I will be building myself a new PC and I'm trying to figure out a
discrepancy regarding DDR memory. Here are the facts of the case:
I plan on getting an Asus A7N8X Deluxe motherboard. This board has 3
DDR DIMMs and its maximum memory capacity is listed as 3 GB. Given
that information, I assume that each slot can handle modules of up to
1 GB in size. So far, so good.
I will be placing my order with newegg.com (which, as you probably
know, is arguably the #1 site for ordering PC components). When
shopping for memory on their site, I notice that although they offer
20 products under the "1 GB" listing, these are all actually "kits"
consisting of twin 512 MB modules. I have had similar experiences with
many other suppliers such as googlegear.com and tigerdirect.com. I
have done some reading on this subject and I understand that high-end
DDR is often sold in pairs to take advantage of the Dual Channel
technology currently available. But why aren't 1024 MB chips sold,
either as singles or in pairs? In other words, if current motherboards
are being designed to handle 1 GB sticks, why is it so hard to find
them?
I see on Kingston's site, and a few others, that they do, in fact,
offer a single-stick 1024 MB module (part # KVR333X72RC25/1G),
although this is nowhere to be seen on newegg. Spartantech.com,
another site that I frequently order from, lists what seems to be a
Corsair brand 1024 MB single stick (part # CM78SD1024R-2700), but I
can't find mention of such a product on Corsair's site.
Nobody seems to be able to agree with one another regarding the
availability of single-stick 1024 MB DDR RAM. The only explanation I
can think of is that technology isn't to the point where there is
enough demand for 1 GB of RAM on a single module. This doesn't seem to
be the case, though... I mean, even if the market isn't that great,
you'd still think a site like newegg would carry at least 1 or 2 of
these things. I see people spending $10,000-plus on new systems. There
HAVE to be people out there who want to buy a motherboard like the one
I'll be getting and stuff it with 3 GB of RAM.
Maybe there's something I don't know about 1 GB sticks? Do they have a
reputation for being incompatible, unreliable, or causing other
problems? Are they known to blow up or wear out easily? There has to
be some reason they're so hard to find.
Or, have I made a silly mistake? Are there 1 GB sticks on newegg that
I'm missing? This is the first DDR-based system I've built; am I
incorrectly assuming something about the DDR/motherboard architecture?
I mean, 3 GB capacity on 3 DIMMs, it seems pretty straightforward,
right?
I know I used a lot of question marks, but all I want to know is why
single-stick 1GB DDR is so scarce, and particularly why it appears
that I can't get any from some of the largest hardware suppliers in
existence. Something doesn't seem right, and I want to figure it out
before I go and drop several hundred dollars for a new system.
By the way: I am always willing to admit that I haven't made myself
clear, so please use comments and/or requests for clarification as
needed before the "official" answer is posted.
Thanks a bundle. |
