mark than you think however, because in the case of an AMD/nForce 4 platform, the memory controller is integrated into the CPU.

To put it another way; even if Dual Channel is not supported by the platform, a "Dual Channel RAM" pack will still work because it is just two ordinary modules. The majority of problems with high performance memory kits is caused by timings that are too tight. Memory modules provide information about how they should be configured to the memory controller via an SPD (Serial Presence Detect) chip on the module itself. Sometimes the settings they provide will not work because the motherboard is not providing ideal conditions, and the system will not boot. This is pretty easily resolved however, but overriding SPD and manually configuring the modules to run at more relaxed timings prior to installing the new RAM.

Looking at your screenshots, there's two possibilities why Dual Channel will not work for you:
  • You appear to have an nForce 410 chipset, which implies a Socket 939 Athlon 64 or Sempron, both of which support Dual Channel. However, AMD architecture is very flexible; you could have a Socket 754 processor, in which case, Dual Channel is not supported.
  • Your memory is not matched. It appear that you have two modules of mismatched sizes, with mismatched layouts.
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Old 06/04/08, 05:16
dlf dlf is offline
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Actually my system is a AMD dual core 3800+. asus pyrite is the mother board; if it helps. . . . I should take a shot of what PC wizard says of the system, hold on. I am doing something else though.

More pics (not using PC wizard though):







Last edited by dlf : 06/04/08 at 05:47.
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