Question: Which is faster, two 256 MB modules or one 512 MB module?
Answer: it depends.
If your system's motherboard, chipset, BIOS and CPU support something called "dual channel", then the answer is: two 256 MB modules.
Dual channel mode hypothetically permits double the bandwidth relative to single channel by widening the memory address path from 64 bits to 128 bits. In the real world, this equates to a memory throughput increase of roughly 10 to 20% - not double, but still significant.
Keep these things in mind for future expansion/upgrading:
1.) If you want to upgrade to 1 GB, *AND* 2.), your system has dual channel, *AND* 3.), your system has only two memory sockets on the motherboard (as so many systems these day often do), then you'll have to toss the two 256 MB modules of memory and get two matched 512 MB modules. A single 1 GB module may work in your system, but you will not get dual channel.
If you want to upgrade to 4 GB, and your motherboard has only two memory sockets, keep in mind that 2 GB memory modules are extremely rare (except for more modern DDR2 and DDR3 types of memory), and they usually don't work in most systems anyway.
In other words, if your system supports dual channel, always install memory modules in matched pairs, up to the maximum your system permits (again, check your owner's manual).
If your system has four memory sockets, and you want 1 GB of memory total, then you're fine. Just fill all the sockets with identical 256 MB modules for 1 GB total, and you'll still get the benefits of dual channel.
If your system doesn't support dual channel memory addressing, then the answer is: neither is faster.
In this instance, you'd probably be better off getting the one 512 MB module, because it would free up another memory socket on the motherboard for future expansion (provided, of course, that another socket exists, and that the system will permit more than 512MB of memory).
Best for what?... 512 is faster then 256.
256x2=512 512mb = 0.5GB
2
The only advantage I can think of is the situation when one of modules fails and still have another one to work with.
256
A motherboard that supports dual channeling will run faster with two 256 MB DIMMS rather than one 512 MB DIMM due to the fact that the two modules can be accessed at the same time.
Without knowing what your motherboard is, I can only speculate on the problem. Most boards of that era should accept up to 512 MB of RAM, using two 256 MB SDRAM modules. Check that: 1. The RAM modules are both 256 MB modules. 2. They are seated correctly in the slot. 3. That one is not defective. If you only reach 256 MB of RAM, remove one, test, and then replace and remove the other one. 4. Some unscrupulous retailers will sell you a "low density" module that does not meet official JEDEC standards. These modules are built with slower and cheaper RAM chips, and will only work on certain chipsets. On Intel chipsets, they will fail to work at all, or will report an incorrect amount of memory.
As the memory speed is limited, you essentially double the available speed by having two modules, as they run in parallel. The efficiency is generally increased by 20-30% by having two 512mb modules rather than one 1GB module.
Though you'll hardly notice it - speed is the advantage. If a computer has two memory modules, it has to switch between the two while in use. A single chip with twice the capacity is fast - because the computer doesn't have to waste time switching.
256 over 512 is 1 over 2, or a half.
Resulation means pixel per inch either row side or column side, so row side= 512/2=256 or column side 512/2=256.
One half of 512 is 256.