3gb Memory Question

Helix86 · 30 Jul 2007 at 11:45

I'm currently running 1GB Geil memory in my desktop (2 x 512mb). Is it ok to slot in 2 more 1GB sticks in the two free slots? to make a total of 3GB memory?

Cheers

mattyrigby00 · 30 Jul 2007 at 12:55

wuyanxu · 30 Jul 2007 at 12:58

a related question:

will the 2x512MB + 2x1GB = 3GB configuration work in dual channel?

Helix86 · 30 Jul 2007 at 13:13

wuyanxu said:
a related question:

will the 2x512MB + 2x1GB = 3GB configuration work in dual channel?

That was what i was really after i suppose. I'd obviously match up the slots with the sticks?

ih8modem · 30 Jul 2007 at 13:58

speed?

assuming the same speed RAM there is no reason it won't, as you will have two independent channels.

Look at your board, it should tell you which slots belong to which channel.
Example in mine

DIMM1 - Channel A/1
DIMM2 - Channel B/1
DIMM3 - Channel A/2
DIMM4 - Channel B/2

so I would need to go :

DIMM1 - Channel A/1 - 1024MB stick
DIMM2 - Channel B/1 - 512MB stick
DIMM3 - Channel A/2 - 1024MB stick
DIMM4 - Channel B/2 - 512MB stick

V|per · 30 Jul 2007 at 15:15

if you are on a 32bit version of windows, not all of the ram will be detected in windows.... just to let you know

IT Troll · 31 Jul 2007 at 10:58

V|per said:
if you are on a 32bit version of windows, not all of the ram will be detected in windows.... just to let you know

Err, yes it will. That is the exact configuration I have; 2 x 1GB + 2 x 512MB GeIL. It is memory above ~3.12GB that you start having problems in 32-bit O/S.

V|per · 31 Jul 2007 at 19:20

odd that, i have 4gig on a 32bit version of win xp, and it's detecting only 2.75gig... i must have moe gfx memory than you

(i believe windows 32bit detects 4gig of ram, but that includes all the ram in you computer... cache, gfx, sound, everything...)

IT Troll · 31 Jul 2007 at 23:54

Ah yes, you are a victim of XP and your monster GFX card. With XP SP2 Microsoft reduced the available memory address range to "improve compatibility". I think it can only address ~3.5GB.

32-bit Vista is a bit better with its memory addressing so I would have thought you would see 3GB (or a bit more) with that. However, the O/S will gobble-up 1GB of it before you do anything.