Is it worth upgrading RAM on a Vista/Windows 7 64bit system with 1GB of PC2-4300

Question

How much is enough? with 1GB my system seems quite sluggish, but I don't want to put alot of money into my system.

How much ram does windows really need to run smoothly?

My system:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
ASUS M2N-E motherboard
2x 512MB PC2-4300 ram
GeForce 6600 GT

what can I do to really speed up my PC and allow me to play more games.

Answer 1

Yes. For $60, i just upgraded an Inspiron 9300 running Windows 7 from 1GB to 2GB (the max) and i would have done 4GB if the laptop would support it. It ran W7 fine before but with more than one app open there was pretty significant and fairly regular disk thrashing. With 2GB it's calmed down quite a bit.

Looks like your motherboard supports up to 8GB. So, if you're running Windows 7 64-bit, put at least 4GB in, and up to 8GB. If 32-bit, then just do 4GB. You should definitely be able to notice a difference.

This is unsolicited (sorry), but if you want to stick with your system (not terribly outdated), i'd also look at getting a better graphics card. I had the excellent 6600GT in my previous tower system, but the 8800GT in my latest is worlds better. Win 7 loves a fast video card.

Answer 2

I wouldn't consider running Vista or Win7 with less than 2GB. I've got 3GB in my XP box and it flies along.

How much is 1GB of RAM? $30 or so?
If you add another 1GB, you will definitely notice the difference.

If I were running 64-bit Windows (even XP, but definitely Vista/Win7) I'd seriously consider upgrading to 4GB, but then I tend to run software like Eclipse.

Answer 3

Put as much RAM as you can afford or will fit in that system. That will probably be your biggest bang for the buck on that system. I would also kill any start-up programs or background processes that you don't need.

Answer 4

Increasing your RAM to at least 2GB will have a significant impact on your performance, but if you are aiming to increase game performance, you'll find your graphics card to be the primary factor. I would suggest upgrading your graphics card as well as your RAM. (I've personally had excellent experience with the 250 GTS.

Answer 5

Define sluggish. I'd think Windows 7 would run "ok" on your given configuration. I suspect that your HD might be slow, dying, or fragmented at the very least.