# what is the symmetric mode



## The Egyptian

hi
the unganged mode is called to improve the performance of multi-threaded software and it's better for oc
so
i want to know what is the dc symmetric mode ?
and what is the nb frequency ? and y it's not active in the second pic ?


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## StrangleHold

Ganged and Unganged is a AMD thing. Both are Dual Channel. But Ganged is the memory controller running as a single 128bit controller and Unganged is running as two 64bit controllers.

Symmetric is a Intel thing. If you have a 1gb stick in one channel and a 512mb. in the other it is Symmetric mode. If you have a 1gb. stick in one channel and two 512mb. in the other channel its Dual symmetric mode. Either is better then single channel mode.


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## The Egyptian

so what is the nb frequency ? and y it's not active in the second pic ?


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## StrangleHold

The Egyptian said:


> so what is the nb frequency ? and y it's not active in the second pic ?


 
Well in the top CPUz is kinda misleading. On a AMD the Northbridge chipset really runs at 200mhz. But the HyperTransport runs at 2000mhz. So what its calling the NB Frequency is really the HyperTransport speed.


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## TrainTrackHack

> Symmetric is a Intel thing. If you have a 1gb stick in one channel and a 512mb. in the other it is Symmetric mode. If you have a 1gb. stick in one channel and two 512mb. in the other channel its Dual symmetric mode.


It is?

AFAIK symmetric dual-channel is the "proper" dual channel, i.e. pairs of sticks with the same capacity. Asymmetric is pairs of different sticks, where some accesses happen in dual-channel mode and some in single-channel mode, depending on the exact memory location.


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## StrangleHold

hackapelite said:


> It is?
> 
> AFAIK symmetric dual-channel is the "proper" dual channel, i.e. pairs of sticks with the same capacity.


 
If you have a matching pair its just Dual channel

If you have say a 1gb. stick in one channel and two 512mb. sticks in the other (the amount is equal in both channels) its called symmetric dual-channel .

But true if you have different amounts in each channell technically its called Asymmetric mode.


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## TrainTrackHack

Right.

Had to reread your post a few times and google some intel's documents before I got it :/


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## Cromewell

hackapelite said:


> It is?
> 
> AFAIK symmetric dual-channel is the "proper" dual channel, i.e. pairs of sticks with the same capacity. Asymmetric is pairs of different sticks, where some accesses happen in dual-channel mode and some in single-channel mode, depending on the exact memory location.



Usually "proper" dual channel is called Interleaved. In the case stranglehold mentioned, 1GB + 2x512MB, I believe an Intel controller will still be able to interleave that. It's possible CPUz is calling that symmetric mode though.


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