Is this *too much* RAM?

Yeah, you can never have too much I guess, but....I'm just wondering if expanding to 2GB of RAM with the following two processors would be overkill. I mean, I know that they support the upgrade, but are the processors too slow/weak to make use of this much memory...if that makes any sense???

The two processors are Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2060 1.6 GHz (in a Gateway) and T2080 1.73 GHz (in a Toshiba.)

 

The processors are not too slow/weak. 2GB of RAM will help, especially if you multi-task.

 

I'd say that would be the best thing for the computer. Most processors are overkill nowadays anyway, but XP runs best with at least 1GB and Vista 2GB. Double those numbers (2GB for XP, 4GB for Vista) to get a mean machine.

I'd say it is worth it.

That being said, I'm getting 4GB in about a year from now...assuming it is cheaper than current prices.

 

2gb was last year's 1gb of RAM, especially with Vista. 4gb is more like overkill

 

In about two years it will not be

 

Here's the breakdown of RAM you want to have minimum if you're doing specific tasks:

512 MB - surfing the web, word processing, basic computer operation
1 GB - Windows XP sweet spot, Windows Vista minimum. Medium gaming, medium encoding. Recommended for budget users.
2 GB - Windows Vista sweet spot. Any gaming, any encoding.

 

vista actually uses all the unused parts of the ram as cache. so if ur programs are using 1.3GB and u have say 3GB, its gonna use all that 1.7GB as cache. so alot of ram like 4GB isn't really overkill..., but most people won't need it. if u're rich and can afford it then go ahead i suppose.

but more importantly, if u don't have a laptop with a santa rosa cpu in it, u won't be able to see all the 4GB that u've installed even if u install a 64 bit OS; u'll only get roughly 3.2GB-ish. So at this stage, for a lot of people its much better to go with just 2GB or 3GB of ram.

 

Windows XP - 1gb if your a light-medium user, not much gaming.
Windows XP - 2gb if your a medium-heavy user, some gaming.
Windows Vista - 2gb standard

I have 2gigs of ram running Win XP and I will never go back!!!

 

That's only true for Windows XP 32-bit edition (it'll only recognize 3 GB of RAM). Windows XP Professional 64-bit edition will recognize the 4 GB of RAM, and so will every version of Vista.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=121815&page=3

read samov's post.

you won't see the entire 4GB unless u have a i965 chipset. the current laptops with the i945 chipsets can't.

 

I'm just saying that Vista will recognize all 4 GB, so the problem is not with Vista.

 

nope. vista 32 bits version only has 4GB of addressing space same as win xp. If u want a 32 bit system that has more than 4GB of address space then u need win 2003 enterprise edition or soemthing. with only 4GB of address space you cannot see the entire 4GB of ram. thats why you need a 64 bit OS. but without a santa rosa laptop (a laptop that does not have the i965 chipset or newer) u can't see the entire 4GB of ram regardless of what OS you install.

if u're so certain of your claims show us a link. Its pretty well documented on the internet that laptops with the i945 chipset cannot see 4GB of ram regardless of what OS you install or vista x86 have only 4GB of address space.

and let me remind you what you actually quoted off me earlier:
"but more importantly, if u don't have a laptop with a santa rosa cpu in it, u won't be able to see all the 4GB that u've installed even if u install a 64 bit OS; u'll only get roughly 3.2GB-ish. So at this stage, for a lot of people its much better to go with just 2GB or 3GB of ram."

what does that got to do with vista? I was clearly saying if u don't have a laptop with a santa rosa cpu on it (which means if u don't have a laptop with a i965 chipset in it) . Perhaps i should have added "regardless of what OS you install". I thought u would have gotten that from what i had linked for u earlier.