I have a new computer with amd 64-x2 939 socket dual core on a gigabyte k8nf-9 mb and 1024 memory ddr400 .I would like to know do i have to put another memory stick into holder 3 to get dual channel and will it make the machine more efficient. I have not got a clue how this works first AMD 3800+.

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Originally posted by: Leather
I have a new computer with amd 64-x2 939 socket dual core on a gigabyte k8nf-9 mb and 1024 memory ddr400 .I would like to know do i have to put another memory stick into holder 3 to get dual channel and will it make the machine more efficient. I have not got a clue how this works first AMD 3800+.

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Is your current 1024MB of memory 1 * 1024MB or 2 * 512MB? Dual Channel does require two memory sticks and they should be precisely the same. I'm guessing that your purple memory slots represent one channel and the orange slots, the second channel. Your motherboard manual should explain this in detail.

A single memory stick/slot is read in a 64 bit data path. Dual channel incorporates two of these slots on different channels to access memory in a 128 bit data path (64 * 2). This concept is not totally unlike a striped raid array.

If you have 2 * 512MB sticks, put one in slot 1 and the other in slot 3 for dual channel. If you have 1 * 1024MB stick of memory, you will need a second (preferrably of the exact same brand/speed/latency) placed in a similar configuration (channel 1 + channel 2 (slots 1 and 3)).

Hope this helps. Note that the difference is not extremely noticable but performance overall will be improved.