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Memory compatability questions

S

superme1

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
147
Hey Hardforum

A long time ago, having an odd number of memory sticks caused the memory to not perform as well as having an even number. Is this still true?

They are the exact same models, brand, etc...3x2GB

Also, why is it that some RAM slots overclock better than others, on the same motherboard. My M4A78T-E says that for optimal overclocking, one should place the memory in the orange slots (there are 2 orange slots, 2 black ones).

Thanks for your help
 
It's only partially true and typically on platforms with dual channel memory controllers. Ideally, you need 2 or 4 modules for best performance. Newer Intel triple channel boards obviously are designed to run 3 modules. On your AMD board, you ideally need 2 or 4 modules.
 
So would I be better off just using 4GB of the 6 or leaving 6 in there?

Is the performance hurt, or its ability to overclock?

Thanks
 
superme1 said:
So would I be better off just using 4GB of the 6 or leaving 6 in there?

Is the performance hurt, or its ability to overclock?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The only way to know for sure is to compare both configurations doing what you built the machine to do.
 
yeah, I'm thinking that in the current OS climate your better off with 4GB of ram in dual channel. Win 7 is pretty good about using most of it and 4GB is a pretty huge amount of ram. at 4gb, an extra little bit of speed is probably more useful than the extra 2GB.

And the reason some sticks will over clock better than others is because the memory Add-in board manufacturers (AIBs), such as corsair or OCZ, don't actually manufacture the silicon on which the memory cells are found. They just supply a PCB (and they dont manufacture that either, gigabyte or foxconn usually does), the big memory vendors really just get shipping in order and act as a front end (which is more expensive than you might think).

The big memory silicon manufacturers are samsung, Hynix and Micron (parent company of Crucial). These companies are, just like Intel and AMD, and Nvidia and ATI, in a shrink race. Who can produce the smallest chips, with the highest yields, in the lowest power consumption, and just like the afformentioned companies, their constantly optimizing. When they're ready to bring a new optimization to market they'll usually do a small leap-frogging of the current competition. I remember the rave used to be all about the Micron (parent company of Crucial) D9s, which is a chip model, but it seems these days its all about this new hynix chip.
 
MrWizard6600 said:
yeah, I'm thinking that in the current OS climate your better off with 4GB of ram in dual channel. Win 7 is pretty good about using most of it and 4GB is a pretty huge amount of ram. at 4gb, an extra little bit of speed is probably more useful than the extra 2GB.
.
Click to expand...

It really depends on what the user built the machine to do and if he wants to OC at all.
 
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