Better Performance: 512MB PC2700 or 768MB PC2100

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doylnea · #1 Post by **doylnea** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:55 pm

I have a T41, with 512MB PC2700 ram installed. I have a 256mb PC2100 stick hanging around. Would I see better performance from this computer with 768MB ram operating at PC2100, or 512MB ram operating at PC2700?

aaa · #2 Post by **aaa** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:19 pm

Usually more ram would be better, the higher speed stuff would only be noticed with computationally intensive stuff.

awolfe63 · #3 Post by **awolfe63** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:05 am

It really depends on the OS and how much memory is involved.

With XP - 768MB of PC2100 will be better than 512MB of PC2700.

At 1GB or more - it might be different.

doylnea · #4 Post by **doylnea** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:02 pm

It's XP Pro, using the web and MS Office primarily, though a bit of Adobe CS3

#5 Post by **rkawakami** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:10 pm

doylnea wrote:<snip>... a bit of Adobe CS3

Go for 1GB (in PC2700 if you can). Check the minimum memory requirements for whatever version of CS3 you are using:

http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/

pksw · #6 Post by **pksw** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:00 am

Under 1 gig on WinXP I would always go with more RAM. Between 1 and 2 gig I would think it over, but still go with more RAM.

Over 2 gig RAM on WinXP wouldn't benefit me - so I'd then start looking at faster RAM if I wanted a performance boost. Over 3 Gig of RAM on WinXP is pretty much wasted, as it won't address that extra memory.

It's a bit like overclocking - some people spend forever trying to get the lowest latency RAM. It rarely makes more than 3-5% speed difference.

Brad · #7 Post by **Brad** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:13 am

I can't get the OS (XPP) to recognize any more than 2gb no matter what configuration I use.

I can get the BIOS to see more than 2gb but once in Windows only 2gb.

Brad

doylnea · #8 Post by **doylnea** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:23 pm

rkawakami wrote:
doylnea wrote:<snip>... a bit of Adobe CS3
Go for 1GB (in PC2700 if you can). Check the minimum memory requirements for whatever version of CS3 you are using:

http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/

Well I know that the requirements for CS3 are 1GB, as the computer prompted me whether it should continue with the installation, given that there was only 512MB installed.

As it stands right now, the $50 for the extra 1GB of RAM is a luxury, and not a necessity, so if I wouldn't see a performance decrease, I'll likely just pop in the PC2100 stick, and run with 768MB of RAM, operating at PC2100.

Better Performance: 512MB PC2700 or 768MB PC2100

Better Performance: 512MB PC2700 or 768MB PC2100

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