RAM - I don't get it

[nickfever]

why are you supposed to install RAm in equal amounts. (I don't mean in pairs.) For instance, if you have a pair of 1 gig memory modules, you shouldn't install another pair of 2 gig memory modules. (Totalling 6 gig).I don't understand why. Can someone help me?Thanks,Nick

[wodinlord]

What I have always heard and done is just make sure that the larger pair is in the first 2 slots and the smaller in the other 2. I have a G5 right now that has 2 2G cards and 2 1G cards and it works like a champ.Wodinlord

[nickfever]

I just ordered a new mac pro and some RAM. I will have the same amount of RAM as your set up. Thanks for the heads up on how to configure it.Nick

[milfus]

on a 32bit system, you shouldnt get over 4 gigs, because you cant use more than 3.75 gigs at any one time, if its a 64 bit system you might get some benefit, but you should def check the charts

[mazz]

Mac Pro with 10.5 (Leopard) is a 64 bit system as far as I know.

[wodinlord]

On a related topic. If you are using Pro Tools, going into setup/playback engine and setting it to use only 1 rtas processor and setting CPU usage limit to 99% really cuts down on CPU overload problems. I know this seems counterintuitive, but I guess it better distributes CPU usage or something. Got this tip on the DUC forum, I tried it and it works. I use BFD, a lot of guitar amp emulators, convolution reverbs and plug-ins and since doing this I have had very few CPU warnings and usually can just hit play again and go on when I do. I am on Mac so I can't vouch for how it works on a PC.Wodinlord

[milfus]

woody is dead on about that, if you set a single processor to 99% you aviod the second processors cache splitting, so you are at 150% efficiency, and some other nifty bonus's that are really geeky and no one cares about, I am on an 8 core pc, so I cant really vouche for cpu probs cause....well.....i maxed out my machine at 75% cpu (*dance dance dance dance*)but when I was on a dual, I used to do the 1 processor at 99%so I can vouche

[milfus]

so i can kinda vouche, I meant, cause it used to work fine