Good luck if you plan on running more than 4 charts at once with 256 MB RAM! I am pushing the limits with 512MB. Get 512 or 1G of memory if you plan on adding additional monitors.
Maybe some of your software is hogging your system. "4 charts" shouldn't necessarily push the limits of anything on 512 RAM.
I would not get a computer with less than 1 GB of RAM. Today's apps are big-time memory hogs. Even something as seemingly innocuous as Norton Internet Security takes up about 40MB of RAM at any given time.
I would agree. My computer uses about 300-350mb when I run eSignal with 4 charts, MS Office, Zonealarm, AVG virus protection, Outlook Express, etc all at the same time. I run 1gb with no problems. If you try to run 512mb, it could get a little hinky if you try to run something else at the same time in addition to these.
If you can afford it use one computer for your trading platform and one for charting, etc. you will thank yourself for having two computers. Lets face it, we would all like to live in a world where computers perform flawlessly, but in the real world multiple applications occasionally cause problems and when the sh!t hits the fan and your position goes against you in a big way you want to be able to click out and not have to pick up the telephone.
Be sure to check the "fine print" of the system requirements for your trading platform, charting application, etcetera. Several popular applications say that they only guarantee that there will be no issues with Intel processors...whether there are actually any issues with AMD, I don't know.
FWIW.... I've used MetaStock and eSignal for years. The tech folks at Equis (MetaStock) recommend "Intel all the way... MB, CPU, and chipset... for best reliability"
what you want to do. daytrade? then you definitely NEED several monitors. Swing trading? Then even a portable could do. As a day trader I have 4 19"screens on a multihead matrox G450 card (plus a couple of other computers for browsing email, etc.) And if you have some bucks leftt, just throw it all at the memory. 1Gb seems a minimum to me. (running with only 2 Gb but thinking on sticking in more). Especially if you want to do simulations, backtesting; optimisation strategies etc. FWIW TFD
gnome, Not surprising to see the Equis tech guys' Intel recommendation, with it's history of dependability and justifiable market leadership, BUT one wonders if "best reliability" continues to stand for RIGHT NOW in chip development? Past preferences/opinions aside, would/do these same techs honestly admit AMD's best chip(s) are now fully competitive with Intel's best chip(s) for the most demanding of trading applications, if, in fact pertinent benchmark tests bear this out?