Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: 360freq on September 28, 2012, 02:50:00 pm
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hello ~
planning now for a new pc build that will include the GA-970A-UD3 mobo, AMD FX-6100 and 16gb of DDR3 (2x 8gb sticks). eventually i'll run Win 7 64-bit , but for now i must use XP 32-bit.
*can the GA-970A-UD3 run a 32-bit system using only a single 8gb stick of memory?
of course it will access 3.2gb max and run in single channel mode. however, purchasing 4 x 4gb of memory will hinder me from adding more memory in the future for the Adobe CS suite and other apps.
-- thanks for replies..
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Just install the dual channel kit to have full performance ,not one stick.
The system will access only 4 Gigs of the full amount.
Windows will use 3+ Gigs while the components (video card controllers)l use the rest to 4 Gigs at BIOS level.
It will work with XP 32 bit ,but keep in mind you will install XP in IDE Mode ,there is no floppy.
You can additionally do a dual boot with Linux Mint ,Mandriva or Kubuntu at 64 bit.
Adobe works with 4 Gigs.
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As you are planning to upgrade to windows 7 i personaly would do the 1 stick of 8 gig BUT big but to, for good performance of windows 7 you need to hace a 2 x 8 gig ram in the same kit. Mix and match doesnt work so well.
Also as vezina stated you wont get good performance with 1 stick of 8 gig with windows xp. So you can buy a dual channel kit of 8 gig and use 1 stick till you upgrade to windows 7 then you can just add the other stick. I know you wil have a stick laying around till you install windows 7 but that way the ram matches.
I would just get windows 7 at 64 bit and use both sticks you will like it alot better i know you say all you have is windows xp now but windows 7 isnt expensive. I have 5 spare copy's of windows 7 for just in case.