512meg x 2 or 1gig

[Vamprey]

Is there really a big performance hit using 2 512meg sticks instead of 1 1gig stick? I think I read something about memory running at a slower rate with 2 sticks. Don't remember the technical reasons though.

[amnion]

Originally posted by Vamprey
Is there really a big performance hit using 2 512meg sticks instead of 1 1gig stick? I think I read something about memory running at a slower rate with 2 sticks. Don't remember the technical reasons though.

If your motherboard/chipset supports dual channel DDR you would probably get Better performance from 2 sticks, not sure about a chipset without dual channel support, I think the impact would not be that great...

[inspctr_gadget]

i think amnion is correct. if the mobo is a dual channel system, then you would benefit from 2 sticks of memory. if it is not a dual channel mobo then you could use either the 1 stick or 2 sticks and performance should be about the same.

from what i have read on some of the tech sites, when you start using extremely high density memory, then that can cause slowdowns. i read this on the corsair memory webpages i believe. they were mainly talking about memory greater than 1 gig.


gadget

checked some prices and 1 gig sticks are expensive!!! kingston valuram is $423 for a 1 gig stick. 2 sticks of 512 mb are about $185 total.

larger modules (i.e. 1 gig) are slower. They usually have more relaxed timings, and often times require ECC/Reg memory, which not all mobo's support. 1 gig sticks are pretty much for server use, and CAD-type workstations... If your board supports dual channel, def. get 2x512. They only recently (last 2-3 mo's) began shipping 1 gig sticks at pc3200 speeds, previously max had been around PC2700.

[TriX]

definitely go with 2 512s on a dual channel mobo. it works well.

good pc forum for that stuff http://www.hardforums.com

[Vamprey]

I did get an extra 512meg stick a few days before the last BOTR. It made a massive difference in cutting lag. The maps load a bit faster also. The raid on frame rate map a.k.a. Raid on Aghelia now plays very smooth most of the time. Sound card still a issue in face to face battles. This map went from ~6-9 fps to ~30-35 fps. Guadalcanal also went from ~6-12 fps to ~30-35 fps.