- Nov 6, 2005
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For many years I was in the 256 Mb is ram is enough to run windows XP camp.
So already you know I am not a gamer or someone who runs various PC intensive graphics editing programs. But this is my wife's computer anyway and she is a basic do email, do light computing, and play light non-PC intensive games on pogo type.
But by the time you aquire quite a few programs on the start up list---plus the applications necessary to prevent malware plus network software---boot time can get stretched on anything less than a modern processor and plenty of ram.
In my wifes case it was pushing over 250 seconds on a XP2400+ system and only 256 MB ram.--32 mb being shared by on board vidio and sound. And thats a cold boot from first push of computer start up button until the computer is able to dial into our isp---with system information then reporting only 40 MB free ram.
Without changing anything other than adding an extra stick 256 MB of matching PC 2100 ddr ram, her boot time is down to about 100 seconds to log into isp---free ram now shows as 190 MB, and her computer is now running better than ever before.---because every web site she visits loads much faster.---and all this for $36.04 after paying sales tax.--and paying full list price at a local computer store---bargain hunters could do better.
So I somewhat urge anyone with an older computer they plan to run until it drops---that has only 256 MB of ram and is running win xp---to not be so pig headed as I was. Win XP does indeed run MUCH better with 512 MB vs. a mere 256 MB. And anyone ordering just a win xp system should request at least 512 MB ram when ordering new.---why wait until the system is half obsolete before you upgrade???---lets see--save 150 seconds each time you boot--which for my wife is at least once per day--but call it once per day for two years---thats a mere 109,575 seconds saved.--which is over 1.25 woman days saved in that time period.
But anyone expecting their computer to later run Vista when it goes mainstream better get a gig or two of ram at least.---plus a fast vidio card costing more than most computers.
So already you know I am not a gamer or someone who runs various PC intensive graphics editing programs. But this is my wife's computer anyway and she is a basic do email, do light computing, and play light non-PC intensive games on pogo type.
But by the time you aquire quite a few programs on the start up list---plus the applications necessary to prevent malware plus network software---boot time can get stretched on anything less than a modern processor and plenty of ram.
In my wifes case it was pushing over 250 seconds on a XP2400+ system and only 256 MB ram.--32 mb being shared by on board vidio and sound. And thats a cold boot from first push of computer start up button until the computer is able to dial into our isp---with system information then reporting only 40 MB free ram.
Without changing anything other than adding an extra stick 256 MB of matching PC 2100 ddr ram, her boot time is down to about 100 seconds to log into isp---free ram now shows as 190 MB, and her computer is now running better than ever before.---because every web site she visits loads much faster.---and all this for $36.04 after paying sales tax.--and paying full list price at a local computer store---bargain hunters could do better.
So I somewhat urge anyone with an older computer they plan to run until it drops---that has only 256 MB of ram and is running win xp---to not be so pig headed as I was. Win XP does indeed run MUCH better with 512 MB vs. a mere 256 MB. And anyone ordering just a win xp system should request at least 512 MB ram when ordering new.---why wait until the system is half obsolete before you upgrade???---lets see--save 150 seconds each time you boot--which for my wife is at least once per day--but call it once per day for two years---thats a mere 109,575 seconds saved.--which is over 1.25 woman days saved in that time period.
But anyone expecting their computer to later run Vista when it goes mainstream better get a gig or two of ram at least.---plus a fast vidio card costing more than most computers.
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