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[Gattsu25]

Quick question: if your motherboard supports Dual Channels, does sticking in 2 non-identicle sticks of RAM (256 DDR + 512 DDR) cause problems?

 

[Claus]

No.

 

[Neo_ZX]

Uhh what???

You're supposed to use 2 sticks of the same size, make and model for best performance. Two different sizes might work but would probably slow things down more than anything IIRC.

Here's my question: If you had a double pack tested for DC and the same sticks sold seperately for $50 less, which would you go for?

 

[BigGreenMat]

2 different sizes will work with a dual channel mother board, but it will not run in dual channel mode. Neo I would go for the sold separately. As long as they are the same timings it should be cool. Now my question is, Will IDE cables for ATA133 work for SATA?

 

[myzhi]

Now my question is, Will IDE cables for ATA133 work for SATA?

NO. 1) The connections are totally different. 2) SATA are 1 drive per cable. 3)SATA cables are tiny / thin vs an IDE cable.

 

[Neo_ZX]

What about using SATA ports and also the IDE ports at the same time?

 

[myzhi]

Here's my question: If you had a double pack tested for DC and the same sticks sold seperately for $50 less, which would you go for?

What about using SATA ports and also the IDE ports at the same time?

1) If it's the same spec, I would buy it for $50 cheaper. Most of the time, DC label is just marketing.

2) You can do that. My current setup has SATA Raid 0 WD 36GB Raptor, 2 WD SE 80 GB master / slave on IDE1, and NEC DVD-RW (8X8) / Liteon CDRW (52X32X52) on IDE2.

 

[Gattsu25]

alright thanks...got 768MB of RAM now and a brand new 9800pro :b

 

[Diablos]

You using an Athlon XP or 64 that isn't an FX? Dual channel is a waste of money if you are. Overall performance goes up 3 to 5%.

 

[teh_pwn]

AMD 64 Socket 939s may benefit from it a lot. I could be wrong...but socket 939s handle memory the best right now out of any processor. That's good for AMD because Intel has been in the lead in this area for years.

But yea, the socket 754 non FX ones don't do too much. And XP does almost nothing.


"What about using SATA ports and also the IDE ports at the same time?"

Plenty of mobos support both SATA and IDE, but how well they support isn't as clear. I've installed windows xp on an ASUS P4R800-V Deluxe and Gigabyte 8IK1100. Both were nightmares.

I've installed it on an Abit IC7-Max III. Easy as pie. They even had a SATA drivers floppy there for you right when you open the mobo box. Others had a BS "make your own floppy disc with the windows OS you can't install yet because you need these drivers" thing.

Although, that's Abit's flagship mobo, while the others are medium end. So, eh...(I need sleepy sleep).

 

[SKluck]

I use an IDE to SATA converter thing that came with my abit nf7s mobo for my NEC-2500A. Don't know if that affects performance better/worse any which way, but it works nice, gets my other dvd drive on a seperate channel too so I can copy right to disc.