Dual channel, or just one big memory stick?

[Johnny Sunshine]

I've got an MSI MS-7060 motherboard, with two 256k sticks of 184 pin DIMM DDR PC3200 memory on board. I need more memory, obviously. My question is this: Should I get one 1mg memory card, for a total of 1280k, taking out one of the 256k cards and leaving the other in, or does my motherboard support dual channeling? Is there any disadvantage to having different size memory cards if it won't dual channel them? Should I get two 512k cards instead? It's less total memory, but matching sizes.

Here's what it says when I go to the motherboard description on the manufacturer's website:

• SiS® 661FX Chipset
- Supports Intel Pentium 4 processors with data transfer rate up to 800MHz.
- Supports Hyper-Threading technlology.
- Supports 64-bit high performance DDR400/DDR333/DDR266 memory controller.
- Supports High performance & high quality 3D Graphic Accelerator.
- Supports AGP 8x/4x interface.
- Supports bi-directional 16-bit data bus with 1GHz bandwidth.

• SiS® 964 Chipset
- Supports Dual-IDE ATA 66/100/133.
- Supports HyperTransport Technology
- Integrated audio controller with AC97 interface.
- Advanced power manaement and PC2001 compliance.
- High speed USB 2.0 controller, 480Mb/s.
- Serial ATA host controller


Main Memory

• Supports two memory banks using two 184-pin unbuffered DDR DIMM.
• Supports up to 2GB memory size without ECC.
• Supports DDR266/333/400.



Also, for anyone who's read this far, I'm considering buying a Seagate OEM hard drive as a second drive. Do I need to add anything more than an extra cable to my order, given that it's OEM? I have an empty bay. I just haven't bought OEM before. I assume I don't need any special formatting software or anything, but I've been known to be wrong before.

[Johnny Sunshine]

Me again. Apparently my motherboard is better known as MSI 661FM2-LSR, if that affects anything.

[bookworm]

Originally Posted by Johnny Sunshine

I've got an MSI MS-7060 motherboard, with two 256k sticks of 184 pin DIMM DDR PC3200 memory on board. I need more memory, obviously. My question is this: Should I get one 1mg memory card, for a total of 1280k, taking out one of the 256k cards and leaving the other in, or does my motherboard support dual channeling? Is there any disadvantage to having different size memory cards if it won't dual channel them? Should I get two 512k cards instead? It's less total memory, but matching sizes.

Here's what it says when I go to the motherboard description on the manufacturer's website:

• SiS® 661FX Chipset
- Supports Intel Pentium 4 processors with data transfer rate up to 800MHz.
- Supports Hyper-Threading technlology.
- Supports 64-bit high performance DDR400/DDR333/DDR266 memory controller.
- Supports High performance & high quality 3D Graphic Accelerator.
- Supports AGP 8x/4x interface.
- Supports bi-directional 16-bit data bus with 1GHz bandwidth.

• SiS® 964 Chipset
- Supports Dual-IDE ATA 66/100/133.
- Supports HyperTransport Technology
- Integrated audio controller with AC97 interface.
- Advanced power manaement and PC2001 compliance.
- High speed USB 2.0 controller, 480Mb/s.
- Serial ATA host controller


Main Memory

• Supports two memory banks using two 184-pin unbuffered DDR DIMM.
• Supports up to 2GB memory size without ECC.
• Supports DDR266/333/400.



Also, for anyone who's read this far, I'm considering buying a Seagate OEM hard drive as a second drive. Do I need to add anything more than an extra cable to my order, given that it's OEM? I have an empty bay. I just haven't bought OEM before. I assume I don't need any special formatting software or anything, but I've been known to be wrong before.

Ask these guys, they build and fine tune comps http://www.h-kon.net/forums/

Hope this helps

[Johnny Sunshine]

Thanks, Bookworm, they did help me out, promptly and cheerfully.

For those of you playing along at home, the answer is, no dual channel support, go for the single 1024k stick. And study up on master/slave jumper settings for that OEM second drive!