How much RAM?

[Paul Boy]

I'm looking at an i7 systems running Vista64, and wondered just how much ram is sufficient.
The 3XS system over at scan has 3GB, upgradable to 6GB, but after looking around, i wonder if i should be looking at 8-12GB. What's the score ATM?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It depends on what you use your computer for!!

If it is for gaming,video and image editing and other general usage 4gb is more than enough.

As long as you have a 64 bit OS 6gb will be enough for the next couple of years!! Only very hardcore commercial and scientific computing would probably need more than 6gb currently!!

Do you know why??

Most people still have a 32bit OS and this is limited to 4gb for all the system RAM(including the graphics card).

I have 4gb and it is enough for most things.

I could only see having 4gb and less RAM perhaps being a limiting factor perhaps in late 2010 or 2011 but even then 6gb will be enough.

[Funkstar]

The i7 is tri-channel isn't it?

So you are looking at 3, 6, 9 or 12GB as your only options really.

8Gb is a bit of a sweet spot right now, so 3x 1GB plus 3x 2GB to give you 9GB?

[Paul Boy]

okay, I'll probably go for the 6Gb

Thanks

[Pob255]

make sure it's 3x2gb then not 6x1gb (then you'll be able to upgrade later if needed)

3gb would be fine atm, but for how much longer is the big question

currently I have no issue with 2gb of memory

[lostforever]

make sure it's 3x2gb then not 6x1gb (then you'll be able to upgrade later if needed)

3gb would be fine atm, but for how much longer is the big question

currently I have no issue with 2gb of memory

Can you do the following?

3 x 1GB + 3 x 2GB = 9GB?

I got dell studio xps and its coming with 6 x 1GB (no way to change it)

[vincent.m]

does increasing the ram above 4gb add any value? because it is unlikely you will ever require that much memory no??

i have 4gb and its more than enough, i just wanted to fill the slot rather than leave them open

[Koolpc]

does increasing the ram above 4gb add any value? because it is unlikely you will ever require that much memory no??

i have 4gb and its more than enough, i just wanted to fill the slot rather than leave them open

That was probably said when 32mb was the max!! etc etc etc

[vincent.m]

no but even when i use it, the percentage it uses it very low. i dont know what a regular user could use that much ram for....?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

For most users 4gb will more than enough. As most people have 32 bit operating systems so they will only have 3gb to 3.25gb available anyway. Only when 64 bit operating systems are common will 4gb be a major limitation. This will not happen for the next two years or so.

[vincent.m]

but no one has really said why they will demand 4gb of ram... word processing and surfing the internet does not requite this,.,

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

For gaming perhaps 4gb will be needed! Even for photo editing 4gb would only be a limitation if your had very,very high resolution images to modify such as uncompressed tiffs from scanners.

However for normal usage 2gb should be more than enough as long as OS and application memory bloat is controlled.

[vincent.m]

ahh i havent noticed the need for that much, but then i probably dont do anything demanding lol, but i only did it to fill the slots haha. makes my mobo look more full!