With 3GBs of RAM and single core processor, what would you upgrade first? [closed]

Question

Please help! which one is better to upgrade if i can only do one at this certain time.

Answer 1

Please note that this is a very open-ended question, but I don't think you intended for this. Please read the FAQ to understand which types of questions should be asked here. Below is some help because I know you probably need help, but I think that if you read the FAQ and re-wrote your question, you may be able to have it appropriate for this site. Below is some help for you despite the unappropriated question for this site:

What utilization do you normally run at? If you normally run a litle high on one of the two, but not the other, this is which one I would upgrade first. Memory is typically pretty cheap though, depending on which type. If you are using newer stuff, a 4GB stick of RAM (i.e. DDR3 1600) is around $20. A CPU is going to run a a few times this, especially if you are going Intel.

Make sure that your montherboard is compatible with the new equipment, no matter which you choose to upgrade. You may need to upgrade your motherboard also. There are lots of great DIY deals on some sites (i.e. NewEgg, TigerDirect, etc) for upgrades, which usually include motherboard, CPU, memory, and possibly an SSD.

Answer 2

Here is a couple of points to consider:

1. Depending on your motherboard, you may not have the ability to upgrade to a more powerful CPU (either more powerful single core or to a multi-core system). You would need to do your own research on your motherboard and supported CPUs.
2. If your OS is a 32bit system, then you won't be able to use more then 4GB tops (Usable memory is a calculated amount of the total physical memory minus "hardware reserved" memory).

Assuming that your motherboard is able to support a more powerful CPU and you have a 64bit OS, then the question becomes more of usage.

1. If you are using a program that takes advantage of multicores (photoshop), then a CPU upgrade will probably be more beneficial. While if the program uses more RAM, then upgrading that component becomes more prudent.
2. If you have multiple programs open at any one time (and bounce between them), then RAM upgrade most likely will give you better performance gain.

Depending on what you are trying to gain, you might not need to upgrade those components, but maybe go to a better GPU (Graphics Card) or harddrive (SSD, 10k rpm harddrive). Without knowing your computer specs, it would impossible to give you the best advice.