Work speed personal computer directly depends on the correct selection and installation of all its components. Proper selection and installation of RAM memory modules is the most important guarantee of the success of your PC.
In a previous article, we looked at . In this article, we will consider the selection random access memory and its competent layout in the motherboard connectors.
Basic recommendations applicable to all types and types of memory:
- it is best to install DIMMs with the same amount of memory;
– the modules must match in operating frequency (Mhz), if you install modules with different operating frequencies, then in the end they will all operate at the frequency of the slowest memory;
– for installed RAM boards, it is desirable to combine timings, memory latencies (delays);
- it is better to select modules from one manufacturer and one model.
Some enthusiasts try to buy modules from the same batch, but this, it seems to me, is already a perversion!
These tips are not strictly followed, situations are different. If memory modules differ from each other in terms of manufacturer, volume and frequency of operation, this does not mean at all that they will not work. In this case, there are no special memory layout secrets - just installing them is enough.
Also, there are no special features when installing obsolete types of memory such as SDRAM (there is one rule - the more, the better).
But in modern computers, motherboards support special modes of operation of RAM. It is in these modes that the speed RAM memory will be the most efficient. Therefore, to achieve the best performance, you should consider the operating modes of the DIMMs and their correct installation. Let's look at the most common operating modes of RAM today.
Operating modes of RAM
SINGLE CHANELL MODE
single mode (single channel or asymmetric mode) - this mode is implemented when only one memory module is installed in the system or all DIMMs differ from each other in terms of memory size, frequency of operation, or manufacturer. It does not matter in which slots and which memory to install. All memory will run at the speed of the slowest memory installed.
If there is only one module, then it can be installed in any memory slot:
Two or three different memory modules can also be installed in any configuration:
This mode is more of a necessity when you already have RAM, and in the first place is increasing the amount of memory and saving money, and not achieving best performance PC. If you're just buying a computer, of course, it's best to avoid this kind of memory setup.
DUAL CHANELL MODE
dual mode (two-channel or symmetrical mode) - the same amount of RAM is installed in each DIMM channel. Modules are selected according to the frequency of operation. On motherboards, the DIMM slots for each channel are color coded. Next to them is the name of the connector, and sometimes the channel number. The purpose of the connectors and their location by channel must be indicated in the motherboard manual. The total amount of memory is equal to the total amount of all installed modules. Each channel is served by its own memory controller. System performance increases by 5-10%.
dual mode can be implemented using two, three or four DIMMs.
If two identical RAM memory modules are used, then they should be connected to the same-named connectors (in the same color) from different channels. For example, install one module in a slot 0 channel A, and the second - in the connector 0 channel B:
That is, to enable the mode dual channel(interleaved mode), the following conditions must be met:
– the same configuration of DIMM modules is installed on each memory channel;
– memory is inserted into symmetrical channel connectors ( slot 0 or slot 1) .
Three memory modules are installed in a similar way - the total amount of memory in each channel is equal to each other (memory in the channel A equal in volume in the channel B):
And for four modules the same condition is fulfilled. Two parallel dual modes work here, as it were:
TRIPLE CHANELL MODE
(three-channel mode) - the same amount of RAM is installed in each of the three DIMM channels. Modules are selected by speed and volume. Motherboards that support 3-channel memory typically have 6 memory slots (two for each channel). Sometimes there are motherboards with four connectors - two connectors make up one channel, the other two are connected to the second and third channel, respectively.
With six or three sockets, installation is as easy as with dual-channel mode. With four memory slots installed, three of which can work in , memory should be installed in these slots.
(flexible mode) - allows you to increase the performance of RAM, when installing two modules of different sizes, but the same frequency of operation. As in the dual-channel mode, memory boards are installed in the same-named connectors of different channels. For example, if there are two memory sticks with a capacity of 512Mb and 1Gb, then one of them should be installed in the slot 0 channel A, and the second - in the slot 0 channel B:
In this case, the 512MB module will work in dual mode with the 512Mb memory of the second module, and the remaining 512MB from the 1GB module will work in single-channel mode.
That, in principle, is all the recommendations for combining RAM. Of course, there may be more layout options, it all depends on the amount of RAM, motherboard model and your financial opportunities. Also on sale were motherboards with support quad mode memory work - this will give you the maximum performance of your computer!
The article received a lot of comments and many of them contain the question of how to figure out whether the dual-channel mode of operation with RAM is enabled or not.
I will reveal the secret of how to understand this simply and quickly with the help of one small program. Compare:
In the first case, Channels is Single, i.e. single channel mode. In the second case, Channels is Dual, i.e. dual channel mode. Accordingly, we can conclude that in the first case, either one 2GB RAM stick is installed, or 2 1GB sticks are installed incorrectly and the dual-channel mode is not activated.
Well, the name of the program has already burned down: CPU-Z .
But in order to understand in which slots you need to install memory modules, in order for the dual-channel mode to be activated, you will have to get into the manual for your motherboard. By the way, if the paper manual was lost or it was not there at all when buying a finished computer, then Cpu-Z on the Mainboard tab will tell you the manufacturer of the motherboard, and even its model. After that, in Google we are looking for the manufacturer's website, and there is already a manual for a specific motherboard.
Take for example the guidance from the mother Gigabyte boards GA-965P-DS3 (I just seem to have one somewhere) and open the section on RAM. Firstly, the pictures show how to install the modules, and secondly, it also tells about the two-channel mode:
Dual Channel Memory Technology
GA-965P-DS3/S3 motherboards support dual-channel memory technology. In dual channel mode throughput the memory bus is doubled.
On motherboards GA-965P-DS3/S3 has 4 DIMM slots. Each channel has 2 connectors assigned as follows:
- Channel 0: DDRII1, DDRII2
- Channel 1: DDRII3, DDRII4
If you are planning to use dual channel memory technology, please be aware of the limitations of Intel® chipsets:
- If only one DDRII memory module is installed, dual-channel mode is not implemented.
- To implement dual-channel mode when installing two or four memory modules (we recommend using memory modules of the same brand, the same size, with the same components and the same speed characteristics), install these modules in slots of the same color.
The table below shows the memory module placements that implement dual-channel mode (DS: double-sided module, SS: single-sided module, X: free slot):
The table immediately shows that to work in dual-channel mode, memory modules must be installed in slots 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. In general, to activate the dual-channel mode, the bars must be installed in different channels.
And in the manual to the mother Asus motherboard P5B Deluxe, on which I was asked a question, without plates and on English language you can find an interesting note:
- In channels A and B, you can install modules of different sizes (for example, 512MB and 1GB). In this case, the board will automatically activate dual-channel mode for 1GB of memory (512MB from channel A and 512MB from channel B), and single-channel mode will be used for the remaining memory.
Do you know that in modern motherboards for the i7 processor there is already a three-channel mode of operation with RAM? There, the modules are installed not even in pairs, but in triplets. 😉
Hello friends! I think many will agree that when building a PC, especially a gaming one, you should try to get the most out of the available components. However, this does not mean that you should ignore the possibility of improving the computer used for work - extra frequencies will never hurt.
One of the desirable conditions is the use of dual-channel RAM mode. You can read in detail about what it is.
When purchasing RAM, it is better to take not one large bar, but two smaller ones. In terms of price, it will not be much more expensive, but the computer will work faster, which is important for any user.
In this guide, I will tell you how to install RAM in dual-channel mode correctly and what you need to consider when doing this. At the end of the publication you will find a thematic video.
Design features of motherboards
Usually, on motherboards there are 2, 4 or 8 slots for RAM. In the first case, these are most likely budget solutions, with the most limited capabilities (I do not recommend contacting), in the second, medium and top-end ones, and in the last, the most expensive and sometimes server ones.
For RAM to work in dual-channel mode, you must install two (or how many of them you have) brackets in the correct slots, otherwise the option simply will not be activated. Naturally, it is necessary that the motherboard supports this option, which you should make sure before buying it.
Activation implies the use of an even number of memory modules (two, four or eight), preferably not very different in size, timings, frequency and other characteristics. 
Under these conditions, strips installed in paired slots for RAM will work in dual-channel mode. Usually they are marked in one color, and the other two are paired, respectively, in another (most often it is blue and black). However, this is not always the case.
In this case, you should look at the designation on the motherboard itself. Schematically it looks like this
- Channel A DIMM 0 - bar from the first pair;
- Channel A DIMM 1 - bar from the second pair;
- Channel B DIMM 0 - bar from the first pair;
- Channel B DIMM 1 is a bracket from the second pair.
If you have only two slats, respectively, leave the slots for the second pair empty. Roughly speaking, the slats should be installed through one - in most cases this will be the correct position. The same applies to the four memory modules that you are going to put on the motherboard with 8 slots.
If you have doubts about the correct location of the RAM, do not be too lazy to look into the documentation for the motherboard: everything is indicated there about the location of the slots and the correct installation of parts.
