Single Sided Memory

[PodHunter]

Some main boards, in my case the EG41MF, have memory slots that for maximum capacity may use only single-sided memory sticks.

No supplier identifies their memory modules as single or double sided.  This information appears not to be available from the manufacturers.  It also seems that Gigabyte fails to give correct information to vendors: for example, the Crucial memory advisor told me to purchase 4x a particular module, which subsequently failed to work.

How does Gigabyte expect us to populate a board with RAM that is not available?

Regards, etc. Jon Summers

[R_N_B]

Not sure why you think you can only use single sided memory.

What is confusing you is the stuff on their web page in red, am I right?

What they are actually saying is this.  If you are going to use all 4 ram slots then use single sided memory. But why on earth would anyone want to use all four slots, since 2 x 2 GB ram kits are readily available.

Or do you want to have more ram than that?

Remember only 64 bit OS will use more than 3.4 Gb of ram. Hope that helps and if I have got it wrong please point me in the right direction.

[PodHunter]

> Not sure why you think you can only use single sided memory.

Because the Gigabyte memory data sheet says so.  It's the PDF table you get at from the memory options link for each board.

> What is confusing you is the stuff on their web page in red, am I right?

No: it's perfectly clear.  If one wants to populate all four slots on that board, then one must use single-side memory.  Read the PDF.

> But why on earth would anyone want to use all four slots, since 2 x 2 GB ram kits are readily available.

I'm not sure that I follow your logic.

Possibly Gigabyte make boards with four slots in the expectation that people might want to populate them all.   I purchased that board with the understanding that it supports 8GByte memory.  It's only when you read the small print that you discover that the type of memory required is unobtainable.

Thanks for trying.

[R_N_B]

Valid point about the 8 GB of ram mate - in that case you can purchase a kit that consists of 2 x 4 GB and there are you are sorted.

Most of the major brands have them available. We use Kingston at work but Crucial offer them as well and I am sure many other vendors too. What part of the world are you from mate and I will link you to the local supplier if you like.

Or am I once again far off the mark and you actually want to use all 4 slots?

[PodHunter]

> Valid point about the 8 GB of ram mate - in that case you can purchase a kit that consists of 2 x 4 GB

At the time I purchased the board I used Crucial's memory advisor, which recommended 4x 2GByte modules that turned not to work (because of the single-sided issue).  The Crucial adviser indicated that the board would not accept 4GByte modules.

> Am I once again far off the mark and you actually want to use all 4 slots?

I want 8GByte memory.  My posting was an attempt to find whether there is such a thing as a purchasable single-sided 2GByte module.  Also, a warning that the info. supplied by Gigabyte to Crucial and, presumably, to other memory vendors may not be correct.  That is, Crucial thinks that (i) 4x 2GByte memory sticks are OK but (ii) 2x 4GByte sticks are not suitable: apparently both are wrong.

Until I've tested it, I won't know whether  2x 4GByte sticks will work.

[R_N_B]

Yeah I see your problem. Well I know for a fact that OCZ do not make 2 GB  single sided ram. Nor do Mushkin as far as I recall. Samsung do still, just not sure where to get Samsung retail anymore.

I have sent an email to a associate who works at one of the plants who still make DDR2 ram chips to ask him what the story is about single sided ram.

[kangoo]

fyi - kingston says "8 GB using single rank 2GB modules " (single rank = single sided)

http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator_new/modelsinfo.asp?id=1&SysID=52952&mfr=Gigabyte&model=GA&search_type=&root=us&LinkBack=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kingston.com&Sys=52952-Gigabyte-GA-EG41MF-S2H+Motherboard&distributor=0&submit1=Search

and not worth to go with 800 MHz as there will be downgraded into 667 anyway

[PodHunter]

That confirms Gigabyte's specification:

> Maximum Memory:  4 GB  with current Kingston products
> 8 GB  using single rank 2GB modules

It's better than the false information from Crucial's configurator, but still doesn't tell us how to obtain single rank (single sided) memory modules.

[R_N_B]

Seems like a no win situation for you at the moment mate - reply I got this morning was short and too the point.  "No longer producing single sided memory modules at out fab" nor does he know who is, their might be some old stock but as you say is it worth it to go down to 667 MHz.

Currently it seems the only way to get 8 GB or more of system memory is to go with the DDR3 options that 1156 and 1366 sockets offer. Not much help when you have just forked out some cash for a 775 motherboard.

[PodHunter]

OK guys: thanks for your contributions.

It looks like Gigabyte has landed anyone with my type of board (there are others with the same constraint) with a pig-in-a-poke.
They also make others (e.g. Crucial) look dumb if they are not passing the correct or insufficient information for their memory configurators to give the right recommendation.

We'll call it a day on this thread.

[runn3R]

Hi PodHunter

About single sided requirement when 4 pcs of RAM - this is Intel G41 chipset limitation and applies to all motherboard makers, not only Gigabyte.

You just may use 2 pcs of 4GB modules like for instance Kingston KVR800D2N6K2/8G kit and have it sorted out.

Why do you blame Gigabyte for false info at Crucial website? Who told you / why do you think that we are passing not correct or insufficient information to them?
For instance Kingston's website does not have this problem.