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Solved: Dual Channel/Single Channel RAM Question

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  bhc7447 
#1 ·
I'm facing an unusual predicament at the moment. I currently have Windows 7 Ultimate installed on my custom tower. The tower runs an Intel Pentium 4 2.80 ghz, the OS is 32 bits, and initially was installed with one gig of RAM (2 512MB sticks) dual channel (DDR [1]).

Windows 7 wasn't sluggish, surprisingly, and I used the upgrade advisor to determine if my system was ready and I found it was. I was hoping to add a little "juice" so I tore into an old system and found a 1GB stick of DDR RAM. Now, I can change the dual channel configuration to single channel operation and run 2Gigs of RAM or I can keep the dual channel at 1Gig.

I've read on Tom's Hardware that the difference wasn't noticeable in dual vs. single but I also know that my processor was built for dual channel. Are there any recommendations? Make the single channel upgrade or keep the dual channel configuration?

At some point I will likely purchase another chip but for the time being I'm curious about anyone who has been in my position or knows memory well enough.

Thanks for any input!
 
#2 ·
depends on you applications. When math is very important, dual channel might out weigh more RAM. If the system is generally sluggish, then more RAM is more important than dual channel.

Honestly, With Vista/ 7... I'd bump to 2GB period.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the input. Obviously, I'd prefer to utilize dual channel when I can but for the time being prioritizing is the point. I don't do any gaming, just multitasking- movies, browsing, downloading, etc.

And, just for any of those people who were thinking about migrating to Windows 7, it's a gigantic improvement from Vista. The OS is not nearly as sluggish, the system requirements are pretty basic, and I've had a very pleasant experience thus far. Like anything else, though, I want to try to maximize the potential of my PC and this OS.

Are there any other opinions on this particular topic before I close it out with a "mark as solved?"
 
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