2x2GB Kit OR 2x2(1GB) Kit

[zoinky]

Could someone knowledgable tell me if using a 4GB kit of ram (2GB per stick) is any better speed wise then purchasing 2 kits of 2GB(1GB per stick)
from my whole knowledge of dual channelling, Channel 1 and Channel 2 act seperately anyways so they should perform the same but best to ask just incase.

[dms70]

What do you intend to do? Most people will have more than enough ram with 2-4GB (what did Bill Gates say, something like 32mb of ram was more than enough, lol). Very few programs will require any more than this, and you will only get the full use of ram with a 64bit OS. For general use, I don't think there is any noticable difference in speed between a 1gb stick and a 2gb stick. Generally, it would be cheaper to buy 4 1gb sticks instead of 2 2gb sticks.

[risqu3]

by going 4x1gb you have more data access (4 pathways instead of 2) but by going 2x2gb you have more room for expansion later on.

[CodecX81]

If you are using a 32bit OS like Windows XP or Vista 32bit.. the most you can use is 2gb.. so 1x2 is for you.

If you are bold enough to be using a 64bit OS like Vista 64bit, 2x2gb is good, as you will be able to upgrade to a potential 8gb later on.

(meow)

[risqu3]

32 bit os's support up to 4GB, and beyond that you need 64 bit.


http://www.brianmadden.com/content/article/The-4GB-Windows-Memory-Limit-What-does-it-really-mean-

[Cafe_333]

32 bit os's support up to 4GB, and beyond that you need 64 bit.Support yes. Make use of, no. All 32bit OS's can only access 3-3.5 gb of it. :rolleyes:
To make use of all 4GB, you'll need 64bit.

[Sash[DSL]]

Don't bother with 2x2gb. If you got 4 slots, get 2x1gb now, then you can add 2x2gb later if you need to. Realistically it is very unlikely that you will, by the time 64 bit OS's really take off into mainstream you will have bought a system with DDR3.

[zoinky]

I think i will be brave and install vista 64 bit,
I definately will need 4GB of ram, i usually have about 4-8 copies of visual studio open and on top of all that i run virtual pc so i can never have enough ram, I think I will just install 4 1gb sticks
thanks for the advice everyone

[cereal83]

32 bit os's support up to 4GB, and beyond that you need 64 bit.

Umm yeah, I have a slackware system like 2 meters away from me with 64 GB of ram, it's a 32 bit OS so, yeah!

[zoinky]

anyone recommend which kits I should get
I will be running this on a P5K-E for GTX Ultra and Q6600

[Khrak]

Umm yeah, I have a slackware system like 2 meters away from me with 64 GB of ram, it's a 32 bit OS so, yeah!

Ya....

Except it's physically impossible to have simultaneous access to more then 4,294,967,296 memory locations on any 32bit operating system. HIGHMEM uses the 36-bit addressing feature of PAE processors. Essentially you are modifying the OS to run in 36-bit mode for memory access, allowing it to use 68,719,476,736 memory locations.