What are the pros and cons of adding more RAM to a computer?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Sort by date Sort by votes
Before you even bother with the additional RAM you should first figure out if you even need the additional RAM. You could configure Perfmon and set counters to track your CPU and RAM usage and use your system as you normally would for a few days to a week or more to see what's going on then make the decision.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tend to agreewith above comments.
.. The only con is the added cost.
.. As wiggbot stated the only apps that will show an improvement in performance are typically video encoding, and that is program specific as not all of the encoding programs will benifit. Multitasking only will show a improvenment when a set number of programs are actively being used - so user specific.
.. Vast majority of indivdual programs will see NO improvement, ie games, playing a dvd/bluray, surfing the web and reading your email.

One thing you did not mention, is this a single 8 gig stick or 2 x 4 gig sticks. Reason I ask is that if a single stick then you would be running in single channel mode and adding a 2nd 8 gig stick would then allow daul channel mode. This will normally only provide a small performance gain (going from single->daul channel).

Then this does not say that in 6 months -> year that the sweetspot goes from 8->16 gigs and inthat time the memory price may be lower, then again it could be Higher.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have 2x4 and planned on buying another 2x4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231542

And if I understood everyone correctly, you're all saying it will be a waste of money unless I multitask a lot and edit videos? Well, I do multitask quite a lot, but I rarely edit videos.

Slomo, are you suggesting that I buy an SSD because my primary hard disk is rated so low? If so, what type would you (or anyone else here) recommend?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My recommendations for SSD:
1) Min size =>120gigs
2) Brands: Crucial M4, Plextor M5,Samsung 830, or samsung 840 (either pro or non pro). Generally my choice is which ever is cheapest, exception is the Samsung 840 Pro cost more hand at least in benchmarks is considerably higher. Bear in mind high benchmarks for a SSD does NOT equate to a big difference in real life performance.
.. Case in point I have M4, 830 and 840 Pro. Bench mark AS SSD score for the M4 and 830 is mid 700s while the 840 pro is between 1100 and 1200 - Big difference, but you would be hard picked to tell which of my systems had which.

HDDs are the biggest bottleneck in a system. An SSD is anywheres fro 20->50 times faster than a HDD. A Good 7600 RPM HDD acess time is around 12 Millisec. SSD access time is rated in the tenths of a millisec.

Boot time for my laptop (Samsung 840 Pro) with windows 8 is <10 sec from time I push power on and IE with page is displayed. Little longer for windows 7 which is around 15 Sec. Both My desktops from time of "loading operating system" to opening an application <20 seconds. Opening a spreadsheet by clicking the spread sheet - both program (Excel) and the spread sheet are loadid in the blink of an eye.

What an SSD will NOT do:
will NOT increase FPS, but will improve load time for "maps"
will not increase how fast a program runs - ONly improves load time.
Does not increase internet surfing, not email.

Basically a SSD will blow the doors off of a HDD for all reads and writes that are to the SSD.

Added: I have some 15 SSDs and as most that have a SSD as a OS + Program drive would never dream of going back to a slowwwwww HDD
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


Open up your task manager when you are doing what you consider to be heavy mulittasking. If your memory is quite close to 8 gigs, upgrade. If not, you're wasting money.

In this case, think of RAM as a box. Doubling it would mean getting a box twice the size, but if you never fill the box initially than what is the point?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


8 GB should be enough for your current needs. An SSD for your OS and primary programs would provide you the greatest performance boost with your current configuration. A Samsung 840 128GB drive will probably provide you the best performance for the price currently.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I opened up task manager and when I multi task I use 5.1 out of 7.9GB.

Question about the SSD, would I just replace my current HDD with that, or would I have both running? I've never installed an HDD or and SDD before, so I wouldn't know :3
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
For SSD:
... Just like installing OS to a HDD.
... Disconnect HDD until AFTER OS is installed on SSD
... When Booting to windows Installation disk, First go to BIOS and verify, or Set, HDD to Use AHCI (NOT IDE)
... Once OS is installed to SSD, you can power down and re-connect the HDD

Post OS Install.
USE THE windows back up app to image your SSD. this Image will be placed on the HDD. after the Image is created you will be promted to create a Repair disk - Your option as you can use that as a boot disk to restore, or use the Windows Installation disk.
REASON. Reinstall is a pain. With this image file, if you have a problem that requires reinstal (corrupted windows, SSD failure), You will be able to recover by simply placing the repair disk in, or orgininal Installation disK, Select repair, then restore using an image file. 15 Min later you will reboot to EXACTLY as the system was when you made the image.
NO MORE:
.. Re-install windows
.. Wait for windows Updates
.. Re-install drivers
.. Re-install programs
.. Will not even have to re-activate windows.
Only thing you would need to do is: Allow windows updates that were not installed at time of image, newer drivers loaded, and new programs not installed when image was made.
PS - Can minimize above buy periodically redoing the back-up image, say every month or three months.

There are a few tweaks you will want to do for a SSD after windows is installed (and before making that image such as.
1) Disable hibernation
2) Mange your Page file (virtual memory). Set min and max to the SAME value 1024 mb.
3) disable restore points or at least limit the amount od Diskspace thay can take. Over time this folder for Restore poins can become large. Each restore point is 300 mb, so just 20 restore points = 6 gigs.
.. How to do is simple in each case - Just google the topic, ie goolge "disable hibernation", or "change Virtual memory" ect.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Adding RAM generally brings the least noticable gains, where RAM can be beneficial is for integrated graphics but in terms of general system performance is the least noteable. RAM selection may also bring up issues of Latency vs Bandwidth, Latency is the least notable in this regard while bandwidth is and can bring about dramatic result difference.

These days 8-16GB is the status quo but as to more is better that is only applicable in high paging applications which use the RAM ie: professional based rendering software. For general usage 8GB is enough.

+ Latency is hard to see other than in synthetics
+ Speed and bandwidth may have the most notable gains ie: IGPU performance, brings about synthetic gains as well.
+ Will it make your PC faster, when there is enough having more does not improve performance.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom