Installing The Memory; Dual Channel Memory Configuration - Gigabyte GA-M56S-S3 User Manual

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Installing the Memory

Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory:
• Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of
the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used.
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest memory support list.)
• Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before
installing the memory to prevent hardware damage.
• Memory modules have a foolproof design. A memory module can be installed in only one
direction. If you are unable to insert the memory, switch the direction.

1-4-1 Dual Channel Memory Configuration

This motherboard provides four DDR2 memory sockets and supports Dual Channel
Technology. After the memory is installed, the BIOS will automatically detect the
specifications and capacity of the memory. Enabling Dual Channel memory mode
will double the original memory bandwidth.
The four DDR2 memory sockets are divided into two channels and each channel has two memory
sockets as following:
Channel 0: DDRII_1, DDRII_3
Channel 1: DDRII_2, DDRII_4
Due to CPU limitation, read the following guidelines before installing the memory in Dual Channel mode.
1. Dual Channel mode cannot be enabled if only one DDR2 memory module is installed.
2. When enabling Dual Channel mode with two or four memory modules, it is recommended that
memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used and installed in the same
colored DDR2 sockets for optimum performance.
Dual Channel Memory Configurations Table
DDRII_1 DDRII_2 DDRII_3 DDRII_4
Two Modules
DS/SS
- -
Four Modules DS/SS
(SS=Single-Sided, DS=Double-Sided, "- -"=No Memory)
If two memory modules are to be installed, it is recom-
mended that you install them in the DDRII_1 and DDRII_2
sockets.
- 15 -
DS/SS - - - -
- - DS/SS DS/SS
DS/SS DS/SS DS/SS
Hardware Installation