CPU/Mobo [DOUBT] Will triple channel ram work on motherboards that only support dual channel?

sidk47

sidk47

Contributor
Hi all,

I am planning to buy a new PC and have come to the decision that it would be better for me to spend less on motherboard and processor and spend more on the graphics card(s) instead, as I have planned to upgrade to Sandy Bridge sometime later next year. In this case, the graphics card(s) and most, if not all, of the other components can be carried over, but the old motherboard and processor can't as Sandy Bridge requires a new motherboard that has its own processors.

This makes overspending on the motherboard and processor redundant. Hence I have decided to go with a P55 motherboard and an i5-760 (as was originally suggested to me here, a while back), instead of an X58, and an i7-950 (as I had planned to go for myself). However, while looking through the specifications of the Asus Sabertooth P55i, I noticed that P55 motherboards support only dual channel DDR3 ram, whereas the Sandy Bridge motherboards are purported to support triple channel DDR3 ram like the X58s. Hence my questions to the hardware gurus are:

1(a). Can triple channel DDR3 ram be fitted into a dual channel slot?
1(b). If triple channel DDR3 ram can be fitted into a dual channel slot, what is the approximate increase in performance, percentage wise, that I can expect?

2(a). Can dual channel DDR3 ram be fitted into a triple channel slot?
2(b). If dual channel DDR3 ram can be fitted into a triple channel slot, what is the approximate decrease in performance, percentage wise, that I can expect?

Please chip in with your answers, and also observations guys. If I'm mistaken in any of my statements, please point it out to me. It will help me make a better purchasing decision.

Thanks in advance,
Siddharth.
 
Re: [DOUBT] Will triple channel ram work on motherboards that only support dual chann

There is nothing like dual/triple channel "slot". There are only ram slots, type of memory, speed/latencies, and channel is configured and decided by IMC (Integrated Memory Controller)

1. When you plug in 3 ram modules in a dual channel supported system, all the 3modules will run in single channel. hence there will be reduction in bandwidth due to single channel.

2. When you pug in 2 rams in triple channel system, ofcourse it will work as dual channel however true system potential will only be revealed when triple channel is being worked upon.

What do you expect or do. don't plug in 3 rams in dual channel system, and you can use dual channel if you wish in a triple channel system however triple channel is more performance booster.
 
Back
Top