RAM Questions?

Question

Hi, I'm looking to upgrade to 1gig from 512
I'm doing this to make the sims 2 faster. But i'm wanting to know if i will see a big difference.
Plus i'm still running Windows XP

Answer 1

No amount of RAM will increase speed if you do not keep your PC's system up to snuff. For example, if you like complicated wallpaper, screensavers full of graphics, and run games, you will consume memory. I have XP and 512mb RAM with no problem, however, I don't play games or play music while working. Here is my checklist for maintaining speed:

1. Set wallpaper and screensavers to blank or none — they run continuously in the background and use memory.
-----right-click on the desktop, select Properties
-----click the screensaver tab, on the left where it says "screensaver," select none.
-----click the desktop tab, for background, select none
2. Review your start menu – remove anything you don’t need on a daily basis — load games, etc. on an as-needed basis.
-----click Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu
-----click the Start Menu tab
-----select a program you do not want to load at Startup, then click remove.
-----Caution -- do not touch anything you are not sure of or you will mess up your computer royally.
3. From Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options: delete cookies, delete files (offline), and clear history. (You can also set days to store history to 0.)
----- These actions will clear your computer’s cache. (For a description of cache, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/ph/yahoo/mail/access/access-27210.html )
4. Run Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, Defrag at least every two weeks (the more frequently they are run, the less time they take).
-----These can be found in Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools.
5. Periodically, click Start, Programs, Run — then type ipconfig renew
(that’s ipconfig space renew).
6. Optional: Speed vs Goodies — in the Control Panel, System, Advanced, Performance, Settings — you can have visual effects or let Windows select the best options. I am using “Best Performance.” Your choice.
These things should increase speed and free up memory as much as possible.

Answer 2

if you are using an application or game which needs high specs and then you are lagging before when you upgrade your RAM you'll feel the difference. i mean your programs opens/responds faster.

Answer 3

You'll see a difference but not a gigantic one
Check your memory options by running the scanner at http://www.crucial.com

Answer 4

In the Speed of loading YES..