I have a computer, 2 GB of ram. I run Windows XP and was recently told that the max ram you can have is 4GB, but you should really only do 3GB. I'm looking to be able to have something in the neighboorhood of 8-16- GB of RAM. I heard that Vista really is a terrible OS and to stay away from that. best options?
lmao 8gbs of ram... i signed in just to post in this thread. I don't believe most motherboards even support 8gb of ram. Hell, usually with that much ram you would be doing 3D modelling, working on protein configurations, or editing quality video. You're welcome to top out a 4gb if you're that paranoid about today's programs hogging up resources, but generally 2gb is quite sufficient. For trading 4gb is overkill, and the money is better spent elsewhere - for example, more monitors. If you're looking to go with memory though, consider sacrificing more physical ram for tighter (lower) timings or a better bandwidth platform for your system (ie. higher bus speed, ddr2/ddr3 etc.)
Also, with 8gb of RAM you would need an OS that could actually do something with it. This means a good distro of linux, vista, etc. Still, maybe you're not trading but imo, the ram is not really necessary unless you're running quad core or some sort of server
Oh I know I need a new OS. However, I'm running a lot of test and the tests take like 15 minutes. If I could kill that into say 2 min, that would be well worth it
Not really a computer person, but I'm interested in something powerful that can RUN through data like a mad man. Ideas on computers to buy?
First, you must have a 64 bit operating system to address > 4 Gig. I have been looking into this, because I actually do need a fast box with lots of memory. It will be running 64 bit Linux. For desktop type hardware the current practical limit is 8 Gig in 4 x 2G DDR2 unbuffered configuration. For larger memory config you need server type kit and buffered ECC memory, and things start to get pricey. This is what I will probably be getting: ASUS P5N-E SLi Motherboard Intel Q6600 Quad core CPU 2 G.Skill 2x2G DDR2 800 Mhz memory I'm basing this on what is available here in Aus at the moment at a decent price. In the US there are more and possibly better and options available for memory.
How many space shuttles are you going to launch simultaneously with that rig? If I were you, I would stick with 4GB RAM and save the money for the fastest processor you can find like Quad Core.
Looks like you can't buy the high end quad cores without a water cooled system to surround them. Check out the Falcon for ultimate performance. Looks like only 4GB of ram but forget 800Mhz ... this is 1250Mhz http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/13/overindulge_yourself_with_qx6800/ <img src="http://images.tomshardware.com/2007/04/13/overindulge_yourself_with_qx6800/fnw-case-side-01.jpg">