Resolved Dual Channel Memory?

After buying one stick of memory for an old laptop, I realized I should have gotten a dual channel kit. Could I still get the dual channel effect if I ordered a second stick of the same memory?

 

Yes.

Dual channel kits are tested at manufacturers end to higher level of compatibility, but using 2 sticks should not be an issue if the specs are the same.

 

Thanks.

 

Not any more. 6 or so years ago it was true, but much has changed since then.

On the RAM side, the raw materials are now virtually impurity free, and manufacturing and assembling techniques have made vast improvements too. So today, each module coming off the production line is (practically speaking) identical to the next and already well within required tolerances for dual and triple channel operations. These advances in RAM quality is also why it is difficult to find RAM that it NOT guaranteed for life.

At the same time on the motherboard side of things, motherboard, chipset and memory management module makers also made vast improvements in their capabilities to manage RAM. So motherboards are much more tolerant of slight differences and are much more capable of making slightly mismatched RAM play well together.

Individually testing each module then matching them into pairs and trips is a very expensive and time consuming process. However, because of these advances in manufacturing techniques and raw materials, testing proved to be unnecessary to ensure any pair or triple will play well together.

So in reality, when you see dual and triple channel RAM "kits" in the store, those are simply 2 or 3 sticks off the same production line that are "packaged" together for the buyer's convenience, and to save costs on packaging, inventory, shipping, etc.

This is why today, kits are typically cheaper than individual sticks - you are just buying in quantity.

So the bottom line is,

In fact, though matching brands is still highly recommended, for most new motherboards, if the RAM modules are the same size and "close to" the same specs, the motherboards will ensure they work together.