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    How does SXPS 16 have 6GB RAM?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by funkmasterta, Oct 25, 2010.

  1. funkmasterta

    funkmasterta Notebook Evangelist

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    Does it have 3 mem slots (3 x 2GB)? I did a search on here and tried to Google search some images of the mobo and nothing large enough to see any detail.
     
    funkmasterta, Oct 25, 2010
    #1
  2. V_Chip

    V_Chip Be about it.

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    I always thought that 6gb of RAM was done by 2 dimms; one 4gb and one 2gb.
     
    V_Chip, Oct 25, 2010
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  3. gpig

    gpig Notebook Deity

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    That is correct.
     
    gpig, Oct 25, 2010
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  4. funkmasterta

    funkmasterta Notebook Evangelist

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    Does that mean it doesn't work in dual channel then, so it's not an "optimum" configuration?
     
    funkmasterta, Oct 26, 2010
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  5. goha01

    goha01 Notebook Geek

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    I think it is 1x4GB + 1x2GB
     
    goha01, Oct 26, 2010
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  6. gaah

    gaah Notebook Deity

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    it uses a type of dual-channel mode, but no it's not the most optimal and doesn't have the same performance benefit. I think they call it asynchronous dual-channel, or flex mode?
     
    gaah, Oct 26, 2010
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  7. lizard5

    lizard5 Notebook Consultant

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    i thought the core i7s use 3 channels for ram (an improvement over the previous dual channel modes)
     
    lizard5, Oct 26, 2010
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  8. gpig

    gpig Notebook Deity

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    I think you're thinking of (some of) the desktop i7s.
     
    gpig, Oct 26, 2010
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  9. wlfng2005

    wlfng2005 Notebook Consultant

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    nope, its about $70 on newegg and there's one on sale (brand is patriot) for $59.99!
     
    wlfng2005, Oct 26, 2010
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  10. seeker_moc

    seeker_moc Notebook Virtuoso

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    What happens is that the first 4 GB (the 2GB stick and half of the 4GB stick) runs in dual channel mode, and is just as fast as if you had 2x2. The second half of the 4GB stick (2GB) runs on half-speed single-channel mode.

    Also, what nomoredell said is completely false. One single 4GB stick, with nothing in the second slot, will only run half as fast as 2x 2GB sticks. They don't have to be the same capacity (as mentioned in my first paragraph) but both slots do have to be filled to run in dual-channel mode.

    If you were only using one RAM stick, that nice 1333MHz DDR3 would only be working at 667MHz....
     
    seeker_moc, Oct 26, 2010
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