Must I buy memory for all 4 slots, or just 2 and later add another 2?

My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
sticks.

I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
have the money to go to 4 gb right now.

Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?

Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.

Louiis

Thank you!!

This is a great response, and I appreciate it very much.


On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:09:33 -0500, Paul <> wrote:

>Gdareos wrote:
>> My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
>> sticks.
>>
>> I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
>> have the money to go to 4 gb right now.
>>
>> Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
>> afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?
>>
>> Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.
>>
>> Louiis
>
>I would not expect a problem with 2x1GB and 2x512MB. I cannot find
>many examples of P4P800-VM full of memory, so it is hard to say
>exactly.
>
>This is the Intel memory guide. Your new configuration is the one
>in Figure 6. You will end up in "Normal Mode", as certain interleaving
>features will be disabled with two mixed pairs. I don't think this
>will be a big deal.
>
>ftp://download.intel.com/design/chip...s/25303601.pdf
>
>In terms of where to buy the memory, I would recommend not to buy the
>memory from Ebay. A lot of the Ebay sellers, carry 1GB modules with
>128Mx4 chips. The proper memory should use 64Mx8 chips instead. This
>Kingston document shows an example of a properly constructed 1GB module.
>It has a total of (16) 64Mx8 chips on it. This particular module is CAS3.
>You can select a CAS number which is the same as your current memory,
>for best performance. (The BIOS will use the slowest of the CAS numbers
>from all the modules.)
>
>http://www.valueram.com/datasheets/KVR400X64C3A_1G.pdf
>
>HTH,
> Paul

Gdareos wrote:
> My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
> sticks.
>
> I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
> have the money to go to 4 gb right now.
>
> Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
> afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?
>
> Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.
>
> Louiis

I would not expect a problem with 2x1GB and 2x512MB. I cannot find
many examples of P4P800-VM full of memory, so it is hard to say
exactly.

This is the Intel memory guide. Your new configuration is the one
in Figure 6. You will end up in "Normal Mode", as certain interleaving
features will be disabled with two mixed pairs. I don't think this
will be a big deal.

ftp://download.intel.com/design/chip...s/25303601.pdf

In terms of where to buy the memory, I would recommend not to buy the
memory from Ebay. A lot of the Ebay sellers, carry 1GB modules with
128Mx4 chips. The proper memory should use 64Mx8 chips instead. This
Kingston document shows an example of a properly constructed 1GB module.
It has a total of (16) 64Mx8 chips on it. This particular module is CAS3.
You can select a CAS number which is the same as your current memory,
for best performance. (The BIOS will use the slowest of the CAS numbers
from all the modules.)

http://www.valueram.com/datasheets/KVR400X64C3A_1G.pdf

HTH,
Paul

You should be able to use two 1GB sticks and two 512GB sticks (3GB
total). However, it very much matters which sticks go in which sockets,
they need to be installed in matched pairs. SEE YOUR MANUAL, as on some
boards the color coding is by channel, and on other motherboards it is
by how you install the chips (one in each channel).


Gdareos wrote:
> My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
> sticks.
>
> I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
> have the money to go to 4 gb right now.
>
> Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
> afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?
>
> Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.
>
> Louiis

He should be able to run dual channel mode just fine if he installs the
memory properly.


Gdareos wrote:
> Thank you!!
>
> This is a great response, and I appreciate it very much.
>
>
> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:09:33 -0500, Paul <> wrote:
>
>> Gdareos wrote:
>>> My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
>>> sticks.
>>>
>>> I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
>>> have the money to go to 4 gb right now.
>>>
>>> Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
>>> afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?
>>>
>>> Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.
>>>
>>> Louiis
>> I would not expect a problem with 2x1GB and 2x512MB. I cannot find
>> many examples of P4P800-VM full of memory, so it is hard to say
>> exactly.
>>
>> This is the Intel memory guide. Your new configuration is the one
>> in Figure 6. You will end up in "Normal Mode", as certain interleaving
>> features will be disabled with two mixed pairs. I don't think this
>> will be a big deal.
>>
>> ftp://download.intel.com/design/chip...s/25303601.pdf
>>
>> In terms of where to buy the memory, I would recommend not to buy the
>> memory from Ebay. A lot of the Ebay sellers, carry 1GB modules with
>> 128Mx4 chips. The proper memory should use 64Mx8 chips instead. This
>> Kingston document shows an example of a properly constructed 1GB module.
>> It has a total of (16) 64Mx8 chips on it. This particular module is CAS3.
>> You can select a CAS number which is the same as your current memory,
>> for best performance. (The BIOS will use the slowest of the CAS numbers
>>from all the modules.)
>> http://www.valueram.com/datasheets/KVR400X64C3A_1G.pdf
>>
>> HTH,
>> Paul

Thanks - I bought two 1 GB sticks, and will also use two of my old 256
MB sticks. The 1 GB sticks will be in slots 0 and 1, with the
remainder in 2 and 3.

Thanks, Barry

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:30:35 -0400, Barry Watzman
<> wrote:

>You should be able to use two 1GB sticks and two 512GB sticks (3GB
>total). However, it very much matters which sticks go in which sockets,
>they need to be installed in matched pairs. SEE YOUR MANUAL, as on some
>boards the color coding is by channel, and on other motherboards it is
>by how you install the chips (one in each channel).
>
>
>Gdareos wrote:
>> My p4p800 vm has 4 memory slots which I have populated with 4 512 MB
>> sticks.
>>
>> I need to upgrade the memory because of ArcGIS software, but don't
>> have the money to go to 4 gb right now.
>>
>> Can I install two 1 GB sticks, and then add another two when I can
>> afford it, or is there some negative factor I am not anticipating?
>>
>> Thanks for entertaining a newbie type question.
>>
>> Louiis