[TriLUG] Installing DDR2 Memory

Josh Vickery josh at vickeryj.com
Fri Mar 2 10:50:34 EST 2007


Since you have two matched DIMMs you won't hurt anything by putting
them in the wrong channel sockets.  The worst that will happen is that
you won't get dual channel support.  I would put one DIMM in each
channel, boot the machine, and go into the bios setup to see if dual
channel support is enabled.  If it isn't, I would swap one DIMM into a
different channel on the off chance that the sockets are not correctly
labeled.  Interestingly enough I just put together a Core 2 Duo
machine with an Asus motherboard, and the motherboard manual was very
clear that matched DIMMs should be spread across the two channels.  I
followed the instructions and the BIOS setup screen reports that dual
channel memory is enabled.

Josh

On 2/28/07, Carl Crider <c.crider at gmail.com> wrote:
> To be safe, I always follow the manufacturers specs.
>
> On 2/28/07, matt1027 <box1027 at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> >
> > I would like to ask about installing a matched pair of DDR2 memory
> > sticks on an Asus P5B Deluxe motherboard with a Core 2 Duo processor.
> >
> > The motherboard has two memory channels (A & B) and each channel has
> > two sockets.  The first socket in each channel is yellow (A1, B1) and
> > the second in each channel is black (A2, B2).
> >
> > The guy at ASUS phone tech support said to put both memory sticks in
> > the same channel, one in a yellow slot and one in a black slot.
> >
> > I found this Kingston site
> > <http://www.kingston.com/newtech/MKF_520DDRwhitepaper.pdf> which
> > says, "For the best dual-channel memory performance on motherboards
> > with the Intel dual channel DDR chipsets, you must use identically
> > paired memory modules in DIMM sockets 0 of channel A and B."  (Their
> > sockets are labelled as 0 and 1 instead of 1 and 2)
> >
> > I'm thinking that I should put the memory in separate channels but
> > the same socket number, ie. A1 and B1, which are both yellow.  Can
> > someone confirm this or correct and explain why not?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Matt
> >
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