Problems with random access (physical) memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) can cause many problems. If your personal computer often freezes, blue screen- perhaps this is due to internal errors in RAM operation. In this case it is recommended test. For this purpose in Windows there is special utility , which will be discussed in this article.
As a rule, when problems are suspected, the operating system independently launches the necessary check. However, users can run the test manually.
Running testing through the Start menu
In standard " Control panels» Windows 7 does not have sections dedicated to testing RAM. However, users can run the test using the built-in search in the " Start" To do this, do the following:
After these steps, your personal computer will immediately restart and RAM testing will begin.
Launch using the Run dialog
An alternative option is to run RAM diagnostics for errors. Allows you to start testing random access memory without having access to a mouse or touchpad.
Follow the instructions:
Running an error test manually
If, on the contrary, you do not have access to a keyboard, you can run this application through Windows Explorer:
After rebooting the computer
After your PC is rebooted, the " RAM Diagnostic Tool" You don't have to press anything - the scan will start immediately.
For experienced users! If you understand how RAM works and understand how the test is carried out, you can call up the settings menu and set your own parameters. To do this, use the F1 key. Here you can change the following configurations:
Control here is only using the keyboard: using shooter You can select the desired value and use the Tab key to move to the next characteristic. When you're done with your settings, press F10 to start checking for errors.
Report
When testing is complete, the computer will restart again. Windows will generate a report of all errors found. You can familiarize yourself with it and show it to employees service center or computer specialists.
Additional software
Except standard solution from Microsoft, users can download other third-party test programs. The most popular such application is Memtest. It can be downloaded for free from the official website http://memtest86.com/.
Upload the image using the " Download now!" and create bootable USB flash drive. After this you can run the utility MemTest86 on any personal computer(even on the one on which the operating system does not start) and perform all the necessary checks.
Video on the topic
Some users are wondering how to find out how much RAM is on a computer in order to upgrade their PC: increase the total amount of memory. First, you need to find out what RAM is on the device in order to have an idea of the characteristics of the RAM (random access memory) of the computer.
Random Access Memory (RAM) is an important component of computer hardware that affects the performance of the device. For comfortable work, the computer must have sufficient RAM. If there is not enough RAM on your PC, memory needs to be added or replaced.
To upgrade your computer hardware, in particular increasing the size of RAM, you will need to find out General characteristics RAM installed on your device. You need to find out the following parameters: what is the amount of RAM, how many RAM slots are there, what is the frequency of RAM and some others specifications(timings, etc.).
First you need to find out how much RAM there is on your computer. this moment time. The rest of the memory selection actions depend on this information.
Often users add additional memory sticks (modules), if possible, to increase the amount of RAM. Therefore, you first need to find out the number of RAM slots on the computer and whether there are free slots (connectors, sockets).
Additional memory modules can be inserted into the free slots. Otherwise, you will have to replace smaller memory sticks with larger memory modules.
For example, if a PC has two 2 GB memory sticks operating in dual-channel mode, and the user wants to increase the total amount of RAM from 4 GB to 8 GB, then the presence of free slots (connectors) for installing RAM modules is of great importance.
If there are no free slots on the computer, the user will have to replace installed modules memory for two 4 GB sticks, which will operate in dual-channel mode, or for one 8 GB module, operating in single-channel mode. It is advisable to use memory in dual-channel mode, this is a more productive way of working.
This guide contains instructions on how to find out how much RAM is on your computer, as well as how to find out what RAM is on your computer. You can get general information about the amount of memory using the tools operating system, and we will find out more detailed data on the technical characteristics of memory modules using third-party software.
Laptop owners can find out the main characteristics of RAM on the manufacturer’s official website, based on the description of the device (laptop) model, if such information is available on the website. . It is possible to find out the amount of RAM in the BIOS (UEFI).
How to find out how much RAM is on your computer using msinfo32
The user can quickly obtain data on the amount of RAM in the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, using the built-in system tool “msinfo32” (“System Information”).
Follow these steps:
- Go to the Start menu.
- In the list of programs, find the “Windows Administrative Tools” folder (in Windows 7 - “Utilities”).
- Launch the System Information utility.
- In the System Information window, under Installed RAM, you will see the total amount of memory on your computer.
How to find out how much memory is on a laptop or desktop PC at the command line
For information you can use alternative way: Run the "systeminfo" command in the Windows command line.
Go through the steps:
- Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
- In the interpreter window command line Type the command “systeminfo” (without quotes), and then press the “Enter” key.
- In the Command Prompt window, you will see information about the RAM of this computer.
The “Total physical memory” item indicates the amount of RAM available on this computer.
Finding out the size of RAM in Windows PowerShell
IN Windows PowerShell You can get PC memory data by running a similar command.
Do the following:
- Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
- Run the command "systeminfo" (without quotes).
- Review the RAM information for this device.
How to find out how much memory Windows 10 has
In the Windows 10 operating system, you can find out the memory size and the number of used slots without using third party programs.
To obtain information about RAM memory, do the following:
- Right-click on the "Taskbar".
- IN context menu select "Task Manager".
- In the Task Manager window, open the Performance tab, highlight the Memory option.
Here you can find information about the RAM: the total amount (I have 8.0 GB), the type (in my case - DDR3), as well as other characteristics, in particular, the use of the number of slots (on my computer - 2 out of 4).
Knowing these characteristics, I can additionally add two more memory modules to my computer.
How to find out what RAM is on a PC in CPU-Z
Using a free program, you can get data about your computer's RAM memory. The CPU-Z program works in English.
The application shows the characteristics central processor, motherboard, RAM, video card or integrated graphics settings.
- Run CPU-Z program on the computer.
- In the CPU-Z window, open the Memory tab.
Basic information about RAM is displayed here:
- Type - memory type: DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR
- Size - memory size in gigabytes.
- Channel - memory operating mode: Dual - two-channel, Single - single-channel.
- NB Frequency - memory controller frequency.
- Timing - memory timings; in the “DRAM Frequency” item the current memory frequency is indicated.
The “SPD” tab contains information about the characteristics of RAM modules located in individual slots. You must select a slot to receive the required data. The number of slots corresponds to the number of slots on the computer's motherboard; empty slots will not display information.
Here you can find various information: memory type, manufacturer, model number, memory capacity, product release time, type of use, timing table, voltage in volts.
How to find out what RAM is on a computer in Speccy
The free program provides data about hardware computer. The application works in Russian.
Follow these steps:
- Launch the Speccy program.
- In the application window, click on the “RAM” section.
- The left side of the program window will display information about the computer's RAM: type, volume, number of channels, DRAM frequency, and other characteristics.
To obtain information about each memory module, in the “SPD” section, click on the corresponding connector. Here you can find information about the memory module: type, size, manufacturer, throughput, component number, week and year of manufacture, timing information.
How to determine what RAM is on a PC in AIDA64
A powerful program (paid) that provides detailed information about the hardware of your computer. The AIDA64 program supports Russian interface language.
Follow these steps:
- Launch AIDA64 on your computer.
- In the “Menu” tab, in the “ Motherboard» Open the “Memory” section.
This section displays basic information about your computer's RAM.
For information about the characteristics of individual memory modules, go to the "SPD" section.
After selecting a memory module, the program window will display all sorts of information: module name, serial number, release date, module size, module name, memory type, memory speed, module bus width (bit depth), voltage, error detection method, refresh rate, DRAM manufacturer, memory timings, memory module functions.
Conclusions of the article
If necessary, the user can change memory modules on his computer, or increase the amount of RAM by adding new RAM memory sticks. You first need to find out how much memory is currently available on the computer, and what kind of RAM is currently installed on the PC in order to select suitable RAM modules.
IN system requirements For games or programs, there is the item “required RAM”. It is also called physical. This confuses many users.
But, if you look in more detail, its definition will not cause any difficulties.
There are many ways to find out the amount of RAM using internal operating system tools and third-party programs. Let's look at the most popular and simple ones.
You can find out the amount of RAM installed on your computer through the control panel. You can open it from the Start menu. It can open in the form of categories with sub-items or many icons.
You can change the viewing type in the upper right corner of the window. There we select the “Small icons” option and go to the “System” shortcut. A window will open for you to view basic information about your PC.
In the image, the RAM value is highlighted in green.
A faster method to open this window is to right-click on the “Computer” shortcut on the desktop and select “Properties”.
The easiest way to learn about RAM is to open
Opening the window of basic computer information using the Win+Pause key combination.
Alternative methods for viewing the amount of RAM:
- Third party programs. The most popular is CPUID CPU-Z. It has a simple interface and high functionality.
- Task Manager. The “Performance” tab will indicate the amount of physical memory.
- DxDiag information. Lets get detailed characteristics machines, including RAM.
Other ways How can I check the RAM on Windows 7? much more difficult to implement. Therefore, it is recommended to use those described above.
Windows Version Limitations
Various Windows versions have restrictions on the amount of RAM. 32-bit: Starter version on program level supports 2GB operation.
The remaining versions are 4. 64-bit (64bit): Basic and Home Basic support up to 8 GB, Home Advanced - 16, Professional and Ultimate - 192.
The capacity of your system can be seen in the same window, but in the “System Type” item.
Amount of RAM used
High load and lack of free RAM on the computer can lead to slow operation. In this case, the PC will start to slow down and become dull. The easiest way to find out the amount of free RAM is through the Task Manager.
It is called through the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Delete and selecting the appropriate position in the window that appears. You can also call it by clicking right button mouse on the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom of the screen where the Start button is located) and selecting “Launch Task Manager” in the context menu that appears. In the window itself, you need to select the “Performance” tab.
The total volume is marked in black in the image. The green rectangle shows the memory occupancy percentage. The lower it is, the faster the PC will work. And its current use is highlighted in red.
Windows “eats” approximately 1 GB of RAM. The rest of the consumption comes from the programs running on the computer. It can be found in the “Processes” tab.
Increased performance
In order for your PC to function faster and not slow down, you should free up more RAM on it. To do this, you need to close all programs that are not needed.
After all, each extra browser tab consumes from 20 to 500 MB of RAM, and open source software can “eat” much more of it.
Computer performance is a combination of several factors, or better yet, the technical characteristics of hardware devices, including main role playing processor, hard disks and, of course, random access memory, or RAM for short. On a computer, RAM serves as a kind of intermediate link between the processor, which performs all the calculations, and the storage device - hard HDD drive or SSD. The processes of all programs and the operating system itself are loaded into it. Windows systems 7/10, if the volume of application data exceeds the capacity of RAM, the data is cached, for example, in the page file. But in any case, a lack of RAM will cause the computer to run slowly and applications to become less responsive. And on the contrary, the more RAM there is on a PC, the faster data exchange occurs, the faster the system, the more powerful applications you can run.
What are the main characteristics of RAM and why know them?
So, the more RAM, the better, and that is why users often install an additional RAM module on their PC. However, you can’t just go to the store, buy any memory and connect it to the motherboard. If it is chosen incorrectly, the computer will not be able to work, or worse, it will lead to the fact that the RAM will simply fail. Therefore, it is so important to know its key characteristics. These include:
- RAM type. Depending on performance and design features There are DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 modules.
- Memory. The parameter is characterized by the amount of data that can fit in memory cells.
- RAM frequency. The parameter determines the speed of operations performed per unit of time. The bandwidth of the RAM module depends on the frequency.
- Timing. These are time delays between sending a memory controller command and its execution. As the frequency increases, the timings increase, which is why overclocking the RAM can lead to a decrease in its performance.
- Voltage. Voltage required for optimal performance memory sticks.
- Form factor. The physical size, shape of the RAM stick, as well as the number and location of pins on the board.
If you install additional memory, it must have the same size, type and frequency as the main one. If the RAM is completely replaced, attention should be paid to the support of the replaced RAM motherboard and the processor with just one nuance. If your PC uses processors Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, matching the memory frequency and the motherboard is not necessary, because for all these processors the RAM controller is located in the processor itself, and not in the northbridge of the motherboard. The same goes for AMD processors.
How to determine the type and amount of RAM visually
Physically, RAM is an oblong board, most often green, with chips located on it. On this board, the manufacturer usually indicates the main memory characteristics, although there are exceptions. Thus, there are memory strips on which nothing is indicated except the name of the manufacturer. If there are markings, it is not difficult to find out what RAM is installed on the PC. After completely turning off the computer and removing the system unit cover, carefully remove the memory module from the slot (the latter may not be necessary) and carefully study the information on the white sticker.
A number with the GB prefix will indicate the amount of memory, a number with the MHz prefix will indicate the frequency, numbers in format X-X-X-X– for timing, V – for voltage. But the type of RAM (RIMM, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, etc.) is not always indicated. In this case, you should pay attention to the throughput, usually designated as PC and check it according to the standards specification on the same Wikipedia page ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM. The number after PC usually indicates the DDR generation, for example, PC3-12800 indicates that the PC has DDR3 memory installed.
How to find out how much RAM you have using Windows tools
Above, we briefly discussed how to determine what RAM is on a computer by visually inspecting the module; now let’s find out how to find out its volume using the operating system. Windows 7/10 has a built-in utility for this. msinfo32.exe. By pressing the Win+R keys, bring up the “Run” dialog box, enter the command msinfo32 and press Enter.
In the main section of the system information window that opens, find the item “Installed random access memory (RAM)” and see its volume in GB.
Instead of the msinfo32.exe utility, you can use another built-in component to determine the amount of RAM - a diagnostic tool DirectX. It is launched with the command dxdiag, the amount of memory is displayed in megabytes on the first “System” tab.
Third-party programs for determining RAM parameters
Information provided by staff Windows utility, stingy. It allows you to find out how much RAM is on your computer, but does not display its other important characteristics. If you need more data, it's better to use special programs. The most famous of them is, of course, AIDA64 Extreme Edition . Information about the memory in this program is contained in the menu Motherboard – SPD and include such characteristics as module name, volume and type, frequency, voltage, timing and serial number.
You can also view the RAM using the program Speccy from the developers of the popular cleaner CCleaner. General information information about RAM in the program is available on the main “Summary” tab, and additional information is available on the “RAM” tab. This includes volume, type, timing, channel mode, frequency and some other, less important information. Unlike AIDA64, the Speccy application is free, but it shows less information.
To view the main memory characteristics we can also recommend the utility CPU-Z. Necessary information located in the “Memory” tab. It includes type, volume, channel mode, ratio of system bus frequency to RAM frequency and others additional information. Like Speccy, CPU-Z is free, but it does not support the Russian language, which, however, is not so important.
And finally, we recommend one more program for viewing information about RAM. It's called HWiNFO64-32. Externally and functionally, it is somewhat reminiscent of AIDA64 and at the same time CPU-Z. On the “Memory” tab, the program shows the module type, capacity in megabytes, channel mode (one-, two- or three-channel), clock frequency, timing and other additional information. HWiNFO64-32 is free, the interface language is English, which, as in the case of CPU-Z, is not fundamentally important.
Hello, friends! In this article, we tried to answer many of your questions regarding RAM. ? How can I find out what RAM I have installed and how much? How to choose the right RAM for your computer. How do you know if your RAM is running in dual channel mode or not? What is better to buy, one 8GB DDR3 memory stick or two 4GB sticks each? And finally.
- If you are interested, or, also read our articles.
- Hello admin, one of my friends asks me to install more RAM. The computer properties show a capacity of 2 GB. Turned off the computer, opened system unit, there is one stick of RAM, we took it out, and there were no marks on it. Interestingly, it was not possible to determine the model of the motherboard. The computer was purchased a long time ago, so the question arose - how to find out the type of RAM it needs? After all, RAM differs in type, frequency and timing.
- Hi all! I wanted to buy additional RAM, I removed the cover of the system unit, took out the RAM stick and I can’t decipher the information written on it, the serial number is simply written there and that’s it. It is completely unclear at what frequency it operates and what type it is, DDR3 or DDR2. How to distinguish DDR3 from DDR2 memory, how do they differ in appearance?
- I have one RAM chip in the system unit DDR memory 3-1600 with a capacity of 4 GB, I want to install another stick with a capacity of 4 GB, but operating at a higher frequency DDR3-1866. Will my computer work normally, and most importantly, in dual-channel mode?
My friend installed three RAM sticks of different sizes and frequencies into the system unit. Is this allowed? But what’s strange is that his computer works fine! - Tell me, how can I check whether my RAM works in dual-channel mode or not? And what conditions are needed for my memory to work in dual-channel mode. Same volume? Same frequency or same timings? How much faster does a computer run in dual-channel mode than in single-channel mode? They say that there is also a three-channel mode.
- What will work better, two sticks of 4 GB of RAM in dual-channel mode or one stick, but with a capacity of 8 GB, respectively, the memory mode will be single-channel?
To find out all the information about a RAM module, you need to carefully examine it; usually the manufacturer labels the RAM with the proper information about the frequency, volume and type of RAM. If there is no such information on the module, then you need to find out everything about the motherboard and the installed processor; sometimes this action turns into a whole investigation.
- Important Notes: Friends, do not forget that all new processors Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7 The RAM controller is located in the processor itself (previously it was controlled by the north bridge of the motherboard) and the memory modules are now directly controlled by the processor itself, the same applies to the latest AMD processors.
- This means that it doesn't matter what RAM frequency your motherboard supports. It is important what RAM frequency your processor supports. If your computer has a processorIntel Core i3, Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, then the officially supported memory standards of these processors: PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066 MHz), PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333 MHz), PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600 MHz), it is at these frequencies that your RAM will operate, even if the motherboard's passport indicates that the motherboard can work with RAM strips high frequency PC3-19200 (DDR3-2400 MHz).
- It's another matter if your processor has unlocked multiplier, that is, with the letter “K” at the end, for example CPU Intel Core i7-4770 K, 3.5 GHz. An unlocked multiplier means that in a computer with such a processor you can install memory sticks of the highest frequency, for example DDR3-1866 MHz or DDR3-2400 MHz, such a processor can be overclocked and during overclocking the RAM will operate at its frequency of 2400 MHz . If you install the RAM stick DDR3-1866 MHz or DDR3-2400 MHz into a computer with a conventional processor, that is, with locked multiplier without letter" K” at the end, for exampleIntel Core i7-3770, 3.9 GHz then such a bar will work at best at a frequency DDR3-1600 MHz, and in the worst case, the computer will not boot. Therefore, buy RAM that is suitable for your processor.
- Concerning processorsAMD recent years, then they work with memoryPC3-10600 (DDR3-1333 MHz).
Firstly, the RAM stick itself should contain all the information you are interested in, you just need to read it correctly. I don’t argue, there are memory strips that have practically nothing on them, but we can handle them too.
For example, let’s take a Hynix RAM stick, it has the following information: 4 GB PC3 – 12800.
What does the following mean:
firstly, the volume is 4 GB,
secondly, 1Rx8 - Rank - a memory area created by several or all chips of a memory module, 1Rx8 are single-sided memory ranks, and 2Rx8 are double-sided memory ranks.
As you can see, this bar does not say that it is DDR2 or DDR3, but the throughput of PC3-12800 is indicated. PC3 is a designation for peak bandwidth belonging only to the DDR3 type (for DDR2 RAM the designation will be PC2, for example PC2-6400).
This means that our Hynix RAM stick is DDR3 and has PC3-12800 bandwidth. If the bandwidth of 12800 is divided by eight and you get 1600. That is, this DDR3 memory stick operates at a frequency of 1600 MHz.
Read everything about DDR2 and DDR3 RAM on the website
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR3 and everything will become clear to you.
Let's take another RAM module - Crucial 4GB DDR3 1333 (PC3 - 10600). This means the following: volume 4 GB, memory type DDR3, frequency 1333 MHz, PC3-10600 bandwidth is also indicated.
Manufacturer Patriot, capacity 1 GB, PC2 bandwidth – 6400. PC2 is a designation for peak bandwidth belonging only to the DDR2 type (for DDR3 RAM the designation will be PC3, for example PC3-12800). We divide the bandwidth of 6400 by eight and get 800. That is, this DDR2 memory stick operates at a frequency of 800 MHz.
One more plank- Kingston KHX6400D2 LL/1G
Manufacturer Kingston, bandwidth 6400, type DDR2, capacity 1 GB. We divide the bandwidth by 8, we get a frequency of 800 MHz.
But this stick of RAM has more important information
, it has a non-standard microcircuit supply voltage: 2.0 V - set manually in the BIOS.
RAM modules differ in the size of the contact pads and the location of the cutouts. Using a cutout, you will not be able to install a RAM module in a slot not intended for it. For example, you cannot install a DDR3 memory stick in a DDR2 slot.
Everything is clearly visible in this diagram.
Sometimes there will be no clear information on the RAM module other than the name of the module itself. But the module cannot be removed, since it is under warranty. But by the name you can understand what kind of memory it is. For example
Kingston KHX1600 C9D3 X2K2/8G X, all this means:
KHX 1600 -> RAM operates at 1600 MHz
C9 -> Timings (Delays) 9-9-9
D3 -> RAM type DDR3
8G X -> Volume 4 GB.
You can simply type the name of the module in search engines and you will find out all the information about it.
For example, information from the AIDA64 program about my RAM. Kingston HyperX RAM modules are installed in RAM slots 2 and 4, memory type DDR3, frequency 1600 MHz
DIMM2: Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3/4GX DDR3-1600 DDR3 SDRAM
DIMM4: Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3/4GX DDR3-1600 DDR3 SDRAM
Is it possible to install RAM sticks with different frequencies into a computer?
The RAM frequency does not have to be the same. The motherboard will set the frequency for all installed RAM sticks according to the slowest module. But I want to say that often a computer with brackets different frequencies works unstable.
Let's do a simple experiment. For example, let's take my computer, it has two identical Kingston HyperX RAM modules, memory type DDR3, frequency 1600 MHz.
If I run the AIDA64 program on my Windows 8, it will show the following information (see the following screenshot). That is, the program AIDA64 shows simple technical characteristics of each RAM stick; in our case, both sticks have a frequency1600 MHz. But the programAIDA64 does not show at what frequency the RAM modules are currently operating; this needs to be looked at in another program called CPU-Z.
If you run free program CPU-Z and go to the Memory tab, it will show you exactly what frequency your RAM sticks are operating at. My memory works in dual channel Dual mode, frequency 800 MHz, since the memory is DDR3, its effective (double) speed is 1600 MHz. This means that my RAM sticks operate exactly at the frequency for which they are designed: 1600 MHz. But what will happen if next to your RAM strips operating at a frequency 1600 MHz I will set another bar with frequency 1333 MHz!?
Let's install an additional DDR3 memory stick in my system unit, operating at a lower frequency of 1333 MHz.
Let's look at what AIDA64 shows, the program shows that an additional 4 GB stick is installed, with a frequency of 1333 MHz.
Now let’s run the CPU-Z program and see at what frequency all three sticks operate. As we can see, the frequency is 668.7 MHz, since the memory is DDR3, its effective (double) speed is 1333 MHz.
That is, the motherboard automatically set the operating frequency of all RAM sticks to the slowest module at 1333 MHz.
It is not advisable to install RAM sticks in your computer with a frequency higher than what the motherboard supports. For example, if your motherboard supports a maximum RAM frequency of 1600 MHz, and you installed a RAM module operating at a frequency of 1866 on your computer, then in the best case, this module will operate at a lower frequency of 1600 MHz, and in the worst case, the module will operate at its frequency 1866 MHz, but the computer will periodically reboot itself or you will get a blue screen when you boot the computer, in this case you will have to enter the BIOS and manually set the RAM frequency to 1600 MHz.
Timings(signal delay) determine how often the processor can access RAM. If you have a quad-core processor and it has a large second-level cache, then too long timings are not a problem, since the processor accesses RAM less often. Is it possible to install RAM sticks with different timings in a computer? The timings also do not have to match. The motherboard will automatically set timings for all modules according to the slowest module.
What conditions are needed for my memory to work in dual-channel mode? Before buying RAM, you need to study as much information as possible about the motherboard. All information about your motherboard can be found in the manual that came with it upon purchase. If the manual is lost, you need to go to the official website of your motherboard. You will also find the article “How to find out the model and all information about your motherboard” useful.Most often these days there are motherboards that support the RAM operating modes described below. Dual Mode (two-channel mode, most common)– if you look closely at the motherboard, you can see that the RAM slots are painted in different colors. This was done on purpose and means that the motherboard supports dual-channel RAM operation. That is, two RAM modules with the same characteristics (frequency, timings) and the same volume are specially selected and installed in RAM slots of the same color.
If your computer has one stick of RAM installed, but the motherboard supports dual-channel mode, you can buy an additional stick of RAM of exactly the same frequency and capacity and install both sticks in DIMM slots of the same color.
Is there an advantage to dual channel mode over single channel mode?
At regular work On a computer you won't notice the difference, but when working in applications that actively use RAM, such as Adobe Premiere Pro(video editing), (Canopus) ProCoder (video encoding), Photoshop (working with images), games, you can feel the difference.
Note: Some motherboards will operate in dual-channel mode even if you install RAM modules of different sizes in the same color DIMM slots. For example, you will install a 512MB module in the first DIMM slot, and a 1GB stick in the third slot. The motherboard activates dual-channel mode for the entire volume of the first 512MB stick, and for the second stick (interestingly) also 512MB, and the remaining 512MB of the second stick will work in single-channel mode.
How do I know if my RAM is working in dual channel mode or not? Download the free CPU-Z program and go to the Memory tab, look at the Channel parameter in our case - Dual, which means the RAM operates in dual-channel mode. If the Channels parameter is Single, then the RAM operates in single-channel mode.
My opinion is that during normal work on a computer they will work the same, I personally didn’t notice much of a difference. I worked for a long time on a computer with one large stick of RAM and the performance was the same as on exactly the same computer with two sticks of RAM running in dual-channel mode. A survey of friends and acquaintances of system administrators confirmed me in this opinion. But when working with programs that actively use RAM, for example Adobe Premiere Pro, Canopus ProCoder, Photoshop, games, a computer with two sticks of RAM will work faster.
Of course it is possible, but not advisable. The computer will work more stable if it implements the RAM operating mode recommended in the motherboard datasheet. For example, two-channel mode.
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