Memory compatibility.

[Traveller]

Hi.

I would like to use 4 x 2GB DDR3 RAM sticks with my GA-890GPA-UD3H motherboard. I've already got 2 x 2GB DDR3 sticks, which are double-sided. What would be the better/safer option to take in terms of compatibility/performance? Purchase a further 2 x 2GB single-sided or double-sided sticks? The motherboard manual states "Dual channel memory architecture". Is that the same as double-sided?

Thanks.

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

Dual Channel and double sided are nothing at all to do with each other. Double and single saided are simply what they say. The  little PCB that takes the chips can be either loaded only on one side or both.

Dual Channel though is the way the modules are addressed nothing at all really to do with the modules themselves but to do with the motherboard and controller.

Check your manual for the specs but I expect that the safest thing to get would be two more modules the same as what you already have.

[absic]

Hi there,

Mixing memory is not always successful and it is often easier (and sometimes cheaper) to bite the bullet and buy a full 8GB matched kit.

That said I have, in the past, added RAM to my own systems and to others for friends as budgets have allowed and I have found it best to try and buy the same make, size and speed of RAM as those already installed. If you do this and keep them as matched pairs (a little dab of Tippex on the cooler helps keep them identified) you should be OK.

Double sided RAM is not the same as Dual Memory. Double sided means that the RAM modules has memory chips on both sides. Dual Channel mode is how the RAM talks to the Processor when you have more than one stick of RAM installed on the PC.

[Traveller]

Thanks for clearing that up very nicely, Dark Mantis/absic.

The old double-sided ones mentioned in my post are exactly the same model as the ones which I would buy to add. The single sided ones are almost the same, except that they're the most recent version. I will get the double-sided ones to match my old ones. Thanks.

[Dark Mantis]

Yes that would be the safest way to go although it still doesn't guarantee that they will work happily together but it is the best chance you've got.

[Traveller]

Hi. Just to update, I bought the ones which were identical to my old ones and added them next to my old ones and everything seemed to work fine, no problems. However, I only started up the pc, opened and closed a few programs and checked that the amount of RAM had increased in the system info, so no memory test or indepth trial. When I've got 4gb of RAM, it states 3.4gb memory and when I added another 4gb, it stated 7.2gb (or was it 7.3gb?) memory.

[Dark Mantis]

There can be several causes of this. Most of which are valid reasons for part of the memory to be unavailable.

[Traveller]

Hi Dark Mantis. I thought that would be the case but when I searched the Internet for 7.2gb or 7.3gb, I couldn't find anything to do with computer RAM showing this much, which I found was odd, so I was wondering why I've got these figures and no one else seemed to. Anyway, shouldn't it show how much RAM is physically installed and not what is being used??

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

What reporting program are you using that is giving you these figures anyway ?

Are you sure that it is the latest version available ?

[Traveller]

Hi Dark Mantis. It's within the operating system (Linux). It's like in the photo below.

http://www.watchingthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/image/ubuntusysmonitor8.png

[absic]

Hi there,

I hope the image you posted is not of your system as this is only showing 503.9 Mb of RAM! 

As DM has said earlier, there are many reasons for RAM seemingly to disappear and the most obvious one is if you are using the on-board graphics. This can take a starnge amount and leave figures such as 7.2Gb available.

The best way to see how much RAM is physically installed on your PC is to check during the POST phase (when you first switch on your PC from a cold start) as long as you have disabled the Show Fullscreen Logo option in BIOS then you will see the information about your processor and RAM displayed.

Another way to check the amount of RAM installed is to press the F9 key on the BIOS screen homepage. This brings up an information page with these details.

[Traveller]

Ok, thanks absic. Will have a check. Haha, that used to be more than anyone could ever need once upon a time!