Z series, 1 RAM stick or dual channel?

Would there be significant performance drop if I choose 1 stick 1GB DDR2 instead of 2x512MB? HP shopping gives costumer the freedom of choosing 1x256MB. I plan to take advantage of this and buy a 1x1GB online.

Just little bit wander how much performance dropp if I stay with single channel DDR2. Intel doesn't have this option, maybe its FSB support 128bit only.

 

Very very minimal, unless u benchmark with software specially designed for memory.

But besides that, you will not notice anything in windows, or games or stuff like that.

So if u care about a couple extra points in some random benchmark, then go with the dual channel. But gettin the 1x will not make any difference otherwise, and leave u on a simple path for future upgrading by just popping another stick in. If u had 2x512 u have to replace both and sell the old ones. Too much hassle for 2%-3% increase in overall performance u would get with dc.

 

Yeah, that's what I mean. We can always by single cheaper and faster RAM from market if 2x1GB is over budget today. I will not use vista within 18+ month. I just want give more time for MS to release several service packs before I actually install it.

 

I went uber cheap and only had 256mb installed on mine, then bought 2x1GB from a third party for $170. (Thank you rebates!)

It isn't that hard to find 1GB notebook DDR for $100 and under, so you might want to consider a single dimm for now as dual channel performance was a bigger deal when the memory controler wasn't on the CPU. Besides, there are plenty of other bottle necks that impact a laptop more than dual channel memory path.

 

I upgraded mine to 2x1GB, but that was before memory prices decided to skyrocket.

As adinu said, you wouldn't really notice much of a performance difference (you probably wouldn't notice at all unless you were doing heavy-duty work on your notebook, in which case you would go for 2GB of memory anyway, probably) and you would be able to upgrade to 2GB in the future rather easily.

 

webdev511, would you refer us some good site to buy cheap RAM? newegg is not that cheap.

 

Nothing is cheap now, because recently ram prices went up. I got 2 gigs of ocz ram off newegg for 160- rebates. Now even cheapo brands run in the $110 range per stick if 1gb.

So newegg is by far one of the best places to get stuff, and u will not find ram any cheaper than there.

 

a really bad time if buying 667 these days. :=(