Memory upgrade for an older computer

Hi,

Need some advice on memory upgrade for an older Dell Dimension 3000 running Pentium 4 (2.80 GHz) with Windows XP home edition.

Currently I have 512 MB of RAM (2X256). This computer accepts up to 2GB of memory. Things have been slowing for awhile and I was thinking about upgrading to more memory. I know that adding another 512 would improve things significantly, but would maxing it out up to 2 GB gain me even a good deal more performance for the added cost?

I must say I don't run many heavy apps except I guess Firefox and McAfee total protection, which seem to be pretty memory heavy in their own right. I plan on keeping this computer at least a couple more years or I guess till Microsoft discontinues supporting XP.

any advice appreciated, thanks

 

I assume, and hope, you are up to SP3. When XP first came out, before any SPs, 512M was almost overkill, I believe the minimum was 128M.

But now, 512M is slow no matter how you configure. It does work, but not very satisfying.

I can make a machine work great with 1G, but I'm very fussy about the autoruns allowed and avoid bloated security suites. But, unless you're also very fussy and frugal, I think you'll find 2G to be right for you and, yes, you'll see a remarkable improvement in performance.

Goto www.crucial.com for an automatic analysis of what your machine needs. You can order from them or print the specs out and pickup the sticks at your local Ye Olde Komputer Shoppe. :wave:wave

 

Some great advice there from brandy, Crucial is the don when it comes to memory upgrades, they guarantee their ram that is chosen by their automatic system scanner is compatible, if not, they promise to give a full refund!

 

Thanks for the tips. I wasn't sure if spending the extra $40 for 2 GB was worth it over 1GB performance wise. Funny you should mention Crucial as those are the sticks I had in mind and their scan to recommend memory did select 2GB.

I really am starting to believe McAfee is a bloated monster when it comes to security suites. I really haven't had too many issues with them except that when it is updating my virus software it almost and literally renders my system usless until it is finished.

any recommendations on Antivirus and firewall software or possible another suite that is every bit as good or better, but is not a resource hog??

Thanks

 

Any full suite is going to take up more resources than running separate apps, I think.

If you want detailed help with replacing MacAffee, your best option is probably to start a new thread in the Software forum. That's where the software experts hang out, and they can help you pick out good alternatives.

 

OK, just to make a different take on this, yes grabbing another 512MB stick would do ya good. That said, it sounds like your machine has been getting slower over time, right? Maybe you just have too much running at startup? Things accumulate over time, just like in my junk drawer.

 

I have a difference perspective, based on my experience. I've been using the basically same computer computer, with 512MB of RAM, with Win XP Pro from pre-SP2 - maybe it was even pre-SP1 - through SP3 and I haven't seen a degradation of performance with the addition Service Packs. In fact, if I recall correctly, some users reported a slight improvement in performance after installing SP2.

One thing I've changed during this span of XP usage on this machine is upgrading the video card, which is still just a meager GeForce FX 5500 with 256MB. Otherwise, it's the same hardware.

I confess I've been tempted to increase RAM to 1GB (the max supported by this old motherboard), but I still don't quite see it as big issue. I normally have a browser with multiple tabs, Outlook Express, Word, and maybe 1 or more other apps open and don't feel a lot a pain when doing this. So, I believe it's still a matter of consistent maintenance that can keep a system functioning fairly well with 512MB of RAM.

Now, I'm not saying that increasing to 1GB or 2GB won't make a noticeable difference. I suspect an increase to 1GB will definitely make a noticeable difference for Tnelson. Going to 2GB will probably not yield a gain proportionate to the increase to 1GB but, I guess, would, of course, yield still slightly more improvement.

 

How much it would improve depends a lot on what the computer is being used for on a daily basis... I do gaming on my XP computer that has 2GB installed. Whenever I take out 1GB for some reason, the games become next to impossible to run.

 

Actually I have cleaned up my startup apps. I have a program "startup control panel" by Mike Lin that i have used to only allow programs to launch at startup that I really need. I've also gone into services.msc and cleaned up any services that I don't need running all the time. That and I regularly use CCleaner to clean out alot of junk.

Where the system really bogs down is when McAfee is updating or Firefox has been open for a fair amount of time and really starts to hog up the memory, then things start hanging or freezing etc... I've seen where FF has been open for a good while and check the task manager to find it is using 300+ MB of memory. When I close it and re launch things speed up for the time being.

 

Going from 512 to 1meg will definitely help. Going from 1 -2meg in XP is usually a waste as the extra RAM is rarely used.

Run FreeRam XP Pro for a while as proof.

FreeRAM XP Pro 1.52
http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1670
Rating: 4.78 (551 votes)

A great program. I have used it for years and have it permanently running on any PC I own.

As Brandypeppy suggests, go to www.crucial.com for their online test of your PC, their results and suggestions.

Bazza

 

I did go to crucial and ran the test and it recommended 2GB. I think it's a no brainer on their part. Why wouldn't they recommend the max for your computer....


I checked your link to FreeRam and it sounds nice. Looks like it is highly customizable. Only question, do you have to be a whiz to know how to do it? I'm not exactly literate when it comes to alot of this stuff.

Maybe 1 Gig of ram plus FreeRam XP Pro is the ticket??

 

BigBazza, I just read some FreeRam user reviews at CNET. Let's just say many of them weren't too kind.

 

It makes little logical sense to me to run additional software to make the computer run better... at least constantly.

 

I would echo the comments made earlier in that going from 512Mb to 1Gb would yield noteable improvements. Going from 1Gb to 2Gb given the manner of your usage will not likely make any impact.

Properly configured XP with SP2 and SP3 will work great with 512Mb of ram (excluding gaming and video editing). My children have a couple of Dells and boot to desktop is about 1m 30secs ie ready to use.

McAfee is obviously slowing your system down. Personally, I would ditch it and go for Avast (hesitant on v5.0 but 4.x ok) or Nod32. Something with a lighter footprint and not such a memory / resource hog.

I am never too fussy about picking up ram for my children's laptops so long as it is compatible. On my own desktop systems I get very much more fussy and really look to Corsair, OCZ or similar.

Personally I rate Crucial as no better than Corsair Value ram and many users in overclocking forum will not touch it.

Good Luck

 

About FreeRamXP. I used it before I increased the RAM in my machines to where I no longer had to worry about usage.
When RAM got too low, just right click its icon in the Taskbar and choose Autofree.

 

For the last 8 years or so I have used Memturbo. Small utility that quietly sits in the systray and shows ram usage (tiny cpu usage and small ram usage). If ram gets too low, one click and the ram is defragged which takes a few seconds.

 

Ya on FF, 300MB would kill your 512MB machine! My old one had 1GB RAM and when FF got near 500K the thing was dead! I don't care what the FF folks say but they still have a memory creep, even in 3.6 which is the latest. Just to show you, the first screenie is with 14 tabs open after it was on for the last 12 hours and the second one is right after an FF reboot with the same 14 tabs open starting fresh.

As you can see, the memory use dropped by near half, it's been a lot worse than this but I have 4 GB RAM to play with so I don't notice it anymore.

Suggestions: Kill FF periodically through Task Manager when you notice your typing showing up late or keep open tabs to a minimum or find a new browser. As to McAfee, maybe there's a screen where you can specify update times or speeds, I don't use this program. Good luck!

Oh, also some sites that use flash push up the mem used, maybe test them one by one.

 

I've even played around with some of the browser hacks in FF to release some of the memory. Unfortunately you merely trade RAM for slower web page access speeds. Memory consumption is one glaring issue that I keep hearing from FF users with older machines and limited RAM. If you have a newer machine with loads of RAM it is not so much an issue.

 

Hi Trielson and others.
I vote FreeRamXP as 5/5 and install it on all xp computers I am associated with. Although I have 2 gigs pf RAM on my XP laptop, most of the time the top 1 gig is never used. I have never noted the RAM figures when I use FFox but I am not a heavy user of FFox. I just use FF for my email and exit out of it ASAP. I prefer Opera. I occasionally have both FFox and Opera open at the same time with no apparent ill effects for me.

One huge benefit of FreeRam XP Pro is that it soon acquaints you that a memory hogging program, or process, is running. It enables you to investigate what it hogging RAM.

Once setup it runs automatically, or you can click on the icon (down by the time) and free up the maximum amount of RAM) at any time.

As I mentioned previously, it is a FREE program and you try it and/or delete it with no ramifications even on 512MB of RAM

Bazza

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You probably aren't going to notice any ill affects with 2 GB of Ram. Try something... Open FF then check your task manager right away and see what the memory usage is, then leave it open for a couple hours (maybe with a few tabs open) and then check it again. I think you will be surprised....

I'm leaning toward maxing out the memory for my machine to 2 GB, that way I won't later say "boy ! I wish I would have bought more"....

 

Tnelson, thanks for your suggestion but here in Cairns (and anywhere in the Australian tropics), especially in the cyclone season I always turn off my computer when I am not using it. Force of habit I guess but with over 30 years in the North I am not willing to risk my PC to storms, etc.

Besides I don't know FFox that well. :-o

Bazza

 

WoW I didn't realize it before, but your on the other side of the world from me.

 

I gather you're talking memory creep. In other words, it keeps creeping upward even though you're not doing anything with FF except letting it sit with some tabs open. I'm not seeing that on my Windows Vista Home Premium laptop with FF 3.6. The number, i.e. memory usage, does not hold still very long but it's up and down, not just steadily creeping upward. With 10 tabs open now, it using about 133MB.

 

Well, over several versions of Windows and FF, I still have memory creep even with the latest 3.6 ATM. With 14 tabs opened, I'm at 450MB now! I figure if I reboot the browser, I'll lose at least a good half of that amount. As I earlier said, lucky I have 4 gigs of memory.

 

Yes Tnelson, MG has members other than from the USA. :-D
UK and OZ members are probably the most often non_USA members.

Bazza

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And some of the nicest people, on top of that.

(Don't let your caps get TOO tight,guys.)

 

Bloody right mate ... :wave