2GB or 4GB of RAM for Vista?

[imported_Scoop]

I guess I'd recommend 2x2GB but if you're really on a budget, like me, 2x1GB is ok.

 

[drob]

Just to be sure, under Vista 32bit, will i be better off with current 2x1gb + new 2x512mb or cornet 2x1gb + new 2x1gb? price deference are minor so best option price wise is getting 2x1gb more, however would i still have the benefits of dual channel even if the system sees only about 2/3 of actual ram?

 

[djnsmith7]

With RAM so inexpensive right now, I say you go with Vista 64 & go with at least 4 GB (2x2 so you can upgrade later). When your budget permits in the future, up that bad boy to 8 GB.

 

[secretanchitman]

Originally posted by: drob
Just to be sure, under Vista 32bit, will i be better off with current 2x1gb + new 2x512mb or cornet 2x1gb + new 2x1gb? price deference are minor so best option price wise is getting 2x1gb more, however would i still have the benefits of dual channel even if the system sees only about 2/3 of actual ram?

yes, your computer would still see the benefits of dual channel, as long as they are the same matching pairs...and yes, even for me, i have 2x2GB ddr2-800 ram and although osx is fine with using/seeing 4GB, when i boot camp it over to xp 32 bit, it sees 2/3, but ive run cpu-z and everest, and they both tell me in still in dual-channel mode, so im pretty sure you will be fine.

did you decide how much memory to get?

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: BlingBlingArsch
make it 8.

8 and Vista 64= NICE and fast

love my new setup.

and 8 gigs of nice DDR2 was still less than my old Corsair DDR 2 gigs

 

[vailr]

Another 32-bit option would be:
Install: 4x 2 Gb memory = 8 Gb
Install: MS Server 2008 32-bit Enterprise, which can use all 8 Gb, even though it's a 32-bit O.S.

 

[n7]

3x1 GB or 3x2 GB, etc, work in flex mode or asyncronous dual channel on all current Intel chipsets, so you really lose very little performance from not having 2 or 4 dimms.

My suggestion for anyone is Vista x64 w/ 4 GB, or more if you want to spend money.

Makes for an insanely fast machine.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
For what it's worth, my 4GB of memory shows up as 3326MB in 32-bit Vista. I don't think it's worth $200 to unlock that extra 600MB of memory.

Except Home Premium x64 is only $99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116204

 

[Caminetto]

Originally posted by: n7
3x1 GB or 3x2 GB, etc, work in flex mode or asyncronous dual channel on all current Intel chipsets, so you really lose very little performance from not having 2 or 4 dimms.

My suggestion for anyone is Vista x64 w/ 4 GB, or more if you want to spend money.

Makes for an insanely fast machine.

Seriously, do you really notice a difference in Vista 64 with 8 GB over 4 GB?

 

[Mem]

I just received a new Vostro laptop about a month or so ago,came with 3GB with Vista x86 HP.

Speed wise it flies,I still say for 4GB plus go Vista x64,however 3GB is nice for Vista x86.

 

[scottb75]

Originally posted by: Caminetto

Originally posted by: n7
3x1 GB or 3x2 GB, etc, work in flex mode or asyncronous dual channel on all current Intel chipsets, so you really lose very little performance from not having 2 or 4 dimms.

My suggestion for anyone is Vista x64 w/ 4 GB, or more if you want to spend money.

Makes for an insanely fast machine.

Seriously, do you really notice a difference in Vista 64 with 8 GB over 4 GB?

I do, Vista is snappier, and smoother running with 8GB vs 4GB.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: bomax
I've read the article, but was wondering if anyone here has first hand experience. Plus 3GB seems so.... uneven.

8 gigs on Vista 64 here and it flys.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: Caminetto

Originally posted by: n7
3x1 GB or 3x2 GB, etc, work in flex mode or asyncronous dual channel on all current Intel chipsets, so you really lose very little performance from not having 2 or 4 dimms.

My suggestion for anyone is Vista x64 w/ 4 GB, or more if you want to spend money.

Makes for an insanely fast machine.

Seriously, do you really notice a difference in Vista 64 with 8 GB over 4 GB?

Yes.. major difference.

and with 8 you could turn the swap file down to nothing and gain performance that way as well.

I have mine at 0 and even gaming dont run out of memory.

 

[accguy9009]

Originally posted by: asdfqwertyuiop
<blockquote>quote:
Originally posted by: bomax
Ok... after several hours of reading, I have come to understand the issues here fairly well. From this point forward I assume other people understand as well, so I won't bother paraphrasing.

Since my video card is 512MB, I'm afraid that's really going to eat into the 4GB address space I have to work with. And since PAE is unreliable at this time, I am leaning towards the 3GB that crossrode an Anandtech are recommending. 2x1GB and 2x512MB.

I think this subject would be worthy of a dedicated article on Anandtech, as the issue is only going to come up more and more as RAM prices fall.

Please continue to post useful links as you come across them.</blockquote>

Not sure how well mixed sizes will OC. I have 4*1GB.

I also have a 512MB vcard. I get 2.93GB RAM available in Vista....

I have a 512MB video card and two 2GB sticks of memory. Vista 32 sees 3.53 GB of memory. I recently ordered from MS the 64 bit DVD for Vista Home Premium. The Disk cost like $ 10.00 shipped. Now I need to reinstall the OS using my original license but using the 64 Bit DVD. Thats what you need to do so you can upgrade to 8 GB later.

 

[JackBurton]

I put 4GB (2x2GB) of memory in my wife's laptop. Why? For $60 (2x2GB DDR2-800), why not?

 

[Roguestar]

I ordered 4GB of DDR2-800 SODIMMs from Crucial, for £50. Even at UK prices it's pretty damn cheap, and I sure as hell wasn't going to pay Dell £120 ($240) to stick another 2GB of RAM in my Vostro for me.