What Slots Should Ram Go In

Adding additional RAM memory to computer had been always one of the easiest and efficient upgrades. Over years with baggage of hardware generations and new technologies it can get tricky.

When installing memory it’s not important what to do, but more important to do it right

Slots 2 & 4 are suggested in build guides etc because they're further away from the CPU socket so tall ram is less likely to cause clearance issues with aftermarket coolers. Also males them easier to remove should you have a problem. Nov 09, 2014 With equal amounts of memory in both slots, memory can be interleaved so that successive chunks of memory alternate slots. That way, memory access gets distributed to both slots almost perfectly evenly, allowing their bandwidth to combine. With uneven amounts, memory cannot be interleaved and has to be mapped first to one stick and then the other.

Choose memory

There are two main factors in memory: type and speed.

With equal amounts of memory in both slots, memory can be interleaved so that successive chunks of memory alternate slots. That way, memory access gets distributed to both slots almost perfectly evenly, allowing their bandwidth to combine. With uneven amounts, memory cannot be interleaved and has to be mapped first to one stick and then the other. Nov 29, 2015 Just built a PC and unsure whether or not it makes a difference if I use 2 adjacent slots or 2 alternating slots. MB: Asus m5a97 evo r2 RAM: Corsair vengeance 1600mhz DDR3 8gb (x2) If I use adjacent slots (not colour coded) then will it run slower or will windows read each stick separately. If you have 2 sticks of RAM, you'll start from the slot closest to the 24-pin and put one in that slot, skip a slot, and then the second RAM stick will go in the third slot. If you only have 1 stick of RAM then it will go in the third slot from the 24-pin.

By type most of it is one of DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 (unless you are looking at really old computer). Memory of different types is not compatible mechanically or electronically. Motherboards usually have slots for one specific kind of memory, some rare models can support memory of two types (but not at the same time).

Speed of memory is faster for newer types, but also differs in margins of every type. Motherboards might only support slower speed than memory can come with. Memory of different speeds will in general work with any motherboard of required type. Slow memory will work at its speed even if motherboard can go faster. Fast memory will slow down to match motherboard if needed.

So you need memory that matches motherboard in type and (best case) speed. If adding memory it is also good idea that new modules match old ones in parameters and brand.

Manufacturers always provide (in manual and online) information on what memory motherboard supports and larger brands even offer lists of practically tested modules for each motherboard.

Choose slots

I remember times when you just had to stick modules in, but those are gone.

Currently most of motherboards/processor combos support at least two memory channels. I think there are already rare (for now) configurations with three channels.

Different channels correspond to different physical slots on board. The idea is that memory must be balanced between channels and that requires them to be filled in specific order.

Motherboard manual has diagram of slot channels and numbers. For example like this one:

Letter commonly refer to channel, numbers commonly refer to order inside channel. In usual case (when manual doesn’t have other explicit instructions) slots must be filled in following order:

1. First slot of first channel (A1 in example)
2. First slot of second channel (B1)
3. Second slot of first channel (A2)
4. Second slot of second channel (B2)
5. And so on.

If you need to install multiply modules it is best to add them one by one.

Overall

Installing memory is not hard, but my advice is to have motherboard manual open and ready. Those slots rarely come in any kind of sane order. I had recently upgraded computer for a friend and it took me five attempts to get kit of 3x2GB memory modules working correctly.

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Your motherboard supports dual channel memory. So ideally for best performance you should have identical capacity pairs of memory in both slots.

I had a quick look at the Dell online specifications for your model and it says the maximum memory is 4 GB though your post suggests 16 GB.

Your system supports:
Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM (533MHz)

Your system manual with regards to memory states:

Your computer has a minimum memory configuration of one DDR2 memory module. This memory module must be installed in DIMM1. If two or more DDR2 memory modules are installed, they should be installed in pairs of matched memory size, speed, and technology. If the DDR2 memory modules are not installed in matched pairs, the computer will continue to operate, but with a slight reduction in performance. See the label on the module to determine the module’s capacity.

What Slots Should Ram Go In The Dark

Now to your question:
You currently have two sticks of 512 MB in each slot giving you 1 GB total dual channel RAM.

Your upgrade options are as follows:

2 x 1 GB RAM giving you 2 GB RAM in dual channel mode
OR
2 x 2 GB RAM giving you 4 GB RAM in dual channel mode - This is your Max

What you are proposing is to put in 1 x 1GB memory in one slot. That will work. However, it will work in single channel mode and hence slower.

Furthermore when you want to upgrade later say to add another 1 x 1GB you may not be able to get a match to your original to create a matching pair. Some systems are not too fussy so long as both slots contain the same size and rated memory, others are more fussy. I do not know how yours will behave.

My view is go for a matched pair of 1 x 1GB. That way you get dual channel performance and it will be the better for it anyway.
.
Finally check your motherboard, does it have 2 slots or 4 slots? The manual suggests that it should have 4 slots.

If it does have 4 slots then your options increase.
For example you could add another 2 x 512 MB RAM in dual channel mode in the remaining two empty slots. This would give you a total of 2 GB (4 x 512 MB)

Personally in that event I would go for 2 x 1GB RAM in dual channel mode in the 2 empty slots. This would give you a total of 3 GB (2 x 1GB and 2 x 512 MB)

Hope it helps

What Slots Should Ram Go In The Dark

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