Multi-channel memory architecture

[1] Modern high-end desktop and workstation processors such as the AMD Ryzen Threadripper series and the Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition lineup support quad-channel memory.

[2] In March 2010, AMD released Socket G34 and Magny-Cours Opteron 6100 series[3] processors with support for quad-channel memory.

Some motherboards, however, have compatibility issues with certain brands or models of memory when attempting to use them in dual-channel mode.

Dual-channel was originally conceived as a way to maximize memory throughput by combining two 64-bit buses into a single 128-bit bus.

However, due to lackluster performance gains in consumer applications,[8] more modern implementations of dual-channel use the "unganged" mode by default, which maintains two 64-bit memory buses but allows independent access to each channel, in support of multithreading with multi-core processors.

[9][10] "Ganged" versus "unganged" difference could also be envisioned as an analogy with the way RAID 0 works, when compared to JBOD.

[11] With RAID 0 (which is analogous to "ganged" mode), it is up to the additional logic layer to provide better (ideally even) usage of all available hardware units (storage devices, or memory modules) and increased overall performance.

The LGA 1366 platform (e.g. Intel X58) supports DDR3 triple-channel, normally 1333 and 1600Mhz, but can run at higher clock speeds on certain motherboards.

The architecture can only be used when all three, or a multiple of three, memory modules are identical in capacity and speed, and are placed in three-channel slots.

Quad-channel memory debuted on Intel's Nehalem-EX LGA 1567 platform of Xeon CPUs, aka Beckton in 2010, and was introduced to the high end product line on the Intel X79 LGA 2011 platform with Sandy Bridge-E in late 2011.

The architecture can be used only when all four memory modules (or a multiple of four) are identical in capacity and speed, and are placed in quad-channel slots.