How much difference will 1 GB do?

Question

I have 512mb Ram in my computer right now, how much difference will it be to gaming on my machine with 1 GB and how much will that run me to upgrade to a stick with 1GB? I have a geforce 256mb 6800 and 2 ghz pentium 4 processor.

Answer 1

More memory will probably make computer gaming easier and faster, but there are some maintenance operations you should perform regularly, also. Actually, if you do not run these maintenance programs periodically, more memory will not do you much good:


- Are you using a complex screensaver - it runs in the background and eats memory. I had fun with mine, then changed it to blank.
- How many programs do you load at startup? Maybe you should check it out and ensure you are running just what you need.
- To do this: cl Start, cl Settings, cl Taskbar and Start Menu.
- cl Start Menu, cl Customize, cl Remove.
- cl the icon for the program you wish to remove
- then cl Remove.
- This will prevent the program from loading at startup, but will not remove the program from the hard disk.
- Are you in a large file? If so, save frequently to restore full memory access. (Your work remains in memory until you “save” it to disk.

1. Did you run an error check? Open My Computer,
Right-cl on C:, Select Properties, Tools – Run an Error Check ( checkmark “check all and fix); then run a Defrag

2. Are you using Yahoo Toolbar? Run a full Norton Antispy.

3. From IE, click Tools, Internet Options
delete cookies
delete files (offline files)
clear history (set days to save to 0 if you want)
click o.k., and Restart

3. click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools – run Disk Cleanup

4. click Start, Run ipconfig renew (type ipconfig space renew)

The more frequently they are run, the less time they take.
- Note: Games and videos are mostly graphics. Graphics create large files.

If this doesn’t help, you should consider getting more memory.

Answer 2

Keeping your computer well maintained will help you out, and more ram will probably help with games, but the difference will not necessarily be worth the expense of a full extra 1 gig. You got main board speed, you got processor type and speed...but then, you have the 256 6800, so that is good, but not the top. I think that keeping the computer maintained and clean and getting 512 of ram will put you at the best spot for your machine. Save up for a whole new machine at some point and be happy with a minor upgrade....

Answer 3

512 is not bad when it comes to gaming, but 1GB will make things a lot smoother and will decrease loading times and what not. It also is game specific. You seem to already have a nice graphics card and a nice processor fit for gaming, upgrading from 512 to a gig will make a significant difference in the way your computer works as a whole. You will notice loading times decreasing, and faster websurfing.

I would upgrade to a gig.

Prices are different depending on brands and speeds of the ram itself. If you are looking for something cheaper, you may end up with an off brand stick, which really doesn't matter.

In my case, I only have 760 mb of ram on a 2.6 ghz processor, and it runs amazingly with games. The 512 mb upgrade I purchased cost a little over 50 dollars.

RAM isn't cheap, but its a worthwhile upgrade to any PC or Mac.

Answer 4

Another stick of RAM (512MB) you could probably find from anywhere in the range of $60-$120 depending on the the kind you need. Open up your computer and see what kind is already onstalled and that's the kind you'll need (DRAM, DDRAM).

If you do upgrade, your games will run a lot smoother since you just double the amount of RAM you currently have. And at the same time, if you upgrade your video card, you still keep the RAM, which is a money saver since RAM is reusable from one system to the next. (As long as it's compatible to the other computer).

If you need to find out how to install RAM there is an easy video precentation you can watch from www.gamespot.com and they also tell you which company make the best RAM for their buck, so you can get your monies worth.

Just go to www.gamespot.com the click on the hardware link and skan for RAM, or just search for "RAM" or "RAM install" and it should pop-up.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

At least half of your 512 is being used by your operating system, so adding another 512 will essentially triple your effective RAM. You should see a huge difference in program loading, using multiple programs simultaneously, and, of course, gaming.

Adding memory is about the single most effective thing you can do to speed up your computer.

TheHumble's suggestions are good, too, but I prefer using Start>Run>msconfig.... Then you can see what programs are truling loading and running at start time, and disable those programs (and services) you don't need or want. Also, don' t let Windows manage your paging file.... Make it about 2 or 3 times your RAM, and make it a fixed size (both min and max the same).

Happy Computing!

Answer 6

in case you choose your computing gadget to be swifter then a 2 GB RAM is very nicely. in the experience that your computing gadget would be having Vista, it quite is larger to choose for a 2 GB RAM. With a 2 GB RAM, the video games will play effective. Having a 2 GB RAM lets you play video games which would be released interior the destiny besides. At a ingredient of time, the minimum requirement to play a activity could be 2 GB RAM...

Answer 7

How much differerence this will be for you is all relative to what types of games you are trying to run. Any of the games you should be purchasing should tell you the minimum and preferred system requirements. IF you are running top of the line games...you definately want to go with 1 gig of ram. This should allow games with multiple processes running to run more smoothly while being ran in a windows environment. Obviously the more umph you have to your graphics card with help with rendering graphics......IF you want to upgrade....I recommend you check with the manufacturer to see how much an upgrade costs...variables such as motherboard, labtop vs desktop, and ram type..such as ddr vs sdram will all be factors in your price or ram.

Answer 8

For gaming, it's better to upgrade the memory on your graphics card. a Stick is only for storage and extra ram on the computer will always help a little. But for gaming, go for a better graphics card every time.