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#1
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How much RAM do I need
Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change
in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
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#2
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How much RAM do I need
Working with graphics requires memory.. to what degree you work with
graphics will determine memory required.. So, if you find the computer intransigent on a day to day basis, upgrade memory to 1gb or higher.. -- Mike Hall MVP - Windows Shell/user http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm "Lorne" wrote in message ... Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#3
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How much RAM do I need
In ,
Lorne typed: Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? Yes. You get good performance if the amount of RAM you have keeps you from using the page file significantly, and that depends on what apps you run. Most people running a typical range of business applications find that somewhere around 256-384MB works well, others need 512MB. Some people, particularly those doing things like editing large photographic images can see a performance boost by adding even more--sometimes much more. If you are currently using the page file significantly, more memory will decrease or eliminate that usage, and improve your performance. If you are not using the page file significantly, more memory will do nothing for you. Go to http://billsway.com/notes%5Fpublic/winxp%5Ftweaks/ and download WinXP-2K_Pagefile.zip and monitor your pagefile usage. That should give you a good idea of whether more memory can help, and if so, how much more. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#4
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How much RAM do I need
Mark Minasi's rule for adding memory:
"If you turn on the computer and the lights don't dim, add more memory." -- Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine] (Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested) "Lorne" wrote in message ... Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#5
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How much RAM do I need
Is there a way to monitor graphics memory usage?
Thanks Bob "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote in message ... Working with graphics requires memory.. to what degree you work with graphics will determine memory required.. So, if you find the computer intransigent on a day to day basis, upgrade memory to 1gb or higher.. -- Mike Hall MVP - Windows Shell/user http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm "Lorne" wrote in message ... Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#6
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How much RAM do I need
If you have a graphics card it is irrelevant to the system ram. If you have
shared ram between an onboard controller and the system ram, the amount of shared ram is predetermined (probably 32mb). -- Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine] (Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested) "Bob" wrote in message news:BrqSd.67200$g16.17209@trndny08... Is there a way to monitor graphics memory usage? Thanks Bob "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote in message ... Working with graphics requires memory.. to what degree you work with graphics will determine memory required.. So, if you find the computer intransigent on a day to day basis, upgrade memory to 1gb or higher.. -- Mike Hall MVP - Windows Shell/user http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm "Lorne" wrote in message ... Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#7
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How much RAM do I need
Bob
Performance, while rated in numbers, is determined to a large degree by what you can withstand.. if you are happy 'chugging along' while editing pics and trying to sustain six open apps, then so be it.. if you are not, buy more memory.. it is that simple.. -- Mike Hall MVP - Windows Shell/user http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm "Bob" wrote in message news:BrqSd.67200$g16.17209@trndny08... Is there a way to monitor graphics memory usage? Thanks Bob "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote in message ... Working with graphics requires memory.. to what degree you work with graphics will determine memory required.. So, if you find the computer intransigent on a day to day basis, upgrade memory to 1gb or higher.. -- Mike Hall MVP - Windows Shell/user http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm "Lorne" wrote in message ... Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Kernel memory says: Total 56740 paged 44056 nonpaged 12684 By opening some more programs and 6 jpegs in paintshop pro I got the page file used up to 580Mb. Is it possible from this to say what optimum RAM would be? |
#8
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How much RAM do I need
"Lorne" wrote:
Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I agree with Ken Blake. Here is my standard response to this type of question: Adding more memory can noticeably improve performance only if the added memory results in reduced usage of the virtual memory paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not currently being used to any significant extent then adding more memory will not provide a significant improvement. Unfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual paging file usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an equivalent to the 'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by the System Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me. There is a free utility that you can download and run which will provide this information for you. It was written by MVP Bill James and you can get if from http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or from http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/ If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or more on a regular basis then that is indicative of fairly significant paging file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even eliminate entirely this activity thereby improving performance. This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM maximum for Windows XP. Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much." |
#9
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How much RAM do I need
Thanks to all who responded.
The page file monitoring script shows I use 20Mb after boot and up to 200Mb when editing several pictures with several programs open so I will get some more memory. I am surprised I use 20Mb after boot however, given I have 512Mb installed and the boot only loads standard windows processes plus virus/spyware/spamware bits and pieces. "Ron Martell" wrote in message ... "Lorne" wrote: Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I agree with Ken Blake. Here is my standard response to this type of question: Adding more memory can noticeably improve performance only if the added memory results in reduced usage of the virtual memory paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not currently being used to any significant extent then adding more memory will not provide a significant improvement. Unfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual paging file usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an equivalent to the 'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by the System Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me. There is a free utility that you can download and run which will provide this information for you. It was written by MVP Bill James and you can get if from http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or from http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/ If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or more on a regular basis then that is indicative of fairly significant paging file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even eliminate entirely this activity thereby improving performance. This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM maximum for Windows XP. Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much." |
#10
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How much RAM do I need
Some pagefile is used no matter what.
-- Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine] (Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested) "Lorne" wrote in message ... Thanks to all who responded. The page file monitoring script shows I use 20Mb after boot and up to 200Mb when editing several pictures with several programs open so I will get some more memory. I am surprised I use 20Mb after boot however, given I have 512Mb installed and the boot only loads standard windows processes plus virus/spyware/spamware bits and pieces. "Ron Martell" wrote in message ... "Lorne" wrote: Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I agree with Ken Blake. Here is my standard response to this type of question: Adding more memory can noticeably improve performance only if the added memory results in reduced usage of the virtual memory paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not currently being used to any significant extent then adding more memory will not provide a significant improvement. Unfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual paging file usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an equivalent to the 'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by the System Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me. There is a free utility that you can download and run which will provide this information for you. It was written by MVP Bill James and you can get if from http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or from http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/ If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or more on a regular basis then that is indicative of fairly significant paging file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even eliminate entirely this activity thereby improving performance. This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM maximum for Windows XP. Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much." |
#11
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How much RAM do I need
Lorne wrote:
Is there a simple way to determine if adding RAM will make a material change in performance? I have 512Mb and do not do anything particularly unusual though I do edit pictures (4Mb in JPEG format - obviously bigger when open in a picture editor). Task manager says 450Mb page file used at a typical usage of programs open. Task manager also says under physical memory: Total 523760 Available 146000 (but goes up/down) Cache 248000 (but goes up/down) Those are misleading figures, but suggest you have plenty of RAM (there is 146 MB the system can find no use for). Read up at www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm -- Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies) Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit) |
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