Improving your system's memory capacity.
Improving your system's memory capacity.
I noticed no distinct differences in what you said. Could you confirm the specific post or message you're referring to?
In many current systems, adding three sticks of RAM results in the processor treating them as dual-channel. The matching pairs are handled as dual channels, while the remaining stick acts like extended memory. I own a Dell Vostro 200 running Core 2 Duo E6600, equipped with three 1GB DDR2 modules, and the BIOS still indicates dual-channel operation. Performance may drop if more than two gigabytes are used, though it's often only slightly affected. Linus's video shows what occurs when mixing RAM, but he doesn't suggest it, though your setup might still function.
It can run in a hybrid mode, but that "can" is so important that I typically say "it'll run in single channel mode." I've seen too many posts on here and elsewhere where that happens. Granted, there's a sampling bias, as people only complain about their RAM running in single channel - if it is running dual, they never post asking how to fix it. Also, if you are running out of RAM already, then you're going to go into that single channel, so the odds of a negative performance hit becomes likely again.
True. Based on my experience, the performance can be minimal for everyday tasks such as gaming or web browsing, similar to what Linus mentioned. But for rendering purposes, it tends to show a more obvious slowdown.