I will probably be upgrading my RAM sooner or later, and I was wondering what my best option was. Right now I have Kingston HyperX 2X512. Total of 1G or RAM. Well I was planning to upgrade later and get Kingston HyperX 2X1024 and then I'd have a total of 3G's. Would I be better off running JUST the 2G's in Dual channel? I heard that if you fill up all 4 DIMM's it runs slower than with just 2. I'm at a deliema.
byron02, this is sort of my dilemma, too. I have a 2x512 configuration. I want another Gig but to do so I must either run a 4x512 configuration or get rid of my new RAM and go 2x1 Gig kit. I did TONS of research and asking questions on several sights and this is what I can tell you: 1. Ask your motherboard manufacture if their will be any stability issues with a 4x512 configuration or a 3 Gig issue. My manufacture assured me that with the latest BIOS it will run fully stable at sock settings. I found somebody soon after who is running 4x512 with the same mobo as me and it is running great. 2. Where a 4x512 configuration gets tricky is when you want to overclock. I can't imagine what 3 Gigs will require. 3. Yes, you will need to run in 2T but many, many people have told me that you will barely see a hit on performance. Then went on to say even at stock settings another Gig is well worth it and you will see considerable performance improvement. 4. Yes, 4 Gigs, believe it or not is NOT optimal. I certainly would look into a 3 Gig set-up as well.
2T is the Command Rate. To be honest I am still learning all this but I have been told time and time again that 2T is what your RAM needs to be set to if using a 4x512 configuration. Strange thing is that a 2x1 gig setting (2 1 gig sticks) is 1T. I haven't the slightest idea for 3 gigs. If you went 3 gigs you'd have to buy 3 one gig sticks anyway. Don't know what the command rate would be for this.
I wouldn't have to buy 3 gig sticks. I have 2 512's now. and If I bought 2 1g sticks... I'd have 3 gigs.
I would really check to see if a gig of 2x512 will work with 2x1 sticks of RAM. You'll be using 4 slots and I'm not sure how stable this configuration will be. I'm not sure if it will even work, but there are tens of thousands of people who are a lot more knowlegable than me.
