Slow Computer at Work

[tatteredpotato]

I've been interning doing some FPGA design stuff over the summer and the machine they gave me to work on is desperately starved for memory. It's an XP box with under 512 meg. It's to the point where I swear I spend half the day just waiting on the computer to catch up. I've brought up getting more memory a few times but I don't think anyone really gave it too much thought. I realize I'm only an intern so I don't expect the greatest pc, but I could seriously be twice as productive with a $50 memory upgrade, but I also don't want to come across as demanding or anything.

So what do you think should I keep bringing it up or just drop it?

 

[SandEagle]

bring it up. if your productivity falters because of it, they may not consider you after graduation. (assuming you can graduate, of course)

 

[Tweak155]

I was provided with a T8100 / 2gb ram xp laptop that is slower than the one they replaced for me, which was probably 3 years older.

Could just be the way they image the machine. What are you doing with XP that needs more than 512? I remember 256 was the bomb back in the day.

 

[mav451]

I interned at a place that gave me a terrible sub 1Ghz Celeron in 2005 with 256MB RAM. So I'm quite familiar when an intern is given crap to work with. Have you spoken to IT directly? Other than using parts on-site, I really doubt they'll actually order memory for you, but you never know. I asked, but it became clear that the rest of the PCs there were just as bad, or barely better (i.e 1.3Ghz Willamettes, lmao).

 

[tatteredpotato]

The CAD programs I use are able to eat up that 512 meg no problem. The processor is fine, but compilations can take 20 to 30 mins and extra ram would allow me to do other work while the one program compiles but right now that's not possible. IT said they don't have any RAM on hand so they would have to order some.

I'm going to grad school next year so I'm not really looking towards future employment here now, but I want to have a good recommendation at least.

 

[Tweak155]

The CAD programs I use are able to eat up that 512 meg no problem. The processor is fine, but compilations can take 20 to 30 mins and extra ram would allow me to do other work while the one program compiles but right now that's not possible. IT said they don't have any RAM on hand so they would have to order some.

I'm going to grad school next year so I'm not really looking towards future employment here now, but I want to have a good recommendation at least.

Oh wow. I don't use anything that exhaustive on memory and mine still slows way down. I can't fathom how they jack these pc's up.

 

[MotF Bane]

How's your boss? If going to IT isn't getting anything done, and you think your boss will react favorably, talk to him/her. If you don't think your boss will take it well, then just suffer silently, and try to look busy.

 

[Juddog]

The problem / reason it's slow with most companies is that there is constant auditing software etc. going on in the background; sometimes it's tied in with windows / driver updates as well, further slowing the machine.

 

[thepd7]

buy your own damn memory? It'll cost you $25 to get a gig. I brought a new (refurbished $300 Dell) PC and 2 22" monitors to work.

I could do my job with what they gave me but because I'm on salary and I always have more than 40 hours of work to do it was worth the $500 total I spent to save over an hour a day.

 

[Toonces]

One of the computers I'm forced to use at an Elementary school I teach at is a Celeron 1.6GHz with 128MB running XP. It literally takes over 5 minutes to go from login to usable desktop with years of miscellaneous programs and cluttered files from dozens of teachers. Opening Word is a chore, and forget about having a browser going as well...

 

[spidey07]

I'd tell your boss that you are going to buy some memory for it and make sure it's OK to put it in. Could get you some bonus points for taking charge of the situation.

 

[V00DOO]

I bought and upgraded my work PC's CPU, Memory, and VGA. Best $100 I have even spent.

 

[Possessed Freak]

I bought and upgraded my work PC's CPU, Memory, and VGA. Best $100 I have even spent.

What was it running before? EGA? CGA?

 

[imagoon]

How's your boss? If going to IT isn't getting anything done, and you think your boss will react favorably, talk to him/her. If you don't think your boss will take it well, then just suffer silently, and try to look busy.

Should ask your boss in the first place. IT rarely has the authority to upgrade or replace machines since so many of them report to finance as 'cost centers.' Asking your boss gives you a business need which might get IT the authority to help you.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Hm I guess I'll bring it up more seriously and if they still shoot it down I'll consider getting my own (also I'll see if they'll let that happen too). I'd rather not since I'm trying to save as much money for next year as possible, but I guess a memory upgrade won't break the bank too much.

I just find it funny that they will skimp on something as cheap as memory for PCs in the engineering department. I guess this all goes through corporate departments that are just looking to save a buck and don't realize the consequences.

 

[ussfletcher]

At my internship they gave me a crap laptop... but... I was just using it to connect to our lab's computers to do the work. (FPGA work too)

 

[tatteredpotato]

I would be fine with using my own laptop too, however I have a feeling IT wouldn't like me connecting that to the network and I don't want to install any misc. software on it to make it happen.

 

[wheresmybacon]

You're an intern; lowest man on the totem pole. What's your machine like relative to other workers in your group? Comparable? Much worse? I'd tell your boss, but if the people in your group have similarly configured machines, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

When I was doing desktop support, I'd typically configure the absolute worst machines we have for interns; not because I wanted to, but because management wants the free labor to have the worst equipment.

 

[Jzero]

What are other people's machines spec'ed as? It could well be that you didn't get the crappy intern box...everyone has a crappy box!

It may seem very simple to buy and install a stick of RAM, but depending on the size of the company, it could be a huge can of worms. At large scale, there is really nothing simple.

 

[tatteredpotato]

The full time guys here have decent machines... I see them run the FPGA design software, Eclipse for the embedded C development, and Visual Studio all concurrently without hiccups (plus numerous other lighter wight programs).

And I totally expect to have the bottom of the bucket hardware being an intern, but it's not like I need a whole new machine or anything.

 

[sonoma1993]

this one company i worked at a few years ago. The computer I had was a pos. It was some dell computer that had a intel celeron processor, 768mb of ram, 20GB hdd and it had Windows Vista on it.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Yeah, I would bring it up to your direct manager. You have to make an ROI statement for him though. Make a business case showing how much the memory would cost, calculate how many more hours of productivity you would have per week and put that against what you are paid hourly. That will allow you to determine how long it will take to break even, and after that they would be ahead.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Bring it up with your manager, and if you're tech savvy, link him or her the product and cost required to get you working. 512 on an XP box used for design is pretty bad, especially relative to what your peers have.

 

[Bill Brasky]

this one company i worked at a few years ago. The computer I had was a pos. It was some dell computer that had a intel celeron processor, 768mb of ram, 20GB hdd and it had Windows Vista on it.

LOL. I can't even imagine how slow that would be.