Sorry for a non-political post. A few of you may be able to help me with this problem.
I'm helping to build a computer for someone -- a good system, capable of doing high-end Photoshop work while a video plays on a separate monitor. We're thinking of using the 64-bit Windows 7 beta. The advantage of 64-bit is, of course, the ability to use more than four gigs of RAM.
The motherboard has already been purchased, and it has one oddity: It can use four gigs of RAM dual channel or eight gigs single channel. (Dual channel is supposed to work twice as fast, although in practice the improvement is small.) So the question comes down to this: Which is better -- dual channel memory, or twice the memory?
Googling reveals that a number of people on a number of sites have asked that very question, but the responses never address the issue. You know how geeks are -- always talking about everything under the sun except for the matter at hand. So please, I beg you: This is not the time to say "Get a Mac" or "Switch to Linux."
I'm grateful to anyone who can help...
10 comments:
Don't buy a Mac unless you just like driving overpriced equipment. As for your memory question-- I haven't built one in a while so I don't know the answer specifically, but on a practical level, especially with video apps, it seems I always get more benefit from more RAM, regardless of the other circumstances. The one exception I can think of using a 3D accelerator, but then that is a very specific application.
I'd run over to MaximumPC and see if you can post the question, they are knowledgeable, very geeky, and responsive.
I'm sorry I don't have an actual answer to your question but I've got some ideas:
Have you checked the Adobe site to see the Photoshop requirements?
Also, Adobe has extensive forums and I've found the answer to some pretty obscure questions there. Posting to forums will often bring really good answers.
Oh, and sometimes writing out the questions gives me ideas for other search terms to try in Google.
Maybe this will help. It is a bit old, but explains things decently.
http://www.kingston.com/newtech/MKF_520DDRwhitepaper.pdf
Basically, you need to know the memory speed and cpu fsb speed. If the memory is lower, you may find dual channel to be useful. However, it is pretty rare for it to be twice as good as single channel. The real question to ask is where the bottleneck on the system is. Basically, it is really system and task specific, hence why there aren't clear cut answers (you should also make a distinction between nerds and geeks, they really aren't the same thing).
Lastly, there is triple channel architecture for the intel core i7's, don't know if that is what you have, but it again is slightly different from single/dual channel.
What brand and model is the motherboard?
Joseph, what happened to your contact info? I thought you might find interesting Scott Horton's latest, which claims that Vincent not only did not saw off his own ear, the deed was done by Gauguin.
http://www.harpers.org/subjects/NoComment
The investigative blogger that can't use wiki?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture
Figure it out from there.
Saw that well before I posted. In fact, I first read that entry a long time ago.
It does not answer my question.
Some investigator YOU are. Can't read, can you?
Joe, Sweetie is a geek (yes, he really knows what he's doing) and he says, go with the dual channel, but questions using the 64-bit OS unless all applications are 64-bit. If you'd like to pick his brain a bit more, email me and I'll hook you two up.
PS - He told me to tell you that he just completed a "dragon system." I dunno what that is (non-geek here), but just passing that along as well.
Know little technically, actually nothing, to be more honest.
However, bought 64bit Vista on last comp. due to fact that 64bit allegedly can use entire 4g memory. Plus, predictions that all will go to 64bit.
Whereas, 32 bit supposedly cannot use all of any stated memory. Have a year old 32bit, 4g, Vista, but not savvy enough to know if there is a definitive difference.
So far, no conflicts or problems related to 32vs64 bit programs or software.
If this a totally useless post, I apologize.
Post a Comment