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mark30001

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#1 mark30001
Member since 2005 • 868 Posts
I know ram speed does'nt offer that much performance compared to a videocard, but is my single 2 gb DDR2 667 chip to weak and slow for gaming? Would it be better to have 2 chips at 1 gig each to equal 2 gb, instead of having a single chip at 2 gb? And should I get ddr2 1066mhz?
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KFC1000

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#2 KFC1000
Member since 2009 • 36 Posts
Not sure what the rest of your system spec is but generally it is best to run memory in pairs so you can run dual channel. With the low cost of DDR it is probally best to buy 2 x 2GB of PC8500 DDR2 (1066Mhz) than to upgrade what you currently have. Go for CAS 5 (5-5-5-15) as this is fast but due to their abundance is not ridiculously expensive. Good brands are Geil/G-skil/Corsair around $60 for 4GB.
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mark30001

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#3 mark30001
Member since 2005 • 868 Posts
Ok, thanks. So if you only have one ddr2 ram chip instead of 2 chips, it wont be ddr2?
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Threesixtyci

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#4 Threesixtyci
Member since 2006 • 4451 Posts
I really don't know where the 2 comes from in DDR2... but I'm fairly sure the name has very little to do with Dual Channel mode. Most likely the 2 in DDR2 is nothing more than a revision number and was added to show that it won't plug into a standard DDR slot. As for 1066Mhz: motherboard manuals will say to run the sticks in Single Channel mode for stability reasons. Will most likely say something about running 1066mhz in Dual Channel mode being a limitation of the CPU or something. Not to say it can't be done... it's just that they consider it "overclocking" if you run the sticks at 1066mhz (533 mhz) in a dual channel configuration. They want you to run your sticks in dual channel mode at 800mhz (400 mhz) instead.
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KFC1000

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#5 KFC1000
Member since 2009 • 36 Posts

Ok, thanks. So if you only have one ddr2 ram chip instead of 2 chips, it wont be ddr2?mark30001

DDR2 is the second generation of DDR ram, the current gen is DDR3. If you have one chip youwill be running in single channel but it always be DDR2. WRT running in dual channel this iscommon practice and in essence doublesyour bandwidth thus highly recommended.

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kjghs

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#6 kjghs
Member since 2005 • 947 Posts

do boards that support 1066 mhz memory and up support 800 mhz memory?

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Threesixtyci

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#7 Threesixtyci
Member since 2006 • 4451 Posts

They all should... At least, all the once I've seen on newegg's site are 800mhz based.

1066 is really a hype from a manufaturer standpoint... to sell them, I mean. Like I said earlier, the manual will tend to tell you that it only recommeded to use 1066mhz in single channel mode. And there is no toggle or jumper that activates Duel channel versus Single Channel. Channel selection is activated by which slots you install your sticks into and if they are of the same memory size. Which basicly means.... if you wanna follow their recommendations, half your DiMM slots on your board must be empty to activate 1066mhz via. their own recommendation.

As I understand it, the motherboard's bios won't adjust the settings automaticly to 1066mhz timing, if you plug the 1066 sticks in a dual channel configuration... It'll only actiavte it, itself, if you do a single channel configuration. But, you can still go in there yourself, and set the stuff manually.....

Also, considering their hidden recommendation (hidden because you don't know it's there until you read the manual in most cases. Newegg has a subnote on some the motherboards there, but not all of them; about the subject).... the loss of Duel Channel Mode turns the 1066mhz benefit, more of a substitution for dual channel mode. So, just about everyone ignores that manufacture recommendation, plugs inthe sticks into a duelchannel configuration,and overrides the memory timing settings, manually. Which is basicly the same as overclocking.

here's an example of the warning: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131320

DDR2 1066
*Due to AMD CPU limitation, DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU for one DIMM per channel only.newegg
That warning may not be on every DDR2 AM2+ board on their site... but it applies to all of them none the less. And will be stated in the manual for all them,as a surprise. heh... kinda a new meaning to buyer beware.

As for quickly finding out if your PC is in dual channel mode... CPU-Z is the fastest that I've found that will tell you: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php(Channels #)

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cornholio157

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#8 cornholio157
Member since 2005 • 4603 Posts

what motherboard do you currently have? i know my board supports DDR2 1066 but only on AM2+ CPUs which are the phenoms(quad cores).

i would check to see if your boardhas a limitation like this aswell.

also running RAM at 1066 you may have to change a setting in the BIOS, DTC unganed mode set to always. i had to do this for my RAM to be recognized as 1066 instead of 800.

you also may need to manually change the RAM speed to 533(1066). its in that format because DDR stands for double data rate so RAM rated at 533Mhz is actually 1066Mhz because its 533x2 on one stick.