RAM questions - single sided, double 8 chip, 16 chip....

[kg2k]

I have a couple of questions about RAM. First off, my motherboard only supports 4 channels. The only way to populate all 3 slots is to use two single sided pieces and one double sided or three single sided DIMMs. Obviously I can’t use 3 double-sided DIMMs.

Newegg has two different Crucial 512MB PC2700 DIMMs. One is 8 chip (part# ends in 8T) and one is 16 chip (16T). Now my first reaction when I saw the 8 chip is that it was single sided, and I could purchase and use 2 along with my current double sided 512 DIMM. Was that first assumption wrong? After a number of searches using various keywords, I still am not certain. I thought that all 512 and up modules were double sided but I suppose that certainly could have changed. I mean if they can make a double sided 1 GB DIMM, surely they can fit 512 on one side, right?

My motherboard is the Asus P4PE and my hope was that I would be able to increase my memory to a total of 1.5 GB. Regardless, I am going to purchase a 512 no matter what. I am just trying to figure out which to purchase and if the 8T is not single sided than there are more options, and cheaper memory, out there. Right now I have 1 512 PC2700 and 1 256 PC2100 so a faster 512 to replace the 256 would still be a nice upgrade. Anyone have any advice or recommendations?

[kg2k]

Nobody has any ideas?

[RicheemxX]

ok I might be lost but 4channel has little to do with double sided ram you should be able to place the pc2700@512 and add another pc2700 512 and you'd be allright what i spot is your trying to place a 2100 in the 2700 wich slows it all down

[kg2k]

The 2100 stick is irrelevant. Let’s just disregard that all together because as soon as I purchase anything that stick is gone. What I want to do is upgrade, preferably to 1.5 GB. But let’s even disregard that for now. I guess I probably made this more complicated then it needed to be.

Basically my question is, what is the difference between an 8-chip stick and a 16-chip stick? Is the 8-chip piece of Crucial DDR PC2700 RAM http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=1 single sided? If not, how does it differ from http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=1?

Thanks for the reply though.

[Optimus Prime]

No offense kg2k but you make everything really complicated. If the item says it's 512 ram on one side, then it is. If it's just a picture, look closely at any text near it, it might say "picture is for reference only".

AFAIK, there is no difference.

[excuzzzeme]

8 vs 16 vs..... Yes 8 can be double sided, not too common anymore

[capybara]

the only way to know for sure - 1 or 2 sided - is from the manufacturerers website of the motherbd or ram. i found out the hard way when a 2-sided stick i bought wasnt compatible with my celeron system. ooops.

[kg2k]

Originally posted by capybara
the only way to know for sure - 1 or 2 sided - is from the manufacturerers website of the motherbd or ram. i found out the hard way when a 2-sided stick i bought wasnt compatible with my celeron system. ooops.

That's part of the problem though. Crucial doesn't even list the 8-chip RAM on their site.

If the item says it's 512 ram on one side, then it is.

No offense to you either, Optimus Prime, but did you look at the links? It’s not very clear at all as to whether or not the RAM is double sided or not. Where did you get that it said 512 on one side? The only difference between the two is one is listed as 8-chip, and one is 16-chip. Both are stated as 64x64 and everything else is exactly identical. That’s why I was hoping to get some additional information from someone who knew more of the intimate details about RAM specifications. If it were as simple as looking at the pictures I would have figured it out on my own.

Thanks for the replies. Now at least I know I have to get confirmation from Newegg as to whether or not they are double sided. Not sure if they'll be able to tell me for certain though.

[grandma]

Per live suppport from crucial technology.

QUOTE
Carmen> 4T and 8T is a single sided module and 16T is a double sided module. 4T, 8T and 16T are different revisions of the module. They are compatible with each other.
UNQUOTE

Grandma

[kg2k]

Thanks Grandma.

I had pretty much forgot about this post but I did find out that it was in fact single sided (one channel). Which is very nice and seems pretty rare amongst 512MB DDR sticks. I bought a piece of Kingston duel sided RAM on sale though so I guess I will be stuck at 1gb for a while.