Should I add RAM?

bkribbs

bkribbs

New Member
As I am only 14, I have my dad's old laptop. I currently have 512mb of RAM. I won't be getting a new computer soon. Should I spend ~60 for 2 gigs of RAM? Would it be worth it? Specs are in my sig.

Thanks
bkribbs
 
XP does run much better with 2GB. If you're frugal enough you could even disable the swap file. That can greatly improve performance. Just don't expect any miracles. That system does have a bit of age on it...
 
I would. You will notice a dramatic improvement on boot-up speed, program load times, general desktop responsiveness and just overall "smootheness" of your system. As a rule of thumb, I generally try to match my installed RAM to my processor speed. Yours is 1.6GHz, so 2GB would be great. You probably wouldn't notice much difference between the 1.5GB RAM and 2GB RAM, but you can't install 1.5GB anyway, so...

But 2GB after you're used to 512MB - that baby will seem like it's flying. Buy the RAM, slap it in, then post back here to thank me. :D it'll be the best $60 you ever spent.
 
I agree with what they say, but I'd try to find a better deal on the RAM. If you're patient, could easily get a 2GB set for $40 or less.
 
The_Other_One said:
XP does run much better with 2GB. If you're frugal enough you could even disable the swap file. That can greatly improve performance. Just don't expect any miracles. That system does have a bit of age on it...
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yeah not expecting a ton. But with 2 gigs could I play games like halo and FEAR better? And what is the swap file and how do I disable it?

deanj20 said:
I would. You will notice a dramatic improvement on boot-up speed, program load times, general desktop responsiveness and just overall "smootheness" of your system. As a rule of thumb, I generally try to match my installed RAM to my processor speed. Yours is 1.6GHz, so 2GB would be great. You probably wouldn't notice much difference between the 1.5GB RAM and 2GB RAM, but you can't install 1.5GB anyway, so...

But 2GB after you're used to 512MB - that baby will seem like it's flying. Buy the RAM, slap it in, then post back here to thank me. :D it'll be the best $60 you ever spent.
Click to expand...

haha I will. You have been a big help to me with everything i've asked. So I'm gonna go ahead and say thanks.
Rit said:
I agree with what they say, but I'd try to find a better deal on the RAM. If you're patient, could easily get a 2GB set for $40 or less.
Click to expand...

Where could I find a better deal?
I'm not expecting anything amazing, but do you all have any other upgrades that I should do with this?
 
Yeah, 2 GB of RAM is going to make a huge difference, but the problem you're going to run in to with games like FEAR on a laptop is that the graphics card is going to suck... Some laptops can have the GPU upgraded, I'm not sure if yours is one of them. But you're definitely going to need to have a better graphics card if you want to do any decent gaming. An Intel Media Accelerator just isn't worth anything...
 
DCIScouts said:
Yeah, 2 GB of RAM is going to make a huge difference, but the problem you're going to run in to with games like FEAR on a laptop is that the graphics card is going to suck... Some laptops can have the GPU upgraded, I'm not sure if yours is one of them. But you're definitely going to need to have a better graphics card if you want to do any decent gaming. An Intel Media Accelerator just isn't worth anything...
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yeah i have looked into that. from what i have found, it looks like i would have to buy a new motherboard if mine broke, and there isnt an upgrade for it :P

EDIT: I am looking for RAM. can someone confirm for me if this will work or not? http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2x1GB-200-Pin-667Mhz-SODIMM/dp/B000FQ2JLW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1271029602&sr=1-2 this one says it is 667mhz, the one on dell says it is 800mhz :http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Memory_Upgrades/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0944583&mfgpid=167133&chassisid=8427

oh and my laptop's specs are in my sig
 
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Hey bkribbs.
Your laptop takes DDR2 PC2-5300 RAM, and your bus speed is only 533MHz - either of the links you posted will work, but neither will run at it's full potential - your system will only run an 800MHz stick of RAM at 533MHz - no harm in it, but you don't want to pay extra. I did some looking around, and I think the link you posted to the Crucial RAM from Amazon would be a pretty good deal.
 
deanj20 said:
Hey bkribbs.
Your laptop takes DDR2 PC2-5300 RAM, and your bus speed is only 533MHz - either of the links you posted will work, but neither will run at it's full potential - your system will only run an 800MHz stick of RAM at 533MHz - no harm in it, but you don't want to pay extra. I did some looking around, and I think the link you posted to the Crucial RAM from Amazon would be a pretty good deal.
Click to expand...

so should i get the one on amazon? or is there a better alternative?

oh and just wondering, how do you find out my bus speed?
 
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so should i get the one on amazon? or is there a better alternative?
Click to expand...
I would get the one on Amazon. I searched Google shopping and eBay and could not find a cheaper deal for quality RAM. In a word? YES. ;)

oh and just wondering, how do you find out my bus speed?
Click to expand...
Google knows all things. He will grant you the wisdom you seek if you are ready and if you ask Him nicely. :D ;) :good:
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...iron+6000+specs&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=)
Looks like it could be only 400MHz, but most sites say 533MHz, so I'll go with that. You can check by looking in your BIOS or using software such as CPU-Z.
 
ok i ordered the RAM from amazon. i took the RAM out of my computer to make sure i know how to install the new ones and there wasnt anything different. I noticed it says "DIMM-A" on one slot and "DIMM-B" on another. what does this mean?
 
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