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Thread: Does more RAM make a significant difference?

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    Does more RAM make a significant difference?

    Here's the situation. Crappy computer = 600MHz, 128MB 100MHz SDRAM. With lets eat all the memory we can XP Pro. It takes ages to do anything? It crashes if you have more than FreeCell open. Will another stick of 128 make a significant difference?

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    Will work for beer... nichomach's Avatar
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    I regard 256 as the bare MINIMUM for XP, so yes, I think it would, though 512'd be better.

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    256 for xp, bet it chugs like thomas the tank engine on 128.........

    Get 512 in there asap, or run win 98

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    I personally wouldn't run XP on that tbh. I'd have thought it'd need more processing power too, but I could be wrong. If you're not doing any gaming or anything that needs more RAM, it might just be best to get windows 98. possibley cheaper too.

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by madocks
    bet it chugs like thomas the tank engine on 128.........
    indeedy.

    Quote Originally Posted by nichomach
    I regard 256 as the bare MINIMUM for XP
    ditto

    might not the CPU hold back any advantage that the RAM makes?
    Last edited by Matt1eD; 15-04-2005 at 01:22 PM. Reason: forgot to write '/' on second quote

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    Will work for beer... nichomach's Avatar
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    Actually, I've seen XP working OK on some fairly low end kit, so it'll run, but it isn't going to break any speed records...

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    it is allready isntalled and take over 35 mins to start up!

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    Comfortably Numb directhex's Avatar
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    2gb is nice

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    Senior Member kushtibari's Avatar
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    A mate was running similar spec on XP with 128mb of PC100. Got another stick for a tenner or so and there was a definite improvement. Still wasn't going to win any races but his blood pressure came down a bit.

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    If it takes 35 minutes just to start, then definatly change something.

    Directhex - are you saying you have 2Gb RAM?? If so WHY!?!?!?

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    HEXUS.timelord. Zak33's Avatar
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    /holds his hand up


    I am, right now, using a P3 550 with 256 mb PC100 in it and its fine and dandy for email, surfing, minor photo edits, music, spread sheets etc

    Have used it like this since Jan, so 4 months trouble free.

    I DID have 128 in and it was DIRE. Another 128 and you'll be good to go for office style work

    Quote Originally Posted by Advice Trinity by Knoxville
    "The second you aren't paying attention to the tool you're using, it will take your fingers from you. It does not know sympathy." |
    "If you don't gaffer it, it will gaffer you" | "Belt and braces"

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    Comfortably Numb directhex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    If it takes 35 minutes just to start, then definatly change something.

    Directhex - are you saying you have 2Gb RAM?? If so WHY!?!?!?
    only way to play Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines without any swapping

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    cheers guys. Will get

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    if its a 600mhz mobo with 128 ram

    I seriously doubt it will support 2gb

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    indeedy, it prob. woudn't like 512 too much - too much to cope with! It'd die of excitement! Well got the second stick (or at least told the guy I want it). Cheers

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    Taz
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    I rebuilt an old PIII 750MHz (o/c to 915MHz) machine for a friend and put XP Pro it. It works fine with 512MB RAM on low-spec machines - even Office 2003 works great. The irony in Windows is that the page stealing daemon swaps out memory pages regardless of how much RAM you have. But you do need a minimum amount to start with. I would say 256MB is the absolute minimum but 512MB+ is preferred.

    Windows itself is going to struggle in 128MB before you load any other apps.

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