Whats the new min ram req for WIN XP?

[stonep]

I now have 1 gig of memory for xp, and I think its awesome and even big improvements over 512 or ram. I like to have 3-4 programs open at a time, and a few browsers open, even have a game open.. windows is flying! Things are great with 1 gig.

My friend has 256 ram, and I tell him thats just NOT enough for windows these days, specially if has more then 1 program open at a time. Hes constantly complaning about file swaping, and slow pc. He likes to run outlook, netscape, at the same time and I feel bad for him. I tell him that the RAM is the most important thing about a pc NEXT to the processor, he tells me i'm crazy and ram doesn't mean much.

What does everything think the comfortable ram requirement is for windows these days?

 

[Malak]

Well, 256 is the minimum, but certainly not comfortable. Personally, I think minimum requirements are bogus. Sure, the software will run, but it won't run well.

I think 512 is more than enough. Heck, I've got only 512 right now and I game. Certainly 1 gig feels nicer, but 512 is comfortable.

 

[imported_Lucifer]

Minimum is actually 128, though it is not recommend it. I recommend at least 512mb of RAM. Running OS X on 128 was kind of like hell. I can imagine the same on XP. I own an HP Kayak XU 600mhz with 256mb of RAM and XP Pro, and runs great. XP runs very well on 256, though it will be faster with 512+.

 

[Malak]

I was pretty sure the 128 minimum was pointless to mention since, as you've stated, it's hell to run on. If video cards have more RAM than you, it's time to update.

 

[magomago]

my friend had 256, and constaly they would be paging at 300 megs and they don't game at all. In fact, they do light office work. For things of that sort, if you don't mind slight lag its absolutely fine. But i know some people, like me, prefer more snappiness so 512 is better..and MUCH more comfrotable

As for 1 gig, yeah games are starting to show a difference between 512 and 1 gig, but right now i don't think its too much to sweat about...and yes, I have as many things as you open and I don't lag like crazy (though I don't have games open, unless its something turned based that I can play in a windowed mode like some kind of puzzle game...or even a turn based rpg)