2GB RAM and cookin' with gas!

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

OK, now I've known for a while that running with only 512MB RAM was the absolute low end for running SHIII, let alone GWX -- which clearly suggests in the manual that you meet the recommended system configuration requirements of SHIII (and not the minimum requirements). Especially if you're gonna use the 16km atmosphere mod, in which case they suggest exceeding the recommended requirements.

But 512MB was what I had, and had to work with, alas.

So . . .

My XO has been politely asking for a while (I'd say pestering, but . . . :p ) that we get a wireless router, so she can use her laptop anywhere in the house instead of being stuck at her desk (or borrowing our neighbors' wireless connection; with their permission, I'll add). So I surprised her this Saturday with a trip to Comp USA, to look at wireless routers. We picked out a nice one, but before we left I checked out RAM prices. Ick!

I'd started to walk away when she asked why I didn't pick out RAM. I told her why: around $260 for two 1GB sticks.

Her reply: "Would it help your game (meaning SHIII; she knows that's my 'game' :D ) run better?"

I shrugged and said something like, "A lot better, actually, yes." (Keep in mind she's occassionally seen how long it takes to pause the game to bring up Windows, or to bring the game back up from being minimized).

She grabbed my hand, dragged me back to the case and said, "Well, get them silly!"

:D :D

So now I'm running on 2GB RAM and WHOO!! Boy howdy! What a difference! No stuttering, no taking minutes to shift back and forth from Windows to SHIII. It still takes time to load up GWX, yes, but that's expected. But once up and running, there's no comparison between before and now.

Have I got a great XO, or what? :yep: :D

[Madox58]

Yep, She's a keeper! :up:
This also adds fuel to the thread on the Game engine limits! :yep:

[melnibonian]

You're a lucky man:yep:

Give her the Knight's Cross she deserves and enjoy 'your game';) :D :D :up:

[Vikinger]

Hehe Nice that you can play the game now whitout to much lag.

And your XO is an angel :D


But have it crossed your mind. When woman do things like that for a man you can surely expect that she want something in return. Maybe she have some suprise stored for ya :D :rotfl: :rotfl:

[horrgakx]

I've been singing the praises of 2Gb for a long time. You still get people who say "why bother, I've got 512k and it runs ok". Well, these people will be school boys with no money and they're bitter that mummy won't buy them some more RAM.

Get 2Gb, never look back.

Dave

[raduz]

And your XO is an angel :D





hi guys,

could you tell me - a non-native english speaker - what exactly the "XO" means? I understood it is a girl friend but whats the exact meaning of this two letters? thanx

[joea]

And your XO is an angel :D





hi guys,

could you tell me - a non-native english speaker - what exactly the "XO" means? I understood it is a girl friend but whats the exact meaning of this two letters? thanx

No no, XO means "Executive Officer" the US Navy term for the second in command. So Albrecht Von Hesse is comparing his lady to the XO, though usually they are actually the skipper but that's besides the point. :arrgh!:

[Vikinger]

And your XO is an angel :D





hi guys,

could you tell me - a non-native english speaker - what exactly the "XO" means? I understood it is a girl friend but whats the exact meaning of this two letters? thanx

No no, XO means "Executive Officer" the US Navy term for the second in command. So Albrecht Von Hesse is comparing his lady to the XO, though usually they are actually the skipper but that's besides the point. :arrgh!:

And i call my girlfriend for WO, coz she allways keep track of me what iam doing. :D

[raduz]

oh, I see:) thank you

[melnibonian]

And your XO is an angel :D





hi guys,

could you tell me - a non-native english speaker - what exactly the "XO" means? I understood it is a girl friend but whats the exact meaning of this two letters? thanx

No no, XO means "Executive Officer" the US Navy term for the second in command. So Albrecht Von Hesse is comparing his lady to the XO, though usually they are actually the skipper but that's besides the point. :arrgh!:

And i call my girlfriend for WO, coz she allways keep track of me what iam doing. :D
It's part of their DNA mate, they are WO/XO and all the Os together;) :D :D

[raduz]

I think they should be assigned to a kitchen, not to a command room...:-?

[melnibonian]

I think they should be assigned to a kitchen, not to a command room...:-?
Make sure you say these things when they cannot hear you. Because if they will......:p

[_Seth_]

I have already maxed out my RAM at the motherboard. Since i dont have PCI express, i can only use 2 gigs of ram at max....I definitely have to change motherboard...:nope: Cool chic, BTW!

[raduz]

I think they should be assigned to a kitchen, not to a command room...:-? Make sure you say these things when they cannot hear you. Because if they will......:p

he he you are right;) anyway, theirs duties should be strictly limited to a kitchen and a bed :lol::lol::lol:

[raduz]

I have already maxed out my RAM at the motherboard. Since i dont have PCI express, i can only use 2 gigs of ram at max....I definitely have to change motherboard...:nope: Cool chic, BTW!

two weeks ago I bought a new PC, I got now a core2Duo E6600 with 2 GB of RAM, 2xHDD 250 GB RAID, MB 5PB DELUXE and a brand new GTX8800... guys, I installed the SH3 and the GWX at 1600*1200 full details and it is working like dream, even in harbours with heavy traffic and with 16 km visual range. only lag I have seen was when I traveled at 1028TC near coast or harbours... but I tell you what : it is an amazing game if your hardware allows you to turn on all the features:rock::rock:before, I played it on a notebook, and it cannot be compared!

[Jimbuna]

Nice one Albrecht...I am fortunate enough to have such an equally valued XO by my side and as you now know... 2Gb :rock:

@raduz
Hasn't anyone told you that such careless talk can cost lives/wives :oops:
The galley is further aft, reort to cookie :arrgh!:

[_Seth_]

I have already maxed out my RAM at the motherboard. Since i dont have PCI express, i can only use 2 gigs of ram at max....I definitely have to change motherboard...:nope: Cool chic, BTW!
two weeks ago I bought a new PC, I got now a core2Duo E6600 with 2 GB of RAM, 2xHDD 250 GB RAID, MB 5PB DELUXE and a brand new GTX8800... guys, I installed the SH3 and the GWX at 1600*1200 full details and it is working like dream, even in harbours with heavy traffic and with 16 km visual range. only lag I have seen was when I traveled at 1028TC near coast or harbours... but I tell you what : it is an amazing game if your hardware allows you to turn on all the features:rock::rock:before, I played it on a notebook, and it cannot be compared!:o Do i dare ask you what you paid...ME LIKE, ME WANT!!!!:up:

[raduz]

@raduz
Hasn't anyone told you that such careless talk can cost lives/wives :oops:
The galley is further aft, reort to cookie :arrgh!:

you are totally right. I can only write so carelessly cause my good lady doesnt speak english:cool:

[stabiz]

Actually, I would sat 2GB ram is the recommended amount of ram. I have played it with 512mb, 1GB and 1,5GB, before getting two equal 1GB sticks. Oh, the joy.

[fredbass]

If anyone is considering upgrading or starting new, it would definitely be a wise decision to start with 2g.

A top end system can load a career in a 1-1/2 mins. :up:

[_Seth_]

RAM is your friend.. :up: Its like girls; you just cant have enough of it..!!

[Slick Rick]

I have a pentium 4 processor running at 2 ghz and 1 gb of ram.....How do I find out if my system will handle the extra Ram......

[raduz]

I have already maxed out my RAM at the motherboard. Since i dont have PCI express, i can only use 2 gigs of ram at max....I definitely have to change motherboard...:nope: Cool chic, BTW!
two weeks ago I bought a new PC, I got now a core2Duo E6600 with 2 GB of RAM, 2xHDD 250 GB RAID, MB 5PB DELUXE and a brand new GTX8800... guys, I installed the SH3 and the GWX at 1600*1200 full details and it is working like dream, even in harbours with heavy traffic and with 16 km visual range. only lag I have seen was when I traveled at 1028TC near coast or harbours... but I tell you what : it is an amazing game if your hardware allows you to turn on all the features:rock::rock:before, I played it on a notebook, and it cannot be compared!:o Do i dare ask you what you paid...ME LIKE, ME WANT!!!!:up:

Seth... dont even want to know :dead::o I made real my dream I had since I was 15... and I am afraid that was the last time...

[_Seth_]

:o Well, i hope the hardware is up to date for a while. IMO, after a year, all the hardware is old, and you need to upgrade....Really gets the money going..:nope:

[Vikinger]

I have a pentium 4 processor running at 2 ghz and 1 gb of ram.....How do I find out if my system will handle the extra Ram......

If you have a manual for your motherboard it should be listed in that somewhere.

But according to the processor you have i guess you have a quite new motherboard so i think you can whitout any problem increase it to 2 gig.

You can take a look at your motherboard and look for the slots where the RAM is installed.
Then you can se how many free slots you have left.

Nearly all motherboards have 4 slots. Most of the motherboard support up to 3 gig of ram.

But its real important if you plan to buy more ram that you get identical brand like the one you allready have. I use to say that the RAM should work in pair.

So its either 2x1024 ram to get 2 gig
Or 4x512 ram to get 2 gig.

It doesnt work so well to use 2x 512 and 1x1024

Another issue is also of your motherboard support dual channel ram.
If it does then it is a must that you have 2 identical memory sticks. From same brand and prefer, same batch.

[Vikinger]

:o Well, i hope the hardware is up to date for a while. IMO, after a year, all the hardware is old, and you need to upgrade....Really gets the money going..:nope:

I know. I use to upgrade my comp to the latest stuff once in a year. And a computer use to last for about 3 years. Then its time to upgrade the motherboard and when that happend you are about to upgrade to a hole new computer.

right now iam about to buy a new screen. Its gona be a flat one in zise of 22 or 24. But they are darn expensive.
Next on my list is to buy a new graphic card and after that a new HD.
The one i have now, a raptor have only 76 gig. But i need a bigger one. Gona get a western digital raptor 150 gig instead. The raptor HD is the fastest there is on the market.

[raduz]

:o Well, i hope the hardware is up to date for a while. IMO, after a year, all the hardware is old, and you need to upgrade....Really gets the money going..:nope:

thats correct. you know I didnt want to make my money going so I was waiting... but if you want to buy a really good PC for a reasonable price, you would be waiting forever...

[AVGWarhawk]

OK, now I've known for a while that running with only 512MB RAM was the absolute low end for running SHIII, let alone GWX -- which clearly suggests in the manual that you meet the recommended system configuration requirements of SHIII (and not the minimum requirements). Especially if you're gonna use the 16km atmosphere mod, in which case they suggest exceeding the recommended requirements.

But 512MB was what I had, and had to work with, alas.

So . . .

My XO has been politely asking for a while (I'd say pestering, but . . . :p ) that we get a wireless router, so she can use her laptop anywhere in the house instead of being stuck at her desk (or borrowing our neighbors' wireless connection; with their permission, I'll add). So I surprised her this Saturday with a trip to Comp USA, to look at wireless routers. We picked out a nice one, but before we left I checked out RAM prices. Ick!

I'd started to walk away when she asked why I didn't pick out RAM. I told her why: around $260 for two 1GB sticks.

Her reply: "Would it help your game (meaning SHIII; she knows that's my 'game' :D ) run better?"

I shrugged and said something like, "A lot better, actually, yes." (Keep in mind she's occassionally seen how long it takes to pause the game to bring up Windows, or to bring the game back up from being minimized).

She grabbed my hand, dragged me back to the case and said, "Well, get them silly!"

:D :D

So now I'm running on 2GB RAM and WHOO!! Boy howdy! What a difference! No stuttering, no taking minutes to shift back and forth from Windows to SHIII. It still takes time to load up GWX, yes, but that's expected. But once up and running, there's no comparison between before and now.

Have I got a great XO, or what? :yep: :D


Obviously your wife is the Kaleun as she had to give the OK for RAM. But that is OK because as long as your the first mate, that is all that matters! I run into the same thing:D Now you have the recommended 2 Gig for SH4:up:. BTW, do not ask for a transfer as your Kaleun is the best!

[Jimbuna]

@raduz
Hasn't anyone told you that such careless talk can cost lives/wives :oops:
The galley is further aft, reort to cookie :arrgh!:

you are totally right. I can only write so carelessly cause my good lady doesnt speak english:cool:

I sometimes wish mine didn't :rotfl:

[Tool]

Good info to know, as even with my new E6400 dual core and 1gig of dual channel, it takes about 1.5 minutes to load a GWX mission. I've been wanting to add another 1gig stick or 2 as it is.

Would be nice if SHIV was built to utilize a dual core cpu.. anyone know if that is in the works?

Tool

[Mooncatt]

well i run p4 3ghz processor
1.5gb ddr ram 400 frequency
asus p5p500 mobo
256mb ati x700 pro sapphire hybrid

how long do u reckon that will take to load gwx when i get it?????

[Vikinger]

Good info to know, as even with my new E6400 dual core and 1gig of dual channel, it takes about 1.5 minutes to load a GWX mission. I've been wanting to add another 1gig stick or 2 as it is.

Would be nice if SHIV was built to utilize a dual core cpu.. anyone know if that is in the works?

Tool

I wonder Tool, You say you have 1 gig of dual channel. So then you must have 1 pair of 512 sticks?

If you are gona upgrade to 2 gig i suggest you get rid of thos 2 512 sticks and buy 2 new 1 gig sticks instead.

Ive had major problem whit dual channel when i tryed to use some older sticks i had whit some new, even if they where same brand. Its more difficult for a computer to handle 4 512 sticks than it is for 2 1024 sticks.
Its very sensitive to get dual channel to work correctly.

Whit thos 4 512, (same brand) The computer refused to start whit that configuration.

If i wanted it to work whit 4 sticks i had to have 4 sticks that was more or less manufactured same day and from same batch.

But some motherboard are more sensitive than others.

[Biggles]

I'm confused....was the girl your girlfriend,wife, or daughter?:doh:

anyway, 2GB RAM is a real treat to have. belive me: I know.....:up:

[scalelokt]

Just for the record, I'm playing on a 3ghz processor with 1.5 gigs RAM and an Nvidia 6800GT OC

Game runs perfectly. I dont have resolution up to 1600 (never downloaded the software to make it happen) but it runs perfectly with all setting maxed out. I'll upgrade to 2 gigs RAM at some point, but for now its smooth sailing :up:

[3Jane]

I have a pentium 4 processor running at 2 ghz and 1 gb of ram.....How do I find out if my system will handle the extra Ram......

Download SiS Sandra 2007. It will tell you everything about your system, including the maximum memory capacity of your MB.

[EM2(SS)]

Wow 1.5 minute load times on SH3.

Think I know where my tax return money is going!

[bigboywooly]

This is a good site

http://www.crucial.com/index.asp

Run the Scan my computer and it will give you your max memory allowed as well as what you have installed

[Dallass_Drake]

In always thought only the most recent PC's could make use of more than 1GB of RAM, but Crucial (Thanks for the link) says my motherboard can handle up to 3GB :arrgh!: If it really improves performance I may have to buy some more, I can't stand these long loading times with GWX :down:

[Zero Niner]

You lucky salt-encrusted sea dog you!!! <jealous>
:up:

[GT182]

AVH, that's one XO/Warden/Betterhalf to hang on to. I wish I was that lucky. I have to fight to get upgrades... and a whooole lot of other stuff too. ;)

AVH and Dallass, Curcial also says that matched stick pairs are the best to use. ;)

[Vikinger]

In always thought only the most recent PC's could make use of more than 1GB of RAM, but Crucial (Thanks for the link) says my motherboard can handle up to 3GB :arrgh!: If it really improves performance I may have to buy some more, I can't stand these long loading times with GWX :down:

More RAM you have the faster will your computer be.

Windows have never been good to fully use all RAM. Instead it create a temporary file on your hard drive that is called virtual memory.
So instead of using your ram it write a temporay file/files to your harddrive and that will slow down your computer a lot if you have a slow HD when its gona read and write to it.

But if you increase your ram then windows have more space of ram to use before it use that virtual memory. So if you have tons of ram the virtual memory wont kick in so fast. There is a quite difference whit memory at 400+MhZ speed than a slow HD at 66-133 MhZ speed.

And if you have more than 2 gig ram you can allways disable the virtual memory from windows but that require more knowleadge and i wont explain how it works.
There is some danger to disable it also.

[johnno74]

And if you have more than 2 gig ram you can allways disable the virtual memory from windows but that require more knowleadge and i wont explain how it works.
There is some danger to disable it also.

Not a good idea to disable virtual memory. This debate has been going on for ages. If you disable virutal memory if an app requests memory from the OS then doesn't do anything with it then that memory is wasted. If you have virtual memory enabled then windows is smart enough to realise that the memory is better off used by another app (or by the disk cache) so it pages out that memory and lets something else have it.

Your computer *will* seem more responsive without virtual memory, but if you run out of physical ram, apps will crash. I have 2gb ram, and SH3 (with GWX) usually gobbles up 1-1.5gb of ram. I don't bother closing down browsers, email etc before starting SH3, and my wife is usually logged in as well (via fast user switching). My system uses a lot of virtual memory...

Windows can sometimes page stuff out to virtual memory a bit early for my liking which is a bit annoying (XP may well be tuned for way less than 2gb memory, 2gb was unheard of when xp came out.. 6 years ago) but overall its not too bad.

Don't worry about it reporting a lot of "free" memory. Its not that stupid, the free memory is used for a disk cache, and what ends up happening is the most used bits of the virutal memory pagefile are always in the disk cache.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

I showed my XO all of your nice comments. Made her blush. :D

Then I said, "Gee sweety, just think what they'd all say if I got that $499 video card too!"

I'm still rubbin' the bump on me noggin. ;)

[bookworm_020]

Stop making us jelous!!:shifty: I hope you treat her right! Take her out for dinner, do something she likes (even if you don't like it, just don't say it!)

You never know when you need the chps to fall your way in the future!

[FIREWALL]

I won't ask what you paid for 2 gigs of ram
But when she's a girlfreind it's Firstmate.
When it's a wife it's an ........ADMIRAL

and don't you ever forget it. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[horrgakx]

Good description of the memory Vikinger!

Of course, those of us who grew up with DOS know all about memory. Trying to shuffle the order that the 16k mouse driver loads to compact it all down - the XMS and the EMS specs ... ahhh they were the days. Kids these days have it all easy :)

And then of course I started with a 1K ZX81. Now THAT was computing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81


Dave

[johnno74]

Good description of the memory Vikinger!

Of course, those of us who grew up with DOS know all about memory. Trying to shuffle the order that the 16k mouse driver loads to compact it all down - the XMS and the EMS specs ... ahhh they were the days. Kids these days have it all easy :)

And then of course I started with a 1K ZX81. Now THAT was computing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81
Dave

Heh that brings back memories. I had a ZX81, with the extra 16kb ram pack (oooh...!)

It was a cartridge thing that plugged into the expansion port on the back. Problem was it the slightest touch of the ram pack, or even knocking the desk the thing was on was often enough to disturb the connection enough to cause a crash or a reboot. :damn:

I spent many, MANY hours typing basic programs out of magazines onto that crappy keyboard. I lusted after a ZX spectrum, with its fancy colour graphcs and 48kb of memory.

Now, 25 years later I have a spectrum emulator on my cellphone. And, ironically the keypad is easier to use.

But horrgakx is right - you haven't really lived until you've battled config.sys and autoexec.bat, manually loading your device drivers and finding the optimal load order by hand... and battling emm386, trying every high memory window address option there was, just to get enough conventional memory free to play x-wing and the like :|\\

[Tool]

I wonder Tool, You say you have 1 gig of dual channel. So then you must have 1 pair of 512 sticks?

If you are gona upgrade to 2 gig i suggest you get rid of thos 2 512 sticks and buy 2 new 1 gig sticks instead.

Ive had major problem whit dual channel when i tryed to use some older sticks i had whit some new, even if they where same brand. Its more difficult for a computer to handle 4 512 sticks than it is for 2 1024 sticks.
Its very sensitive to get dual channel to work correctly.

Whit thos 4 512, (same brand) The computer refused to start whit that configuration.

If i wanted it to work whit 4 sticks i had to have 4 sticks that was more or less manufactured same day and from same batch.

But some motherboard are more sensitive than others.


I'm running Crucial DDR2 667 in a 1 gig stick on an Intel 965LT MB with a dual core E6400 (2.13 ghz). So as far as I understand it, I'm running just one stick of dual channel... correct me if I'm wrong.

[Tool]

Good description of the memory Vikinger!

Of course, those of us who grew up with DOS know all about memory. Trying to shuffle the order that the 16k mouse driver loads to compact it all down - the XMS and the EMS specs ... ahhh they were the days. Kids these days have it all easy :)

And then of course I started with a 1K ZX81. Now THAT was computing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81
Dave

Heh that brings back memories. I had a ZX81, with the extra 16kb ram pack (oooh...!)

It was a cartridge thing that plugged into the expansion port on the back. Problem was it the slightest touch of the ram pack, or even knocking the desk the thing was on was often enough to disturb the connection enough to cause a crash or a reboot. :damn:

I spent many, MANY hours typing basic programs out of magazines onto that crappy keyboard. I lusted after a ZX spectrum, with its fancy colour graphcs and 48kb of memory.

Now, 25 years later I have a spectrum emulator on my cellphone. And, ironically the keypad is easier to use.

But horrgakx is right - you haven't really lived until you've battled config.sys and autoexec.bat, manually loading your device drivers and finding the optimal load order by hand... and battling emm386, trying every high memory window address option there was, just to get enough conventional memory free to play x-wing and the like :|\\

Ahhhh yea... nothing like editting the autoexec and config to get that critical 620K I needed to run Falcon 3. These kids today don't know how nice they have it.. that and spending $2100 for my 486dx33 with 8 megs of RAM (RAM was $50/mb back then), and a 1mb svga video card. FAST!! :cool:

Tool

[melnibonian]

Good description of the memory Vikinger!

Of course, those of us who grew up with DOS know all about memory. Trying to shuffle the order that the 16k mouse driver loads to compact it all down - the XMS and the EMS specs ... ahhh they were the days. Kids these days have it all easy :)

And then of course I started with a 1K ZX81. Now THAT was computing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81


Dave
You have me on the memory lane now. Yes trying to load up the games on tape recorders and having to wait for hours till you play once was something to experience (especially when the loading procedure stopped at 99% after half an hour of loading). Now we have fast RAM fast graphics cards and games who's graphics we couldn't even imagine back then. I guess we're lucky. We say the humble beginings and now we see what computers can potentially do;) :D :D

[horrgakx]

Hellishly off on a tangent now, but does anyone remember Racing Destruction Set on the C64? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_Destruction_Set It had 4 tapes and it pulled bits off each but you had to play one from start to finish, and if it failed to load you didn't know where the hell you were. My C64 nearly went through the 1701 monitor many a time :damn:

I remember x-wing on the PC too, and having multiple boot-setups for each game ;)


Dave

[stabiz]

:rotfl:

[Vikinger]

I wonder Tool, You say you have 1 gig of dual channel. So then you must have 1 pair of 512 sticks?

If you are gona upgrade to 2 gig i suggest you get rid of thos 2 512 sticks and buy 2 new 1 gig sticks instead.

Ive had major problem whit dual channel when i tryed to use some older sticks i had whit some new, even if they where same brand. Its more difficult for a computer to handle 4 512 sticks than it is for 2 1024 sticks.
Its very sensitive to get dual channel to work correctly.

Whit thos 4 512, (same brand) The computer refused to start whit that configuration.

If i wanted it to work whit 4 sticks i had to have 4 sticks that was more or less manufactured same day and from same batch.

But some motherboard are more sensitive than others.


I'm running Crucial DDR2 667 in a 1 gig stick on an Intel 965LT MB with a dual core E6400 (2.13 ghz). So as far as I understand it, I'm running just one stick of dual channel... correct me if I'm wrong.

Some nice stuff there but if you only have 1 stick of ram it cant possible be running in dual channel. So your computer runs it as a normal memory stick and you dont take advantage of the dual channel option. Dual channel is 1 pair of sticks (2 of them) And they work together.

Easiest way to tell if your computer supports dual channel is to check your motherboard if it has the memory slots for 4 modules . Thos memory slot are in different colour. 2 of them are blue and 2 of them are black. The blue and black slots as two pairs of dual-channel memory configuration.

If you plan to buy 1 more memory stick then i suggest you take the one you have to the store and show them it so you get identical pair.

Then when you plug them in you have to place them in the blue slots. or the black slots for it to work and then the BIOS will handle the configuration for you so you just have to press the start button on your compouter :)

But be carefull when you handle the memory stick coz they are sensitve to static electric shock.

[Hartmann]

Sh3 could run in my old 486 at 100 mhz and 4 mb memory.(still running if needed)

well , to be exact not only one... :doh:


twenty 486 100 mhz computer > 2000 mhz

130 old 486 with 4 mb each > 520 mgs of ram

[Tool]

I wonder Tool, You say you have 1 gig of dual channel. So then you must have 1 pair of 512 sticks?

If you are gona upgrade to 2 gig i suggest you get rid of thos 2 512 sticks and buy 2 new 1 gig sticks instead.

Ive had major problem whit dual channel when i tryed to use some older sticks i had whit some new, even if they where same brand. Its more difficult for a computer to handle 4 512 sticks than it is for 2 1024 sticks.
Its very sensitive to get dual channel to work correctly.

Whit thos 4 512, (same brand) The computer refused to start whit that configuration.

If i wanted it to work whit 4 sticks i had to have 4 sticks that was more or less manufactured same day and from same batch.

But some motherboard are more sensitive than others.


I'm running Crucial DDR2 667 in a 1 gig stick on an Intel 965LT MB with a dual core E6400 (2.13 ghz). So as far as I understand it, I'm running just one stick of dual channel... correct me if I'm wrong.

Some nice stuff there but if you only have 1 stick of ram it cant possible be running in dual channel. So your computer runs it as a normal memory stick and you dont take advantage of the dual channel option. Dual channel is 1 pair of sticks (2 of them) And they work together.

Easiest way to tell if your computer supports dual channel is to check your motherboard if it has the memory slots for 4 modules . Thos memory slot are in different colour. 2 of them are blue and 2 of them are black. The blue and black slots as two pairs of dual-channel memory configuration.

If you plan to buy 1 more memory stick then i suggest you take the one you have to the store and show them it so you get identical pair.

Then when you plug them in you have to place them in the blue slots. or the black slots for it to work and then the BIOS will handle the configuration for you so you just have to press the start button on your compouter :)

But be carefull when you handle the memory stick coz they are sensitve to static electric shock.

Hmm, interesting to learn. Yea, this board has 4 slots (Intel BLKDP965LTCK LGA 775 Intel P965) and will support 8gig of RAM, and although I build all my machines, I never knew you needed 2 sticks for it to be true dual channel. I'll just pop on newegg and order another stick of this:
Crucial 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) System Memory $129.99

Twin to the RAM I ordered for this rig at the end of October. Gotta love Newegg.

Simple enough.. :cool:
Tool.

[Vikinger]

Hmm, interesting to learn. Yea, this board has 4 slots (Intel BLKDP965LTCK LGA 775 Intel P965) and will support 8gig of RAM, and although I build all my machines, I never knew you needed 2 sticks for it to be true dual channel. I'll just pop on newegg and order another stick of this:
Crucial 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) System Memory $129.99

Twin to the RAM I ordered for this rig at the end of October. Gotta love Newegg.

Simple enough.. :cool:
Tool.


If you have your manual for your motherboard you can read about it there how to set it up properly. It should also be some table there that describe it. If you put the module/modules in wrong slot the computer wont start.

But from my manual its says:

1. Dual channel mode will NOT be Enabled of only one DDR memory module is installed.

2. To Enable Dual Channel mode whit 2 memory modules (its recomended to use memory modules of identical brand. size, chips and speed), you must install them into DIMM sockets of same colour.


So if you get 1 more module place them into the blue DIMM socket first.
If your computer refuse to start after you have installed them. Then try to swap the modules on the 2 blue slots. if that not work you might try to install them on the black DIMM slot.
If that does not work you might have got/bought wrong module. Even if it is same brand it can be a slight difference between them. In that case, go back to the store and try to get an other one.
In worst case you might be forced to buy 2 new modules from same batch.

PS: Sorry for hijacking this thread to discuss computer stuff :D I dunno how it started hehe.

[Tool]

We're still on track, as we are talking about RAM, heheh.

You mentioned the manual, and this board didn't come with a paper manual, so I haven't even looked at it. I'll check out the manual on the CD and see what it says about that though. Thanks for the info.. I learned something new today.

Tool.

[Slick Rick]

I went to crucial's site as previously recommended...thanx for that link!! and my system can handle up to 2 GB of ram...so I purchased it right from their site....I have to stop reading threads like this....it usually ends up costing me money ..... :yep: :yep:

[Jimbuna]

I went to crucial's site as previously recommended...thanx for that link!! and my system can handle up to 2 GB of ram...so I purchased it right from their site....I have to stop reading threads like this....it usually ends up costing me money ..... :yep: :yep:

Click on my sig for a cut price deal on a GWX download...I'm over the 1000 mark and by way of celebrating I'm offering the next 1000 at half price :cool: :up: