Windows Experience Index drops after adding RAM

I added 1 GB of RAM to my system to make a total of 3 GB. My Memory score
dropped from 4.2 to 2.4. I am running 3 sticks of identical memory. I am
running an ASUS K8NE-Deluxe MB with an AMD Athlon 3400 chip. I ran the
Windows memory diagnostic and it reports no errors. Removing the 3rd stick
of RAM returns the index to 4.2. Any ideas what is going on here?

"Rich Bell" <rg_bell@nvbell.net> wrote in message
news:8C1CD4A6-6B74-4CE0-A8E4-409CEDD3EDF9@microsoft.com...
>I added 1 GB of RAM to my system to make a total of 3 GB. My Memory score
>dropped from 4.2 to 2.4. I am running 3 sticks of identical memory. I am
>running an ASUS K8NE-Deluxe MB with an AMD Athlon 3400 chip. I ran the
>Windows memory diagnostic and it reports no errors. Removing the 3rd stick
>of RAM returns the index to 4.2. Any ideas what is going on here?

When you are using only 2 sticks, your RAM is running in Dual-Channel mode,
but when you use 3 sticks it is running in Single-channel mode.

"Captain Roberts" <none@given.hyar> wrote in message
news:uJcqlQMqHHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>
> "Rich Bell" <rg_bell@nvbell.net> wrote in message
> news:8C1CD4A6-6B74-4CE0-A8E4-409CEDD3EDF9@microsoft.com...
>>I added 1 GB of RAM to my system to make a total of 3 GB. My Memory score
>>dropped from 4.2 to 2.4. I am running 3 sticks of identical memory. I am
>>running an ASUS K8NE-Deluxe MB with an AMD Athlon 3400 chip. I ran the
>>Windows memory diagnostic and it reports no errors. Removing the 3rd stick
>>of RAM returns the index to 4.2. Any ideas what is going on here?
>
> When you are using only 2 sticks, your RAM is running in Dual-Channel
> mode, but when you use 3 sticks it is running in Single-channel mode.
>

Thanks for the prompt reply. I guess it is time to build a new system. I
recently bought and HD camcorder and I wanted to upgrade my system to
hopefully improve performance with processing the HD files. I am assuming
there is no way to make this board use Dual channel mode with 3 memory
sticks?

"Rich Bell" <rg_bell@nvbell.net> wrote in message
news:uaiM9TMqHHA.3508@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>
> "Captain Roberts" <none@given.hyar> wrote in message
> news:uJcqlQMqHHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Rich Bell" <rg_bell@nvbell.net> wrote in message
>> news:8C1CD4A6-6B74-4CE0-A8E4-409CEDD3EDF9@microsoft.com...
>>>I added 1 GB of RAM to my system to make a total of 3 GB. My Memory score
>>>dropped from 4.2 to 2.4. I am running 3 sticks of identical memory. I am
>>>running an ASUS K8NE-Deluxe MB with an AMD Athlon 3400 chip. I ran the
>>>Windows memory diagnostic and it reports no errors. Removing the 3rd
>>>stick of RAM returns the index to 4.2. Any ideas what is going on here?
>>
>> When you are using only 2 sticks, your RAM is running in Dual-Channel
>> mode, but when you use 3 sticks it is running in Single-channel mode.
>>
>
> Thanks for the prompt reply. I guess it is time to build a new system. I
> recently bought and HD camcorder and I wanted to upgrade my system to
> hopefully improve performance with processing the HD files. I am assuming
> there is no way to make this board use Dual channel mode with 3 memory
> sticks?

That is correct. Dual-Channel operates in pairs. Also note that you will
need to use Vista x64 for your system to see more than 3GB's of memory.