Memory advice

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martinlw

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Hi,I have at the moment 4GB installed on my motherboard.its capable of taking 8GB,would it be worth installing an extra 2GB, 1x 4GB replacement for 2GB,or will it only make a slight difference for performance.Regards Martin.
 
64-bit OS, CPU?

It depends on if you are running a 64-bit OS that can even use the 4GB you have.

My advice is:

If your cpu is 64-bit with hardware virtualization support - plan on installing Windows 7 64-bit when available and decide based on that future.
If your mobo and cpu support it and you are using or will be using a 64-bit OS, I say load it up!

Unfortunately, prices vary wildly for 1GB vs 2GB vs 4GB sticks and getting the right fit (using what you have or ditching it) is not so simple. I am not even going to start anything about DDR2 vs. DDR3

Assuming 64-bit, I think 8GB (4X2) is the magic number for desktops and 16 GB or 32 GB for Servers. Laptops generally aren't made for more than 4GB so far (sniff!)
 
The only time you're going to notice the additional RAM is if you are using applications that require large chunks. For example, texturing in a 3D app such as Max or Maya or video editing tools like After Effects. Of course having more RAM is never a bad thing so it's really your call. I've noticed that my 64-bit Win7 install only uses ~27% of my 4GB RAM sitting idle; so say 1GB; I've never seen it use more than 40% so it's tough to say exactly how you will benefit.
 
Hi,I will most likely stick with the 4GB at present,and go more ram when i go to Windows 7 and change from 32 bit to 64.Thanks for info.Regards Martin.
 
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