new stick, use it or not?

Terrier_Jimlad

Terrier_Jimlad

Terrier_Jimlad

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I currently have 2x1GB 6400 dual channel sticks (Make: Team Elite) in my rig at the moment, running 32Bit Vista (and I kinda want to move to x64)

I have just been given a brand new stick, its the single stick 2GB version of the 2x1gb sticks I have ...

My question is, shall I use it and have:

1GB - slot 1
1GB - slot 2
2GB - slot 3
empty - slot 4

or will I have performance issues? I would like to go 4GB for x64 so i dont mind changing the 2gb stick for 2x1 ... or shall i just bit the bullet and get 2x2gb, i think OC have some good 4gb deals at the moment?

Thanks
 
well I popped it in, and started doing some boot up tests ... no difference in boot up times to either a login screen or loading the desktop ... only two things i've noticed:

1) base score for RAM went down 0.1
2) BIOS now shows FLEX mode instead of DUAL CHANNEL mode

Oh well, might as well throw it in the bin lol
 
You will lose dual channel mode - but fortunatly newer boards can run flex mode which is only about 20% slower than dual channel - if you were dropping back to single channel you'd lose a lot more performance.

I would still rather run dual channel mode personally tho.
 
the other way to look at it if you purchase another stick of the same ram 2gig you would have 6 gig which by all accounts is the sweet spot for vista 64 bit
better still it would all be running in dual chanel mode.
 
With 32 bit Vista (or 32 bit xp for that matter) you wont notice any difference. It's can't use more that 3GB anyway (or 3.5 or less, dependant on your motherboard). Also, you lose dual channel mode. Unless you upgrade to 64 bit Vista and get another same stick as the 2GB module, not really worth it imo.
 
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