8 vs 16 gigs of ram in 2012

Okedokey

Well-Known Member
...I am doing some video editing for my youtube channel and making music on it as well.

If you are doing video editing you want an SSD hard drive with firewire external (or better) for external storage AND AS MUCH RAM AS POSSIBLE>

Most of the guys here would never use more than 2GB of ram. I have 32GB of RAM why? I do video editing like the OP. I set up a RAM DISK of 24GB which i run a virutal installation of the software i use. THIS MAKES A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE!

If you don't do this kinda work, you would think a 2600K at 5GHZ with 32GB of RAM is overkill, but trust me it = hours of productivity = money.

To the OP, if you do video editing in HD, get the most amount of RAM you can fit in that bad boy. RAM is cheap these days.
 

larsch

New Member
I have 32GB of RAM why? I do video editing like the OP. I set up a RAM DISK of 24GB which i run a virutal installation of the software i use. THIS MAKES A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE!

You would think that using the memory for data processing is more efficient than using it for application storage (it takes up double amount of memory this way).
 

Okedokey

Well-Known Member
You would think that using the memory for data processing is more efficient than using it for application storage (it takes up double amount of memory this way).

Windows 7 doesnt handle data volatile memory that way anymore. Like some distros of linux it can somewhat over commit. You still have 8GB of RAM for system memory, but then you use the remaining RAM as a super fast SSD.
 

larsch

New Member
I am talking about letting your applications use the memory - instead of just letting it sit idle with your applications installed on it. They start faster, but then the memory just sits idle.
 

Okedokey

Well-Known Member
Hmm, i don't think you will be able to saturate 8GB of memory with properly coded 2D applications. Remember, it has 8GB to do that and an ADDITIONAL 24GB working as a super fast, low latency SSD hard drive. Im not sure how what you are saying is different?
 

larsch

New Member
Okay, so I am guessing your need for memory isn't that big, since you can allow most of it to be used for data storage :)
 

Okedokey

Well-Known Member
Okay, so I am guessing your need for memory isn't that big, since you can allow most of it to be used for data storage :)

You don't get it do you?

I use 8GB of RAM for System, which I wouldn't say is low.

The other 24GB of RAM i have I use SELECTIVELY as required as a RAM disk. :eek:

Pretty basic concept.
 

S.T.A.R.S.

banned
8GB of RAM isn't that much these days, I don't know how I manage with only 6GB still!

ONLY 6 GB?!
Don't you ever say that again lol!
If 6 GB sucks for you then what the hell would you say on my RAM memory which is just 512 MB xD
If you don't like it,we can trade :D And hey...number 512 is even bigger than 6 so I am sure you will be satisfied xD xD xD
 

larsch

New Member
You don't get it do you?

I use 8GB of RAM for System, which I wouldn't say is low.

The other 24GB of RAM i have I use SELECTIVELY as required as a RAM disk. :eek:

Pretty basic concept.

Sure I get it, but I am not sure that you are getting me :)
 

2048Megabytes

Active Member
Heh! heh!

I am still using 2 gigabytes of RAM on my current desktop computer. I have about $50 currently saved for a motherboard upgrade and I already have 4 gigabytes of DDR3 1600 RAM that is in my brother's computer. Just waiting for a good reason now. I have no reason to upgrade now.
 

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
I think in conclusion, we can say that really unless you are running multiple virtual machines at the same time or rendering multiple HD videos simultaneously or running servers or maybe manipulating massive photos in Photoshop, then really anything above 8GB, maybe even 6GB, is overkill for now, but sure 16GB will probably be useful in the future. Remember this time two years ago when we were all saying that 4GB RAM was more than enough and how 8GB RAM was too much? I run virtual machines of Vista 64-bit and various 64-bit Linux OS's on my desktop using VMware and I render HD videos using Premiere Pro CS5.5 64-bit and manipulate large photos in Photoshop Extended CS5.5 64-bit and I can honestly say that 8GB RAM is more than enough for these tasks (I only usually run one VM at a time), so really I'd only upgrade to 16GB when you need to, because in a year's time, 16GB RAM will be even cheaper then than it is now! That's certainly my plan for the future, sometime next year I'll upgrade to 16GB, if the upgrade is worthwhile. 8GB has served me well for over a year now.
 

Okedokey

Well-Known Member
The only problem with that argument is that he does require the overhead, and RAM is cheap now. Try and buy 16Gb of DDR2 brand new now and see how you go. Expensive. So waiting a year or so may not be a good idea.
 

tlarkin

VIP Member
Not sure if this has been said. 99% of apps out there are still 32bit apps, all video games are 32bit with a few rare exceptions. 32bit apps can only address a maximum of 4gigs of Memory. Unless you are multitasking (many apps at one, or running lots of virtual machines) or have insane I/O going to your Rig anything over 8gigs is going to be overkill for you.

Really anything over 6gigs, but since 8gig RAM kits are cheap enough why not? Building a gaming rig and tossing 16gigs of RAM in it, is pointless. I know RAM is cheap right now so it's not a huge deal, but it's pointless.
 

Gary1

New Member
If you are doing video editing you want an SSD hard drive with firewire external (or better) for external storage AND AS MUCH RAM AS POSSIBLE>

Most of the guys here would never use more than 2GB of ram. I have 32GB of RAM why? I do video editing like the OP. I set up a RAM DISK of 24GB which i run a virutal installation of the software i use. THIS MAKES A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE!

If you don't do this kinda work, you would think a 2600K at 5GHZ with 32GB of RAM is overkill, but trust me it = hours of productivity = money.

To the OP, if you do video editing in HD, get the most amount of RAM you can fit in that bad boy. RAM is cheap these days.


EXACTLY. This forum should be labeled I spent $3000 on my computer how jealous are you?? Most posts on this site are here because the poster believes everyone will think they know more than someone who has posted only 4 times.

For you guys who say I use photo shop CS5, I use photo shop CS5 as well. I also use AutoCAD and photo shop does not use as many resources. I don't do video editing but I have friends that do. I don't have 16 gigs of ram but most of them do.

DDR3 RAM is cheap, too cheep to loose an ounce of sleep over, so don't be jealous because OP's software cost more than your computer and your software. Well maybe those who say 8 Gig is too much don't have a clue what they are talking about.
 

Gary1

New Member
Not sure if this has been said. 99% of apps out there are still 32bit apps, all video games are 32bit with a few rare exceptions. 32bit apps can only address a maximum of 4gigs of Memory. Unless you are multitasking (many apps at one, or running lots of virtual machines) or have insane I/O going to your Rig anything over 8gigs is going to be overkill for you.

Really anything over 6gigs, but since 8gig RAM kits are cheap enough why not? Building a gaming rig and tossing 16gigs of RAM in it, is pointless. I know RAM is cheap right now so it's not a huge deal, but it's pointless.


How about you reread this post. I bet you will find its one of them not about 99% of aps or all the games in the world. Talking about pointless your post was pointless. Your so smart, but this isn't about games.
 

S.T.A.R.S.

banned
Well maybe those who say 8 Gig is too much don't have a clue what they are talking about.

Or maybe they know how to make good software with great optimizations so that their RAM usage is like the RAM usage from notepad if not even lower.Those who have a LOT of RAM in their systems does not automatically increase their knowledge...
 

KevWestBeats

New Member
Not sure if this has been said. 99% of apps out there are still 32bit apps, all video games are 32bit with a few rare exceptions. 32bit apps can only address a maximum of 4gigs of Memory. Unless you are multitasking (many apps at one, or running lots of virtual machines) or have insane I/O going to your Rig anything over 8gigs is going to be overkill for you.

Really anything over 6gigs, but since 8gig RAM kits are cheap enough why not? Building a gaming rig and tossing 16gigs of RAM in it, is pointless. I know RAM is cheap right now so it's not a huge deal, but it's pointless.
but as I've stated already all of my software is 64 bit and I am not gaming on this pc. I am doing video editing and writing music.

EXACTLY. This forum should be labeled I spent $3000 on my computer how jealous are you?? Most posts on this site are here because the poster believes everyone will think they know more than someone who has posted only 4 times.

For you guys who say I use photo shop CS5, I use photo shop CS5 as well. I also use AutoCAD and photo shop does not use as many resources. I don't do video editing but I have friends that do. I don't have 16 gigs of ram but most of them do.

DDR3 RAM is cheap, too cheep to loose an ounce of sleep over, so don't be jealous because OP's software cost more than your computer and your software. Well maybe those who say 8 Gig is too much don't have a clue what they are talking about.

lol. I was starting to think maybe they didn't understand my needs more so than anything else. It sounds like a lot of the people who replied do not do what I do. I may be wrong but I am not seeing it. I also do not see how Photoshop would take more processing power than video editing and nobody has answered this when I asked either lol. I am starting to think both routes (faster hard drive and getting more ram) are a good idea lol.
 
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