like everything, it depends on what you do. if you just do word processing and checking email, you really don't need a new comp.
patpicos
id say add a least 1 GB and reinstall windows. Also, id advise to switch to the win2000 theme and turn off the extra visual stuff.
windows tends to run slower over time.
your main reason to add ram would be to minimize paging to the hard drive, which is slow. 512MB is quite small in current days. XP runs barely on 512, let alone having msn, many browser windows open, doing word docs, etc. So added ram will help multitask more. Most of the applications run on a normal desktop are not CPU intensive anyways.
urban_legend
RAM LOVER....
kaniz
Cheapest way to increase the speed of your computer: Do a fresh install of windows.
2nd way - get more ram
If your using a 32bit processor, don't bother going above 4G.
For a 4 yr old laptop, your better off just getting a new system though. I just got a very nice new computer (desktop) for $699 - quad core, 3G ram, 720g HD, nice video card - sure, it cost a bit more than upgrading my current rig, but getting pretty solid bang for my buck.
spolitta
No you can't add as much ram as you like, every motherboard has a limit, most desktop motherboards take at least 4GB, more recent motherboards take 8GB. Your laptop most likely has a limit of 1GB, or maybe 2GB. If you find your computer running too slow, buy another stick of 512MB, reinstall windows xp sp2, don't install any anti virus, turn off system restore and indexing, and set the user interface best for performance. If you don't know what I'm talking about reply here and I'll explain these in details.
chinamon
i have been looking to do an upgrade to my box as well. i have a celeron 2.4GHz on a asus p4s533-x mobo with 512MB ram. when i was looking at how much ram i should upgrade to, a friend told me the best way to check how much ram i would need was to load all the programs that i would use simultaneously and check memory usage. so i had the following applications running: firefox, mirc, aim, photoshop with 25 high resolution images open and winamp playing a 750MB divx. then i pressed ctrl-alt-del once and went to the performance tab and checked physical memory usage and PF usage. in total i was using about 1300MB so i know for my next computer i will get 2GB ram (2x1024MB).
and like invasionmix said, windows xp only supports up to 3.2GB. anything over that number just goes to waste.
DigiNut
If you're running 32-bit windows (which is almost a sure thing on a 4-year-old machine) then the OS can't physically use more than about 3 GB - the actual amount depends on your specific rig. Up to 4 GB of "stuff" can be addressed, but that "stuff" includes things other than RAM, so you don't get all of that.
If you're running XP or Vista x64 then there's no practical limit (theoretically it's 16.7 million TB).
Long story short, don't bother putting in more than 2 GB.
StereoPrincess
i am using XP Pro.
DigitalMP
I'd say it probably has a 2GB limit, but you should be certain before you make your purchase.
What kind of laptop is it?
If it's a Dell, what's the service tag?
Otherwise, what's the model and SN?
Those answers will help you find out, via the OEM's website, what capacity the motherboard will accept, as well as what kind of RAM was originally installed.
Crucial.com also has a nice utility for determining this.
And D-Nut is correctamundo - non 64-bit Window OS = 3GB max. But again, you probably have a 2GB max in that mofo.
Chi-nizzle - check the mobo manual and max it out. Any hi-res image work will definitely benefit from 3GB RAM, if your board will take it.
chinamon
quote:
Originally posted by DigitalMP
Chi-nizzle - check the mobo manual and max it out. Any hi-res image work will definitely benefit from 3GB RAM, if your board will take it.
theres no point for me to max it out because i plan on using xp with sp3. no vista for me. 2gb ram is more than enough for me. i dont do that much with photoshop anyway. hell, i barely even know how to use it. lol.
rabbitjoker
quote:
Originally posted by DigitalMP
If it's a Dell, what's the service tag?
Otherwise, what's the model and SN?
Don't post the service tag and SN online.
Jem_hadar
quote:
Originally posted by DigitalMP
Crucial.com also has a nice utility for determining this.
Very easy! Def be sure to check our crucial.com and have it scan ur system.
It'll tell u ur max capacity, how much u current have, and the type you need.
