Adding Ram

MSALLA
MSALLA Posts: 1,602
edited December 2007 in The Clubhouse
I bought a low end gateway laptop to use for the net and a small amount of work. It is running Vista home prem., turion 64x2 & 1 gig of ddr2. It is sluggish and I would like to cure that. Would adding memory help?
Michael


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Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,574
    edited December 2007
    You'd have to add alot of ram...

    Seems like 3-4 gig of ram is needed to really run Vista properly...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Fireman32
    Fireman32 Posts: 4,845
    edited December 2007
    add another gig. Vista needs 2 gigs to run well
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  • John in MA
    John in MA Posts: 1,010
    edited December 2007
    If it's low on memory it would help. If it's not stressing the system you probably wouldn't notice a huge improvement. I'd put more effort into removing fluff programs that run with Windows startup.

    Or take back the laptop and get something with XP on it.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2007
    Yes.

    Vista is harsh on laptops, It takes a SERIOUS laptop to run it. You need 2+ gigs of ram and I would suggest you get a memory stick and enable ready boost on it. I was a 4 gig thumb drive at Best Buy designed for ready boost for $40.

    All of my Vista builds use more then a gig in memory for normal operation, right after blank install.
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  • shadowofnight
    shadowofnight Posts: 2,735
    edited December 2007
    Fireman32 wrote: »
    add another gig. Vista needs 2 gigs to run well

    What he said....
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  • shadowofnight
    shadowofnight Posts: 2,735
    edited December 2007
    Silverti wrote: »
    Yes.

    Vista is harsh on laptops, It takes a SERIOUS laptop to run it. You need 2+ gigs of ram and I would suggest you get a memory stick and enable ready boost on it. I was a 4 gig thumb drive at Best Buy designed for ready boost for $40.

    All of my Vista builds use more then a gig in memory for normal operation, right after blank install.

    Be careful and only buy the external thumb drive if its fast enough for boost usage....most are not. Only buy those labeled as such....Or google it first to be sure its fast enough and has been used in that manner successfully before.
    The first rule of Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club
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  • PhantomOG
    PhantomOG Posts: 2,409
    edited December 2007
    If you're running 32-bit Vista (most likely) 3+ GB won't help because of the OS limitation. If you upgrade to 64-bit Vista you can get past the 3 GB limit. With a nice clean install, Vista should run pretty well with 2GB of ram. This guide was pretty useful at speeding up Vista after a clean install.

    Read reviews about readyboost before spending the coin -- some tests even show slower benchmarks with it enabled.
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  • PhantomOG
    PhantomOG Posts: 2,409
    edited December 2007
    Also if you are running with 1GB currently, be sure to check but you probably have 2 DIMMs, 512MB each. Which means if you truly want to get 2GB, buying a 1GB stick won't do it, as you'll end up with 1.5GB since you have to remove one of the currently installed 512MB sticks. Either buy a 2x1GB set for 2GB total, or buy a 1x2GB stick and end up with 2.5 GB total. With 2.5GB you'll be right at the top end for 32-bit Vista. With my laptop running 32-bit Vista, I tried 3GB but the OS only reports 2.75GB in Vista.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2007
    Here is a Toms analysis of Ready boost: Significantly speeds up a system, especially if ifs a system with 1 gig or less of ram.

    http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/31/windows-vista-superfetch-and-readyboostanalyzed/

    I've run it on several PC's and laptops and its solid.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited December 2007
    Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
    You'd have to add alot of ram...

    Seems like 3-4 gig of ram is needed to really run Vista properly...

    So true.

    With less than 2GB of RAM let's just say you can turn on the computer, eat lunch, come back and the computer is still starting up...
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  • MSALLA
    MSALLA Posts: 1,602
    edited December 2007
    Ya, I have to replace both memory sticks. I have 2 512's.
    I'm going to start with 2 gigs and see what happens. I don't want to get too fancy. This computer is only used for very basic work like reading this forum, music,buying things, and finding used gear. That about sums up my computer needs at home.
    Michael


    Samsung 50" HD DLP
    Yamaha RX-V2500
    (2) Outlaw 200
    Adcom GFA 555
    Sony BDP300
    Denon 2900 DVD
    Lsi9's mains
    Lsi7's rear
    Lsic center
    12.1 SVS driver in 4.53 cuft. tube
    Harmony 880
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,150
    edited December 2007
    MSALLA wrote: »
    Ya, I have to replace both memory sticks. I have 2 512's.
    I'm going to start with 2 gigs and see what happens. I don't want to get too fancy. This computer is only used for very basic work like reading this forum, music,buying things, and finding used gear. That about sums up my computer needs at home.
    That's nearly always the case, unfortunately. To get from 1Go to 2Go you have to replace two 512Mb modules. It's still a lot cheaper to buy memory separately, not when you buy the laptop. It does make you wonder though: is Vista any good for anything, really?
    Alea jacta est!
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    ...is Vista any good for anything, really?

    In my opinion, no. And I have used both. The analogy I use is it's like someone coming into your home/apartment, rearranging all your furniture, repainting your walls, and basically redecorating your entire house without adding anything new. Then you come home and your reaction is basically: "What the hell was the point of that? Now I'm pissed, I can't find anything, all my stuff is in weird places (stereo in the closet anyone?), it smells like paint, and THERE'S NO NEW FUNCTIONALITY!"

    I will resist going to Vista as long as possible. Should I have to get a new computer in the next year or so, I will wipe it and put XP on it. From what I have seen, Vista does not offer me anything that XP does not have or cannot be made to do. Including, I should add, Halo 2 :D:D:D
    My system

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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,150
    edited December 2007
    nms wrote: »
    ...
    Look at that signature!

    - Vintage Polk Monitor 10Bs... free
    - Carver HR-752... $200

    You lucky sh*te ... excuse my language!
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2007
    Kex wrote: »
    is Vista any good for anything, really?

    Yup, Vista is well worth buying if you are buying a new machine. Tons of great new features. I just did a small presentation of it to my fellow managers here at work and everyone was impressed with the new GUI and looking forward to it. From an IT perspective, it’s phenomenal from the ground up (since its very Window 2003 server like). I love the new features, especially from a Home Theater prospective (HTPC, Media PC). Stability is rock solid. I’m using it right now here at work as my main PC. Absolutely love the new bar on the side, all kinds of cool apps for it for things like RDP and ping.

    People are just fighting a lot of negative press about it out there (aka Mac commercials) and buying into it.

    But then again, I remember people saying this EXACT same thing about XP when it came out as compared to Windows 2000. I still have w2K box's around here and you look at the difference between the 2 5 years later and its dramatic.

    As they did going from NT to 2000
    As they did going from 98/me to 2000
    As they did going from 95 to 98
    As they did going from 3.1 to 95 (which is probably the best analogy to XP to Vista)

    Vista is no different.


    Hell, for anyone who has ever built their own decent spec'ed PC, just the simple fact that Vista eliminates the need to install (say a Raid driver) with a floppy disk, is worth it to me alone (aka you can use a USB flash device now).
    Testing
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