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I currently have 2x2Gb DDR3 dimms fitted to my motherboard giving me 4GB memory; it's running in dual channel mode. The general advice given is that although you can fit any size dimms together it's best to use matching pairs.
I've just ordered up 2 4GB dimms to increase the memory and will fit these as a matching pair (obviously). From a performance point of view is there any problem fitting the 2 2Gb dimms as a second matching pair or are all 4 meant to match?
i think it'll be fine, but its a long time since i played with such things
On my mobo you can do this, if you download the manual for the mobo then it will normally tell you.
I think that you can even fit odd sized dimms as pairs, but I think then that it doesn't run in dual channel mode. I'd guess that a 4Gb pair and a second 2Gb pair would still allow the memory to run as dual channel, but I'm not 100% sure.
I'd guess that a 4Gb pair and a second 2Gb pair would still allow the memory to run as dual channel, but I'm not 100% sure.
I'd concur.
It should, but some motherboards / chipsets can be, er, idiosyncratic.
That said, with 12Gb fitted I doubt you'd notice any practical difference between single- and dual-channel. Depends what you're doing of course. If all you're doing is surfing the web, there's not going to be much difference going from 8 to 12.
The other point of note, which you probably know, is that you'll need to be running a 64-bit OS to use that memory.
Should be no issues with it running all of it together.
As long as its compatible with m/b then fine.
It will only run at the slowest speed of all the memory so if your new 8gb is faster memory then using the 12gb together will be at the original 4gb speeds.
Although 8gb is enough for most applications at the moment unless your video/phot editing so might just be better to naff off the 4gb to a needy friend/classifieds
As cougar says, 64bit OS required to use that much
