Dual channel memory kits versus buying 2 identical sticks and running dual chanel

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Deleted member 89137

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Hey, I'm wondering if anyone has any articles that shows why it's better to buy a dual channel kit over 2 identical single channel sticks. I know the dual channel kits are basically tested to work together and are usually sequential serial numbers, or close to it. I've heard some different things about single channel memory, specifically that it's generally not recommended to run them as dual channel as there can be some issues, but I'm struggling to find any articles that back this up. Also I've heard that single channel sticks are sometimes sold that way as the sticks were rejected for a dual channel kit.... not sure that one is true or not.
 
15 years ago there was no such thing as matched pairs. Then vendors started offering them for an admittedly small markup over two sticks, saying they verified they worked together.

I'm not saying no human being in history ever had a problem with buying two sticks that weren't CORSAIR CERTIFIED MATCHED but I never heard of it happening.

Trend stuck around and now instead of getting a discount for buying in bulk the RAM industry has figured out how to dupe people in to paying more for buying in bulk.
 
15 years ago there was no such thing as matched pairs. Then vendors started offering them for an admittedly small markup over two sticks, saying they verified they worked together.

I'm not saying no human being in history ever had a problem with buying two sticks that weren't CORSAIR CERTIFIED MATCHED but I never heard of it happening.

Trend stuck around and now instead of getting a discount for buying in bulk the RAM industry has figured out how to dupe people in to paying more for buying in bulk.
I have googled and googled but I can't really find any hardware news site that has tested if there is any benefit to buying kits versus buying 2 of the same sticks of RAM. Plenty of forum goers say that buying 2 sticks caused major issues, and buying a dual channel kit fixed it.... then there are plenty of people saying that is just a myth and those people probably got a bad stick
 
if they are the same batch with the same chips it shouldn't matter but different chips from a different batch could cause an issue. sometimes supply changes or idkw will cause manufacturers to change components between batches of the same model/part number. but ive only had that happen a couple times in 20+ years...
 
I've not had any issue with the same brand with matched voltages/speeds/cas, unless a module was actually bad. Sometimes I've come across situations where I couldn't match something, like brand or cas, but the situation required a solution and I just used mismatched memory, mostly successfully. The motherboard picks one way to run all of the modules, if the tolerance for the voltage/speed/cas exists then it will work. You'll get the slower of the timings and the lower of the speed/voltages, which can make a chip not run on occasion.
 
if they are the same batch with the same chips it shouldn't matter but different chips from a different batch could cause an issue. sometimes supply changes or idkw will cause manufacturers to change components between batches of the same model/part number. but ive only had that happen a couple times in 20+ years...

it is however highly unlikly
remember the fist round of consumer dual channels motherboards only had 3 dim slots
its very much possible to run unmatched memory in multi channes. the reason to avoid it is more theoretical and just for "just in case" rather than real world expericne based
 
it is however highly unlikely
remember the fist round of consumer dual channels motherboards only had 3 dim slots
its very much possible to run unmatched memory in multi channel. the reason to avoid it is more theoretical and just for "just in case" rather than real world experience based

notice my last sentence, its can and has happened, although rare.
 
notice my last sentence, its can and has happened, although rare.

yeah I was simply confirming. I think the pronouncing of the sentence didn't transfer well to written language and coud have been seen as an "attack" of the claim.
But I agree. iwas imply addin in some "anekdote" about t the old nforce 400 chipset
 
Over the years, I have bought single stick or two pairs, same model and pair them up without any problems at all. Not a single issue ever. YMMV, though.
 
I always wondered this as well. Ive mixed n matched in the past as well as the dual channel stuff. hmmm
 
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