# Buy as Dual Channel Kit or 2 identical rams?



## PlayStation (Feb 21, 2007)

im trying to buy a 1gb memory stick on ebay. I understand for desktop PCs, I need unregistered, non-Ecc, unbuffered, low density ram. but if I want to run dual channel, would I need to buy memories in a specific dual channel kit packet? or can I just buy 2 of the same identical ram that doesn't state itself as a kit?


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## 8210GUY (Aug 29, 2006)

Definitely buy as matched pairs if you want to run them as such, they are guaranteed to work as such that way, 2 separate sticks may not always work.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

8310GUY is correct as usual. Dual channel mode with matched sticks is the way to go if you want optimal usage of your purchase.


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## PanamaGal (Jun 3, 2006)

You can buy two identical sticks separately. They don't have to be in a dual channel kit, as all those kits are are two identical sticks. There is no such thing as "dual channel RAM".


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## Rebellion88 (Dec 15, 2006)

Just expanding on above, you also need to make sure your motherboard supports dual channel. Either way better to get a matched pair, as mixing doesn't always work. If you tell us the pc make and model or your system specs we're point you in the right direction for a good pair of Ram.


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

I would like to explain the dual channel kit. 
Motherboard that are configured to run in dual channel mode often need a pair of memory modules that are exact in every way. Latency, speed, size, etc. With a dual channel kit you will be gaurrantied that you will get this becasue they are tested to be identical.

One thing you must realize that when memory manufacturers buy memory chips, they do not buy from the same vendor. It is all supply and demand. It can be possible to buy 2 separate sticks of memory, from one manufacturer, that will have different chips on them. I have seen this alot. 
i.e.: Our company decided to upgrade all the laptops we had to 1GB of memory. We bought 36 sticks of 512MB Kingston memory all from the same store. All the modules were the same part number. However there was three different chips. Some had micron chips, some had Infineon chips and the rest had Samsung chips. 

In otherwords even if you buy 2 separate modules, you are not going to be guarrantied that they will be the same. Even if they have the same part numbers. 

I have even seen motherboard configurations that do not like 2 dual channel kits that are different. i.e. ABIT IC7 MAX3, installed 1GB OCZ dual channel kit and 512MB Corsair Dual channel kit. It was not happy. Both kits would work by themselves but together the system didn't like it. Ended up buying another 1GB OCZ dual channel kit.

Most of the dual channel memory problems I have seen in these forums has to do with the user not installing a dual channel kit. You can buy 2 separate memory modules and force the BIOS into single channel mode but then what's the point in having a dual channel MB.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

NICE work C-joe well written! ray:


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