speeding up an existing PC

  • Thread starter Thread starter msim
  • Start date Start date
Hey thanks guys for investing the time! I am wondering now as to where
I post the memory usage info from. I can see it in the task manager,
but posting it is going to be complex.
Click to expand...

All you need to do is agressively (but normally, no need to
cause yourself to "think" you need more memory than you do)
use the system at maximum job sizes you'll want to be
prepared for. Then note the Task Mgr. "Peak Memory" (commit
charge, peak). Then, add another 256MB or so to that figure
for general caching purposes, and IF you have programs that
have their own particular caching settings, like some audio
or video players, ramdrives for temp files (that YOU set up,
not a default scenario), add whatever additional memory
amount that's appropriate. In other words, suppose your
peak commit charge was 384MB... in that case you probably
don't need over 1GB of memory, could even get by with 768MB
if not 512MB.


I think you both might be saying
the same thing. i.e. buy 1GB of RAM, use the existing 512 MB as well
and that makes for 1.5GB.
Click to expand...

Yes, in principle but we don't know your specific needs,
possibly more but most people use less. You'll have to
determine that yourself.

The other thing that I gleaned is that I buy
1GB of PC3200 RAM and pair it with PC2700. Yes it will work slower but
then I can either spend more and get 1.5GB of PC3200 or make the 1GB of
PC3200 that I buy, work slower.
Click to expand...

It'll run at PC2700 speed, yes, though with a 133FSB CPU
it's already asynchronously timed so if you really needed
more performance boost you'd be looking at a new CPU and
maybe more too.

Unfortunately, I think my current memory modules are working at 166MHZ
as opposed to what I had expected to be 333MHZ. I think I saw this in
the CPUz software readout. Wondering if I can fix that!?
Click to expand...

It's correct. 166MHz is a memory bus clock rate. 333 is
actually a DDR term, like "DDR333 FSB" but Intel used screwy
terminology when they didn't call their FSB "QDR". In other
words, it is at the speed you were thinking of as "333MHz".

I have two RAM choices to decide between. Oh these complexities!!

Capacity 1GB (2 x 512MB)
Speed DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Cas Latency 2.5
Voltage 2.5V
ECC No
Registered/Unbuffered Unbuffered

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440
Click to expand...

That's two modules. If you're not certain you'll need 1.5GB
rather than 1GB total, you'd be as well off to just buy one
of that make/model 512MB then add another.
OR

Capacity 1GB
Speed DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Cas Latency 3
ECC No
Registered/Unbuffered Unbuffered
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145505
Click to expand...

Being CAS3, I'd advise you to keep looking for 1GB in
CAS2.5. Here's one,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820236112

Sometimes it's harder to get 1GB modules stable, but newegg
has a good return policy and if you get CAS2.5, at worst you
can increase the timings to CAS3. It may however support
CAS2.0 at PC2700 speeds though, so running at CAS2.5 still
be a conservative measure. Don't know about your particular
motherboard though, some are pickier than others. Sometimes
updating the bios helps with memory compatibility. Be sure
to test any memory changes with memtest86+ for a few hours
prior to booting windows to avoid the potential for file
corruption.
 
Hey Kony,

Sorry about sounding confused again.

I heard earlier fromsomebody that for a dual channel MoBo which mine
is, buying two 512MB sticks is better than buying one 1GB stick. Did
you just indicate otherwise in your post above?

Otherwise I am good. I will get CAS2.5 and either a 512MB x 2 or a 1GB.
May be 1GB can do it for me, however given how I leave applications
running, the extra can well be used for general caching like you
mentioned.
 
So you don't think that there is any dual channel complexity here that
I should think about!?

----
DDR memory means Double Data Rate (ie 2x clock speed) so if the bus is
running at 166MHz, there will be 2 memory cycles per clock tick, so it
is
effectively running at 333MHz. I would personally try to get a single
1GB
module of the fastest (PC3200 etc) memory you can find that matches
your
existing module's CAS timing. There is nothing wrong with 2x 512, other
than
future expansion.
 
You're still failing to tell us your peak memory usage... I will reply
again when I see it.

Tekmanx
 
I though he was asking about mix matching a pc3200 with a pc2700. Sorry
mybad.

Tekmanx
Click to expand...

Yes it would be mixing them.

However, simply buying more PC2700 is not any more likely to
work with the existing PC2700, as it's still not the same
chip lots, no guarantee of same SPD programming, etc, as the
prior module- even buying a module today that is same make
and model is no guarantee of that after some time has
passed.

In other words, the ideal of matching memory is usually not
necessarily, but even if it IS the goal, buying another
PC2700 module is NOT matching memory. Matching memory is
about the timings, and buying a module with a higher rating
can only allow more versatility in setting the exact timings
needed, "IF" that is actually necessary (which it shouldn't
be, any properly engineered bios should look at both modules
and set the (s)lowest common denominator).
 
Cool. That explains some. So 166 is not a problem.

I am guessing that the PC3200 i.e. 400Mhz can also cruise at 333 i.e.
166 MHz. Is that not confusing!
Click to expand...

It's only confusing because you keep using the wrong terms!

It's not "400MHz". I will grant you that there may be
someone, somewhere, also using the wrong terms- making it
confusing, but that doesn't mean that _you_ have to use the
wrong terms too.

It's 200MHz, PC3200, DDR400 if you must use double data rate
terms.
 
Hey Kony,

Sorry about sounding confused again.

I heard earlier fromsomebody that for a dual channel MoBo which mine
is, buying two 512MB sticks is better than buying one 1GB stick. Did
you just indicate otherwise in your post above?
Click to expand...

You would need, at a minimum, two memory modules. I don't
remember if your board (chipset) uses the dual mode for the
first 512MB per each module (which is all of one, only half
of the proposed 2nd module) or if two dissimilar modules
would not be in dual channel mode. Read your motherboard
manual.
Otherwise I am good. I will get CAS2.5 and either a 512MB x 2 or a 1GB.
May be 1GB can do it for me, however given how I leave applications
running, the extra can well be used for general caching like you
mentioned.
Click to expand...

Yes the best performance increases come after having a
system running for awhile, so far fewer things need (re)read
from HDD.
 
msim said:
I have a PC with Asus P4R800-V Deluxe MoBo, Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU
2.53GHz, currently PC2700 512MB RAM, Dell 19" LCD 1905FP.
Click to expand...


Sounds like software problem to me, your machine is 10 times
faster than mine with 1/4 the memoryand I would expect to
run the tasks you list comfortably on my machine.
What is "image management software".
It doesn't souond like you are actually running much at all.
I would run spyware removal and find out what you applictions
are doing
 
Tekmanx said:
You're still failing to tell us your peak memory usage... I will
reply again when I see it.
Click to expand...

You are still failing to quote any context, making your posts
useless. I will consider further replies when you start following
normal protocols. If you don't understand just follow the
procedure in my sig. below.
 
Your computer's current components are all fairly well matched for their
relative speeds. Upgrading JUST the RAM from 512 MB to 1024 MB would
probably buy you around a 5 - 10% increase in speed. That's about it. The
SATA harddrive you mentioned would NOT increase your computer's speed at
all. By the way, do NOT mix the PC2700 RAM stick with a PC3200 stick. They
would both HAVE to run at the slower PC2700's speed.




t
 
Tekmanx said:
If you're asking about the possibility of running both pc3200 and
pc2700. I dunno man, in my experience it's a low chance. It has worked
before, the overall speed being that of the slowest stick. But it's
unlikely that it will work. I haven't tried "mix matching" much. Maybe
someone else can help here more.
Click to expand...

I've never had any trouble and done it several times.

Michael
 
Your computer's current components are all fairly well matched for their
relative speeds. Upgrading JUST the RAM from 512 MB to 1024 MB would
probably buy you around a 5 - 10% increase in speed. That's about it. The
SATA harddrive you mentioned would NOT increase your computer's speed at
all. By the way, do NOT mix the PC2700 RAM stick with a PC3200 stick. They
would both HAVE to run at the slower PC2700's speed.
Click to expand...


Yes at PC2700 but so what? That's no reason to buy PC2700
instead as it's not even cheaper.

IF the machie "needs" more memory, the performance benefit
is far higher than 5-10%... could even be in the
neighboorhood of 500% if the HDD starts paging.
 
Fair enough. I should do a spy ware check. I sat comfortable in the
knowledge that I use Firefox and did not think about doing a spyware check.

Also, I think Mcafee mcshield.exe consumes a lot of CPU resources at any
given point. My firefox also uses up CPU cycles the first time I start it. I
need to kill it and restart. Anyhow, those are off topic comments perhaps.

Image management software is photo manipulation software. Like say, ACDSee.
 
msim said:
Fair enough. I should do a spy ware check. I sat comfortable in the
knowledge that I use Firefox and did not think about doing a spyware check.

Also, I think Mcafee mcshield.exe consumes a lot of CPU resources at any
given point. My firefox also uses up CPU cycles the first time I start it. I
need to kill it and restart. Anyhow, those are off topic comments perhaps.

Image management software is photo manipulation software. Like say,
Click to expand...
ACDSee.

Well I far as I can see it would seem that most of the time your
PC will be doing 'bugger all'.
I mean doing something is actually 'doing something' not merely having
a package open.
I could open loads of packages but my PC would not actually be
doing anything.
 
Quite true. That is why I think having sufficient RAM should solve the
problem of the time it takes to switch windows etc.

The above said, I am sure there are rogue (not necessarily spyware) programs
that consume more CPU cycles than they should. Like mcshield.exe -- I have
seen this program often consume 50% of the CPU resources. What possibly
could it be doing consuming this muh resources as a background process.
Again, perhaps a subject of another post. NEvermind, for now, I might as
well try to appease my machine with more RAM.

Feed the monster rather than tame the monster!
 
Iy should be a relatively simple task to identidy the offending
program?
Strat with minimum programs and then see which new one throws
a spanner in the works.
1/2 a gig of ram is a lot of ram aleady!!!!
I jave 128 meg and no probs.
I doubt you use 4 time more ram than me whatever you do!!
 
I am pretty confident that something consumes the RAM in my system.
However, I have not noticed any one program hogging CPU resources at any
given point.
I will watch for programs that hog CPU resources also.

Will order the memory shortly and post here whether that makes a difference.

Thanks!
 
If something is consuming the ram then adding more ram
wll just delay the problem slightly.
 
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