Can you comfortably run Vista with 1 GB of ram and shared video memory?

Question

Alot of the cheaper computers you see for sale only have 1 GB of RAM and maybe up to 256 MB of shared memory, yet they come with Vista Home Premium often times. Can you comfortably take advantage of Vista with these sort of specs, or do you really need more ram or a dedicated video card? I know that more is generally better, but would I regret buying a comp with these sort of specs?

Answer 1

Run? Well maybe Walk would be a better term

Microsoft has always had a minimum configuration
Which generally works. Unfortunately as you aquire
additional programs - games etc the computer does
not really perform well.
If you do not intned to use the computer daily or just want to
go on the internet it may be fine Otherwise Do NOT get shared video memory The entire backbone of Vista is graphics. You can easily go to control panel - performance and see ehat the current performance rating is for any machine running Vista.

In the very least IF you have to buy a machine with a dedicated graphics card Add enough memory to bring system memory above 1 g (which is minimum recommended by microsoft)
ALSO PLEASE NOTE REALLY IMPORTANT
Some machines that use shared memory DO NOT
even have an AGP SLOT.
This is a disaster If and when you decide to get better performance at a later date. NO Upgrade POSSIBLE!

Be safe look at specs to make sure.

:-)

Answer 2

I actually juste bought a laptop that meets your specs. It comes with 1GB RAM, and 256 shared video RAM and Vista Home. I personally think it goes to slow for the specs it has. Vista consumes a lot of resources. It is more graphically intensive than XP. If I was you I would get either more RAM, dedicated Video, or run XP. I am planning in installing XP in mine. Personally I think Vista is too new to be used. MS always releases its products with a million bugs, I would wait half a year to use it.

Answer 3

1 gig will do it, but Microsoft always underestimates the "recommended" system specifications. I am running 2 gigs of DDR2 on my Vista box and it's not bad.. I've heard the absolute sweet spot for Vista is 4 gigs of memory (a tad bit excessive, don't you think?!). I would seriously think about upgrading to at least 2 gigs and for Aero, DEFINITELY get a dedicated video card because when you enable Aero, it hogs more video memory and takes performance away from graphics intensive applications such as gaming. You will not regret spending an extra pretty dime to upgrade your machine. For really good deals on computer parts, check out my source.

- Eso

Answer 4

Hello; Your observation is one I wish many more had! This same thing was done with Windows ME, 2000 Professional, and all versions of XP! Companies put the Microsoft minimum reguired amount of RAM on the systems, and then, they also have shared RAM, & built in video!

My wife's parents were so disappointed when they came home with a new desktop, that was bragging about having 3.2Ghz CPU, & 256Mb RAM... along with it's shared RAM, and built in video... they could not understand how their new computer (they only paid $599 for it) could be slower than my Eight Year Old Dell!!!

I paid almost $3000 for my Dell system, eight years ago, (computer, 21" monitor at that time was a big cost), printer, and Dell Support & 6months internet access through dial up. With a few system upgrades over the years, my 1998, Dell Dimension 4100, Pentium III, still kicks but on many of the (low end, bargain basement computers, off the mega stores "super sales" shelves) newer systems. My Dell had been shipped with only a 10Gb hdd, Win98 SE, 128Mb RAM. For the 98 OS, the RAM was more than adequate, and while I was in school (for PC/Network Tech), I upgraded the OS to Win2000 Pro, and upgraded my RAM to 512Mb... it was a smoking machine! I loved the 2000 OS, and the only reason I upgraded (if you can call it that) to XP Pro, was for the built in WiFi support, when my house went wireless.

At the time, my system was one of the fastest one could get, and the PIII architecture was one of the most successful designs in Intel history. I eventually upgraded my video card, when mine started to make strange noises... it was the cooling fan, I got a FX5700 AGP, w/256Mb VRAM. Although I'm not a gamer, I have played games on my system, that had minimum recommendations exceeding my systems'. I will not only attribute the successful playing/operating of these games, to the upgrades I've made, but to the Synergy of the entire system (how the components work together; this is a big thing! some makes of video cards, for example work better on some motherboards (chipsets) than others).

Back to your comment about how the manufacturer's put cheapo systems together; Dell is not above doing that itself: stay away from any system that seems to good to be true! Check out the specifications, and upgradability (if you can't afford it all now, perhaps you can piece together a decent system, as time goes... so you need one that you can at least upgrade, add RAM to, put a video card in, etc.). Microsoft has made it clear that it Recommends 1Gb miminum reguirements for Vista (I've run the pre release version, and found it to be a sluggish memory hog, and had a client upgrade to it, just to "have it" (a poor reason to slow your system down, if you barely make the min requirements!) I'm guessing that MS has the 1Gb minimum, with the shared video option in mind... becuase the system I had it running on had only 786Mb RAM, and (although too slow for my blood) it did run.

Lastly (i'll shut up now!) Remember one thing when buying a new PC (or pretty much anything for that matter) You get what you pay for! I'd rather spend a lot now, and be happy for years, than shell out $700 for a bargain basement PC, only to wish I hadn't, in only a few months.


I hope you found this useful!;
Marcos

Answer 5

Yes, my computer has less than 1 GB of RAM and 256 vid memory and Vista works faster than my old XP. By the way my computer has a Pentium 4 in it so its kinda old!

Answer 6

I suggest 2GB is better. Since RAM prices are going to rise Is suggest getting them now wouldn't hurt. Sometimes 1GB will hang depending on your work load in Vista. Remember Vista is a resource hog.

Answer 7

The Ram is fine, but i would want a dedicated video card

Answer 8

Yes it will run but do not expect awesome performance. RAM is so cheap now. Get 2Gb immediately.

Answer 9

Recommendation for Vista is 2GB or more.So i would look for the one that is on sale with 2Gb or more.

Answer 10

it will run on 1g of RAM - more is always better.

I assume you have a decent CPU to accomodate the OS.