Question about ram and processor

[corruptfate]

Hey guys,

My dad's computer currently has 2 1gb modules of ddr2 667mhz ram, I was wondering if I put in 2 2gb, it would make a huge difference. Mind you he has a windows vista 32 bit, but I'm wondering if he'll still see a worthwhile performance boost. I believe the processor he has is an intel dual core e2220. It's not overclocked and it's at stock. Also if I chose to upgrade his vista to 64bit, would I need to repurcahse the OS and reinstall everything?

Second question, my brothers computer is displaying a warning message of 72.0 degrees centegrate or something. His processor is i5 2500k and the motherboard is asus P8Z68-V LE, what could be the problem? This build is only a few months old.

Thanks

 

[holykalo]

You should see a visible performance jump between 2 gb and 4gb, as windows vista uses an entire gig on its own. It really depends what hes doing, I would never run a machine with less than 4 gigs of RAM if it is being used for applications such as Excel and Word, especially ddr2 running at 667mhz, you would be surprised how much RAM simple aps like that can consume. If he is mainly web browsing, the performance increase would be minimal as that is mainly reliant on the CPU rather than the RAM. And I do believe you would have to repurchase the OS in order to upgrade, though you should contact a windows expert to verify that information. Though there would be no point for 64 bit, the only signifigant difference is that it uses more of your system, while granting you access to more of your system at the same time. Ergo, you would have to signifigantly upgrade your system to notice any performance increase with 64 bit.

Ask your brother if he has been overclocking or tweaking with any of his fan speeds, with a cpu like that overclocking is irresistable.

 

[corruptfate]

but the thing is, windows vista 32 bit would only see 3 gigs of ram no? in that case what's the difference in terms of performance between 2 and 3 gigs? Also my brother hasn't been overclocking much, could it be the heatsink wasn't seated properly?

 

[holykalo]

I was informed that 32 bit operating systems would use 4 gigs of Ram, though I am no expert when it comes to windows, I might just be thinking of windows 7. I will get back to you on that part.

How long has your brother had his processor? It could simply be the way it was arranged inside the case. I recently helped someone sort out heat issues on their laptop, I discovered the heat was originating from poorly applied thermal compound on the CPU. I can't remotely check if this is the problem, but I find it is one of the most common problems with computer builds. Before attempting to replace the thermal compound, tell him to run his computer and make sure his heatsink and fans are properly running. If he does not feel comfortable opening his case, then there is a multitude of applications out there for overclocking fans, try tweaking with the fans, and seeing if it helps. If it all does not solve the problem whatsoever, you will be left with no option other than to open your case, and visually check if the heatsink is operating properly. Finally, if even that fails, he will likely have to remove his CPU from the case, and make sure the thermal compund is properly applied. There is many videos and articles on how to do all of these things, the internet is very helpful. If you have any questions, or anything that I have missed, I will try to help you with it. And I will get back to you on the 32 vs 64 bit dillemma

 

[corruptfate]

okay thank you holykalo, how do you check the heat sink? It's a fairly new build, probably built a few months ago, I built it for him and it was my first time.

 

[jaguarskx]

The PC will likely register around 3.25GB of RAM since it is only a 32-bit OS. Will your dad notice any improvement in performance? That depends on what he is doing on his PC.

If you want to install the 64-bit version of Win Vista, then you will obviously need to buy it unless you already have it. Yes, you will need to do a clean installation. There is no way to perform an upgrade from a Win Vista 32-bit to Win Vista 64-bit without doing so. upgrading to Vista 64-bit will all the PC to register all of the 4GB of RAM; I think it can register up to 24GB of RAM. There is really no point in upgrading to Vista 64-bit for the remaining 0.75GB of RAM, I really doubt it's going to make much difference in overall performance unless your dad is using memory intensive programs.

As for your bother's PC.... you may want to visually inspect the heatsink to make sure it has been installed properly. Since he has an i5-2500k CPu, you might as well take the opportunity to buy and install a heatsink that will allow him to overclock the PC in future. The COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO seems to be pretty popular and sells for $35 + free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

I can't say how easy it is to install though, I'm still using a Core 2 Quad Q9450 CPU. I don't plan on upgrading until year when Intel releases their new architecture; Haswell.

 

[corruptfate]

All my dad does is basic web browsing and stuff like that, but recently he's been noticing a slow down in general performance, it takes longer to boot up and everything takes longer to load. Would ram help in that case?

Edit: I just checked my brother's temperature with CPUID HW Monitor and it shows each core is around 36 degrees when he's not gaming, is it normal?

 

[holykalo]

Vista can in fact utilise 4 gigs of RAM, minus about a Gb for hosting the os and other backround applications such as windows explorer. I currently have an old laptop with roughly the same specs as your dads computer, and rest assured it has no problem surfing the web, playing media, or running word processors. And your dads computer being a desktop machine with a better cpu and likely gpu, should be able to handle everyday tasks with abundant ease after a RAM upgrade.

With your brothers computer, I would try running the machine with the side panel off, to see where the hot air is flowing, the heatsink might be covered up, restricting ventilation to the rest of the computer. I still don't want to rule out fan problems though, How many fans is there in the case? And where are they located? Many people when building put the ventilation fans low down, and intake fans high, which due to the principle of hot air rises, cold air plummets, creates an ineffective ventilation system. Worst comes to worst, you can buy an aftermarket cooler, or simply reapply the thermal compound. And what GPU does your brother have? Anything like the gtx 580 could be creating massive amounts of heat I know, lots of questions, but there is a few easy ways out if you would like. DOwnload MSI afterburner and turn up your fan speeds, theyre normally at about 35% stock, try putting it to about 50% and check your temp readings.

 

[holykalo]

All my dad does is basic web browsing and stuff like that, but recently he's been noticing a slow down in general performance, it takes longer to boot up and everything takes longer to load. Would ram help in that case?

Edit: I just checked my brother's temperature with CPUID HW Monitor and it shows each core is around 36 degrees when he's not gaming, is it normal?

Yes thats not a bad temperature at all, download MSI afterburner and increase your fan speeds, that might solve the heat problems when under load.

And yes, RAM can affect that, but boot speed is normally related to your hard drive. It could be something as simple as a virus. You could try reinstalling your OS, my vista laptop used to take 3 minutes to boot, after a quick reinstall (Okay its quite slow...) it was booting in 30 seconds. Has your dad thought about getting a new computer? If so, I would be happy to help him out with that

 

[corruptfate]

Thanks for all your help guys, I'm going to do some quick clean up on my dad's computer and I think I'm gonna go with the ram. My brother's temperature seems normal atm, but I'm gonna carefully watch it. Again thank you for all your help!

 

[corruptfate]

Best answer selected by corruptfate.

 

[holykalo]

It was no problem I'm glad I could help out