Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

[IntensivCareBear]

i know this seems like a stupid question, but i have problems with my dual channel ram joining games or doing anything menu based, its laggy and stuff, even though it runs smoothly in game.

ive read from several sources that this is because BF2 doesnt like dual channel ram, and that i should try it on single channel.

however, ive scoured my BIOS and can find nothing on how to change ram from dual to single channel!

i have a P4P8X asus motherboard, which is apparently quite common. can anybody tell me how to switch my ram from dual to single channel?

[whofriggincares]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

lol. There's no option to change from dual channel to single channel. Secondly, you don't want to. Almost everyone here runs dual channel and it doesn't give them problems. Heck, BF2 doesn't have anything to do with how your memory runs. If you still insist on putting it in single channel, Move one of your memory sticks into a different slot.

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

into a different slot? you mean just move em around until they go to single channel?

[Eddy01741]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

into a different slot? you mean just move em around until they go to single channel?

Ya, instead of putting them in slots 1 and 3, put em in slots 1 and 2.

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

hmm, if i had 2 x 256 mb pc3200 ram, and 1x 512 pc2700, where would i position them in the 4 slots

[Eddy01741]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

hmm, if i had 2 x 256 mb pc3200 ram, and 1x 512 pc2700, where would i position them in the 4 slots

Um, that's not a good idea to have three DIMMs, also, they arn't at the same speed. Um, i guess that would be slots 1, 2, and 3, i still highly reccomend that u don't have three stix of ram, upgrading to one 1GB PC3200 is only like 80 bucks nowadays.

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

yeah, but i mean which ones in 1,2 and 3?

like the 512 in 3 and the 2 256s in 1 and 2?

would 2 512s be better? where would i put the 2 512s? 1 and 3?

[whofriggincares]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

What cpu do you have?

[Eddy01741]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

yeah, but i mean which ones in 1,2 and 3?

like the 512 in 3 and the 2 256s in 1 and 2?

would 2 512s be better? where would i put the 2 512s? 1 and 3?

No, 512mb in 2 and the 256mb ones in 1 and 3. ANyways, ya, 2 512mb would be better, then u put them in 1 and 3. If u get anoter 512mb, get PC2700 cause if u get a higher speed like PC3200, it'll still run at PC2700 speed since ur other stick of memory runs at PC2700.

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

well thats half of the problem, when i bought it it said pc2700, but my comp keeps running it at 400 mhz, and it registers as pc3200 by cpu-z/

my cpu is 2.6 ghz pentium 4 hyperthreaded, 6600 GT OC, and 512- 1 gb of ram depending on what works heh...

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

dammit! this site always seems kind of slow, accidentally double posted.

well i was wondering if my pc2700 ram was either labelled correctly, or if my comp was just running it too fast...

it seemed to make a big improvement in rome total war performance, but not too much in BF2.

[whofriggincares]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

You can buy DDR400 and run it at DDR500 speeds. It's just being overclocked. Plus, your computer is not running it at 400MHz, it's 200MHz.
Since Intels don't care much about memory, use whatever.

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

yeah, but how do i slow it down?

ive scoured my bios, its odd, my comp just tries to run everything at 400mhz i guess, and i think it was hurting my pc2700s performance.

i thought it was supposed to automatically slow it down to whatever the slowest ram was.

[lil_jimmy_norton]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

You can't run in dual channel with 3 sticks.

If you are running 3 sticks of ram there is no way they are running in dual channel, no matter what slots you put them in.

Whoever said that BF2 doesn't like dual channel ram was smoking crack and has no idea what they are talking about.

What MOBO do you have?

[IntensivCareBear]

Re: Changing ram from dual channel to single channel

asus p4p8x.

ive run into probs, i ran the three cards single channel for 1024 mb of ram.

they all run at pc3200 speed apparently, and bf2 started out really smooth and nice.

however, then it just degraded over time, even after i lowered settings.

is it possible for cheap ram to degrade over a period of hours? im almost sure this thing has been happening before.

id really like to slow it down to pc2700 to make sure it isnt running overclocked and to make better timings, but i cant find the option in my bios!

all i can find is several DRAM options, like enable SPD timing and stuff.