How much RAM to get?

[scumbalina]

Mr Scumbalina is getting a laptop, it needs to run QUARK, Word and Photoshop at the same time, how much RAM will he need?

That sounds like a riddle?

 

[Elvis Parsley]

as much as you can afford really, but at least 1Gb

http://www.crucial.com/ will tell you how much your lappy can take and guarantee to supply you with compatible memory

 

[A Dashing Blade]

Running Photoshop + Quark I'd have thought you're best off going for 2gig tbh

 

[salaryman]

as much as you can afford really, but at least 1Gb

http://www.crucial.com/ will tell you how much your lappy can take and guarantee to supply you with compatible memory

excellent advice. crucial are excellent. if your budget can stretch to 2gb, it would be money well spent.

 

[chio]

I've got one of the original cheap Mac Mini computers which came with 256MB of memory. It started out fine, but just got slower and slower as I loaded more stuff onto it until it got to the point where it was unusable. Took it to Nottingham and had 1GB put into it, and it's fine running Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and a couple of web browser windows all at the same time.

 

[scumbalina]

Thanks all....he's decided to go for one with 1GB for now.

 

[mhendo]

Just remember that, with a laptop, there are generally two memory slots, one right inside the computer, and one under a trapdoor in the bottom.

Adding memory under the trapdoor is a piece of piss, but i'm not sure how easy it is to add memory in the main slot inside the computer. So, if you get a 512Mb stick in each slot, it might be a little difficult to upgrade to 2 gig later, and you would need to replace both sticks.

But if you get a 1 gig stick in the main slot and keep the second one empty, you can just add another 1 gig later.

 

[scumbalina]

Just remember that, with a laptop, there are generally two memory slots, one right inside the computer, and one under a trapdoor in the bottom.

Adding memory under the trapdoor is a piece of piss, but i'm not sure how easy it is to add memory in the main slot inside the computer. So, if you get a 512Mb stick in each slot, it might be a little difficult to upgrade to 2 gig later, and you would need to replace both sticks.

But if you get a 1 gig stick in the main slot and keep the second one empty, you can just add another 1 gig later.

Thanks for that! Yeah, it's got 2 slots, with 512Mb in each. I'll get him to look into the cost of getting 1GB in one slot before he buys it

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Umm, running 1.5GB of RAM may be slower than 1GB. Current designs run the RAM in a mode called "dual channel" which needs near identical RAM modules to work. If they are a different size then the system reverts to "single channel" mode. Which isn't a problem if you do need more than 1GB of RAM, but if you never go over 1GB you're just taking a performance hit for no reason at all.

1GB is enough for 99% of things, hardcore photoshop can use more, but i've never managed it.

 

[mhendo]

Umm, running 1.5GB of RAM may be slower than 1GB.

I'm sure you're right, but i don't think anyone was suggesting that she run 1.5Gb. I was recommending getting a single 1Gb stick, and then, if necessary, adding another 1Gb stick later.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Fair enough! Reading comprehension was never my best subject

Running a single stick of RAM would get the same performance hit as running 1.5GB, this is mostly just me nitpicking though, the performance hit isn't going to be noticed even if it is there.

 

[dogmatique]

My rule of thumb? Put in the maximum the machine will take. Don't cost much these days. Mine? 2 GB.