1.5gb @400mhz or 2gb @533mhz for nw8240

I don't think there will be any performance gains going with 533MHz over 400MHz because the ram will just clock down to 400MHz anyways.

Well, the second 1 GB would allow you to run the memories in the dual channel mode @ 533 MHz vs. single channel mode @ 400 MHz with your current setup. Memory experts could tell if you would notice difference. I think it wouldn't probably add much to real life performance since there are so many factors, but you could gain something in benchmarks.

Where did you find an nw8240 with 400 MHz memory? I thought all stock models come with 533 MHz memory. The nc series uses 400 MHz memory for sure, but this is news to me.

I agree...

Yeah, mine came with a single stick of 512Mb running at 533MHz, even in single channel mode. Added another 512MHz and Sisoft Sandra still reports 533MHz.

By the way, how can I confirm that I'm running in dual-channel mode ?

vermin

is it even capable of running in dual channel mode? Are both modules in Dual channel mode?

Because if the laptop can have dual channel but your ordered it with out they put single channel memory in the laptop to cut costs & save lots of money...

There's no such thing as "dual channel" memory. Memory is memory. It's the chipset and bus that has to be capable of accessing memory in dual channel mode. As long as the memory is of the same type (although they don't even have to be the same DDR speed), and dual channel is enabled, then it'll run in dual channel mode.

On my desktop, this is something I can see enabled in the BIOS, but I see no info for this in the HP bios even though the 915PM supports it. Theoretically it doesn't need to be "turned on", but I'd like some sort of explicit confirmation that dual-channel is working.

Im not sure thats correct... because:

1) When i built my last desktop i ordered up some PC3200 512MB, about a month later i got PC3200 512MB of ram that was labeled dual channel and the motherboard didnt go into dual channel mode until i replaced the first module with the memory that was labeled dual channel...


2) Companys label memory as, "Dual Channel", and some "Single Channel"...

Check here for dual channel info. Note the "Rules to enable dual channel mode". Nowhere is there a requirement for memory classified as "Dual Channel Memory". Perhaps you are confusing DDR (Double Data Rate) memory and dual channel mode. All memory can be used as "dual channel" as long as it is matched properly, the memory banks are populated correctly and, of course, the motherboard supports dual channel.

Marketing, plain and simple. Often, Memory manufactuers will package 2 sticks of ram together and call it a dual channel kit, which is fine, as they are doing the grunt work for you, namely ensure that the ram is properly matched so as to work in a dual channel steup.

As stated in the article, the memory doesn't have to be the same brand, same timing or DDR speed as it will default to the slower DIMM and still operate in dual channel mode. True, early motherboards implementing dual channel had an easier time switching into dual channel mode if the DIMMS were identical, but that has largely been resolved.

I just bought some nice Sennheiser headphones that were labled "Digital Headphones" generously all over the packaging. Not one single physical aspect of these headphones could be called digital. Yes they can reproduce sound from a digital source, but the second that digital source hits the DAC in my reciever, it's analog all the way.

verm

Well now.. I stand corrected ... I know i wasnt confusing DDR with Dual Channel mode... But still it was strange that it would not work... I noticed that intel lists only D915's and above... the board i did it on was a D875 IIRC... Dont know if that makes a difference....

800 MHz (or 798) is Lowest Frequency Mode (LFM) to which Pentium M /w 533 MHz FSB drops through Intel Speedswitch.

2.0 GHz is the Highest Frequency Mode (HFM) of your P M processor.

My System Properties also shows different values, depending on the state of Speedswitch.

You can check the memory speed with the free version of SiSoft Sandra, PCMark 04, or 3dmark05. I used the last one and it shows it very clearly.

I thought it was SpeedStep...