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09-22-2011, 05:50 PM
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#1 |
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Member (5 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 21
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How much RAM do you really need?
How much RAM do you really need?
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09-22-2011, 06:01 PM
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#2 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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It depends on what you need to do. Not everyone needs the same amount. For the vast majority of people four gigs is enough but this does not apply to everyone. Some people run single applications which require more than four or have multiple applications running simultaneously which need more than four. Four is considered the bare minimum to have these days. This is because RAM is so cheap now compared to the cost of the rest of the computer and realistic operating system minimum requirements. It is petty easy to reach four gigs of utilization by opening up a couple programs and a few windows of a browser.
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09-22-2011, 06:05 PM
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#3 |
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Member (5 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 21
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I have 2... But I'm a 14 year old programming student(Python) dont need alot i guess...
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09-22-2011, 06:11 PM
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#4 |
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Moderator
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Premium Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 3,805
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2 is fine. What CPU and motherboard do you have?
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09-22-2011, 06:39 PM
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#5 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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Two is fine until your computer needs more and starts accessing the hard drive. And then you need more if you want your computer to run at normal speeds rather than at below normal speeds. Sure, you can get away with two if your computer does not need more than two or you don't mind the slower speeds if it does.
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09-22-2011, 06:51 PM
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#6 |
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: N. Calif.
Posts: 529
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It depends a whole lot on what OS you run as well. My first computer ran DOS 2.1 with 256K of RAM. I wrote lots of C and 808x assembler code on that machine.
My newest machine runs Win 7 64-bit and has 8G of RAM. Minimum recommended RAM for 64-bit Win 7 is 2G. Many distros of Linux can run with 256M or less. As David said, you know you need more RAM when your computer slows down and there's lots of disk activity. That means the OS is using space on the hard drive as temporary or virtual memory. The fastest disk drive is very slow compared to RAM which is why the computer slows to a crawl.
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Been using, building, repairing and programming computers for nearly 30 years now. Last edited by strollin; 09-22-2011 at 06:54 PM. |
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09-22-2011, 10:30 PM
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#7 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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You can see if how much memory your computer is using by bringing up your Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) and clicking on the Performance tab.
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09-23-2011, 07:14 AM
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#8 | |
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 669
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Quote:
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09-23-2011, 08:00 AM
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#9 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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If your computer will never utilize that much memory then why purchase it?
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09-23-2011, 10:00 AM
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#10 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 1,390
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There are some applications that need more ram. If you have multiple apps open that have high ram requirements then it is beneficial, but for the average user it's a waste of money. Even if ram is cheap right now. On the other hand if you're one who likes to experiment with new stuff, (ie. software; with high ram requirements)you may end up in the future saying, "Damn, I should've bought more ram last year."
 When it was cheap.I know I've head the phrase "One gig of memory! You'll never use it." I think Windows 7 64 bit can access 120gigs of ram. (Sorry dave I should have read your previous posts.)
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09-23-2011, 10:21 AM
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#11 |
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Techphile.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay
Posts: 5,962
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Last edited by David M; 09-23-2011 at 10:24 AM. |
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09-23-2011, 11:06 AM
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#12 |
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Member (6 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 45
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You can use the task manager to see how much RAM is in use while you are using the computer. Just keep an eye on it, especially if the computer slows down. When it runs out of physical memory, it pages to the hard drive which is a lot slower. So I'd suggest just seeing what you actually use and go from there.
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09-25-2011, 08:52 PM
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#13 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 124
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I do alot of reformat's and fixing PC's for friends and family and I'm still learning stuff although and honestly for most people that just want a family PC to burn movies do the books and surf the Net 4GB is more then enough for most people,I have seen alot of people putting 8GB in there PC and they rarely need it they just convince themselve's they do but as the other guy's have said it all depends on what your doing with your PC and how many App's you have opened at the sametime.
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10-23-2011, 04:40 PM
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#14 |
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Member (5 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 21
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I now have three which seems to be enough...
I like to buy what I NEED. |
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10-26-2011, 02:52 AM
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#15 |
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Member (1 bit)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1
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You don't actually need more RAM. 3 is great engough. Even Game running + a dvd + the internet running doesnt take my PCs ram usage above 3gb. 4gb is a good amount as it is more than you need but ram comes in 1gb or 2gb sticks and most computers have 2 or 4 ram slots so it adds up nicely.
check it here for more guide info in buying RAM Memory (RAM) - a brief buyer guide | Techyv.com |
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