From 1Gb to 2Gb

[Aenslead]

So I've been here for a while, and I've read posts on how 2Gb of RAM actually help out WHEN playing BF2, and games by the sort...

But I don't play games. At all.

What I do is have LOTS of windows open. Firefox, exel, word, winamp, media player, etc, etc... my average use of memory is 600Mb, and it hardly goes above 700Mb, and rarely turn off my computer, but I know Windows Memory manager works in mysterious ways... SO...

If I do get to upgrade to 2Gb, would it matter? Would I have faster load times? Would I see windows start in less time?

 

[EightySix Four]

No, no, and no. If your not using it, not worth it. Faster load times is more affected by a fast HD

 

[Aenslead]

That's what I thought... so would a WD Raptor 10k be faster than a Maxtor 16mb cache @ 7.2krpm?

 

[spiritwalker2223]

Yes

 

[Fallengod]

Hell yes. Get a raptor drive not more ram. 2gb is a waste even for bf2 if you ask me. 1gb is plenty. The hard drive is the biggest bottleneck of a computer. Get a raptor.

 

[Aenslead]

Ah! Just as I thought.

Its great to be able to confirm one's ideas.

Thankyou.

 

[Shenkoa]

2 GB of RAM is a waist of money. One of my friends did the same thing, he actually bought 4 GB of RAM after I told him it was a waist of money. Well instead of getting a GB of good RAM, he bought 4 GB of generic RAM, since then 2 out of 4 stix have died and he has noticed no differents in performance.

 

[lifeguard1999]

Unless you are running programs that need a lot of memory (Photoshop, After Effects, 3D Studio Max, Maya, BF2, Windows Vista ), then 2GB of RAM is a waste of money.

 

[Tostada]

I use Photoshop a lot, and the only time I've even noticed the difference between 512MB and 1GB is when I'm working with 600 DPI scans with many layers.

I also do a lot of work with 2GB+ databases, and even when I'm maxing out my CPU for hours on end my memory usage usually stays around 600MB.

Not sure what this thread is doing in the CPU forum...

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Aenslead
That's what I thought... so would a WD Raptor 10k be faster than a Maxtor 16mb cache @ 7.2krpm?

Yes the Raptor is faster (I own both). Although the 16MB Maxtor is no slouch.

Make sure you get the 74GB version of the Raptor though - it's essentially the second 'generation' Raptor, and about 10-15% faster than the 36GB version (check reviews around the internet).

The Maxtor Diamondmax 10/Maxline III with 16MB of cache would be about the same performance as the 36GB Raptor, so if that's the one you're looking at, just go for the extra storage on the Maxtor.

 

[Aenslead]

No, actually I'm not short on storage... but the Raptor is as pricey as geting 2Gb... but I think it will certainly be a better upgrade.

I appreciate your input and confirm that 2gb is a waste of precious money. Danke, danke!

 

[Fallengod]

jiffylube is correct. Actually, Id go for the maxline3 as an alternative, maybe as a slave to the raptor? The maxline III 250gb oem has 16mb cache and a 5 year warranty. Is at newegg for $105(before tax and shipping). And it performs about what jiffy said, at raptor 36gb marks. The raptor 74gb s defaintly the fastest though. Of course, its $50 over the maxline3 too.

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: Aenslead
No, actually I'm not short on storage... but the Raptor is as pricey as geting 2Gb... but I think it will certainly be a better upgrade.

I appreciate your input and confirm that 2gb is a waste of precious money. Danke, danke!

the raptor does have a nice noticeable speed bump in load times, i talk from experience, it will probably be the better option of upgrade as at the moment there are very few apps that require 2 gigs of RAM. If you do end up using apps that on the rare occasion requires more RAM to operate smoothly, then with the raptor you can be assured that the swap file can be accessed fast enough not see a massive speed degradation, I also talk from experience when playing BF2.

I do have a bit of advice before you buy, the raptor IMO is very loud in operation not the spindle speed, its just when the needle is being moved over the platters, it has started to really p!ss me off, and im thinking of getting a Seagate 7200.8 to replace it, but am still undecided.

 

[Aenslead]

I was also thinking on puting two Maxtor 16mb on RAID 0+1

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: Aenslead
I was also thinking on puting two Maxtor 16mb on RAID 0+1

For general Windows use, that would be slower than a single drive.

 

[n7]

Okay.

WTF?!?
Can i have some of the drugs those of you saying 2 GB is a waste are smoking?!

To answer the OP, no, 2 GB won't help you much, if at all.

But saying 2 GBs is a waste...:roll:
Seriously guys...

 

[fixxxer0]

I would use waste sparingly.... for what he described since he never goes about 700mb peak, then sure its a "waste" for him.

But for me, I dip into my pagefile during everyday uses, and I notice it in BF2 as well.

 

[Aenslead]

Originally posted by: Tostada

Originally posted by: Aenslead
I was also thinking on puting two Maxtor 16mb on RAID 0+1

For general Windows use, that would be slower than a single drive.

Please explain.

I thought RAID 0 was for making faster access do HDD.

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: n7
Okay.

WTF?!?
Can i have some of the drugs those of you saying 2 GB is a waste are smoking?!

To answer the OP, no, 2 GB won't help you much, if at all.

But saying 2 GBs is a waste...:roll:
Seriously guys...

Yeah 2Gb is defo not a waste just probably not a priority for the OP at the moment, in fact i am looking to get some when i purchase an AMD X2 3800+, just dont know which ones yet

Playing BF2 and getting the stuttery load times at the beginning is really starting to annoy me, especially when i am in a plane and crash it due to the screen freezes :|, and also future games that are coming out i.e. COD2 will warm up nicely to some 2Gb action

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: modempower
Hell yes. Get a raptor drive not more ram. 2gb is a waste even for bf2 if you ask me. 1gb is plenty. The hard drive is the biggest bottleneck of a computer. Get a raptor.

Play on a 64 player server with details maxed with 2 GB, then with 1 GB, then see if you can still say 1 GB is pleanty.

 

[draytox]

Originally posted by: Aenslead
I was also thinking on puting two Maxtor 16mb on RAID 0+1

Can you please explain how you plan on running a raid 10 array with just 2hdd?

 

[Griswold]

2GB is not wasted money now. If we're talking DDR not DDR2, you might actually save money in the long run, considering Windows Vista. How so? Expect DDR prices to go up again in the coming months, as memory makes ramp up their DDR2 production, thus cutting down on the DDR production. Lower production always means higher prices.

This, of course, also depends on how your upgrade schedule is. If you plan on hopping on the DDR2 bandwaggon in a year, when AMD changes to socket M2 with it's DDR2 support, then you could indeed spend your money elsewhere. If you upgrade now, and plan on keeping your box for 2 or more years, 2GB now, wont be wasted money.

Windows Vista - expect the worst.

 

[tallman45]

Originally posted by: Aenslead

Originally posted by: Tostada

Originally posted by: Aenslead
I was also thinking on puting two Maxtor 16mb on RAID 0+1

For general Windows use, that would be slower than a single drive.

Please explain.

I thought RAID 0 was for making faster access do HDD.

A drives access speed is a defined amount, that can never be faster. For example is each drive has a 8ms access time, both striped cannot have faster than an 8ms access time.

Striped drives in a Raid have there date run through a Raid controller so it actually takes longer to run small files through a Raid 0 than a single standalone drive.

Where Raid 0 really shines is with very large files, an example would be RAW images

 

[Shenkoa]

I ordered a maxline 3 from Newegg and it was a DOA. I RMA's it and got another one, it was also DOA. I will never buy a Maxtor again, for as long as I live.

 

[Nirach]

I have a similar question about RAM. I'm running 1gb at the moment, I want to go to 2gb. I tend to play BF2 single player, not a fan of multiplayer, I'm in the middle of F.E.A.R (Although it wasn't running badly on 512mb of RAM, to be honest. Never seen it on 1gb in my system) and I quite often play Sacred and NWN.

Is there any point in going up to 2gb or should I invest in something else.. Like an upgrade to the processer?

I know that it's quite often that games rely more on the graphics card than any other piece of the hardware, but what's the point in having some beastly bits and some absolute crap, eh?