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    Pointless to upgrade to 4GB of Ram if you can't get Vista 64bit with new laptop purchase?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by pammy, Dec 11, 2008.

  1. pammy

    pammy Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey all. I'm looking at buying the Dell Studio. There isn't an option to get the 64bit version of Vista, so is it pointless to upgrade from 3GB to 4GB of Ram? Is the 32bit version of Vista able to access any of the memory above 3GB? I just don't want to waste my money on the upgrade of Ram if it won't be accessed, and I don't see myself spending money on the the 64bit version of Vista down the road.

    Thanks!
    Pam
     
    pammy, Dec 11, 2008
    #1
  2. Slaughterhouse

    Slaughterhouse Knock 'em out!

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    I believe that your system will be able to recognize about 3.2GB out of the 4GB RAM you have in there if it's 32-bit. If you're buying a 32-bit system with 4GB of RAM already preinstalled, then it's not really a big deal. But if you're buying a system with 3GBs and then upgrading the RAM yourself to 4GB then it isn't really worth it.
     
    Slaughterhouse, Dec 11, 2008
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  3. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    Only advantage i can see is you get true dual channel and it will read abit over 3gb. Performance gains are small though.

    If you really need to save money 3gb will happily suffice for Vista 32.

    3gb is actually the sweet spot for Vista.
     
    flipfire, Dec 11, 2008
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  4. Melody

    Melody How's It Made Addict

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    Yeah there really isn't a significant advantage between 3Gb and 4Gb for Vista 32bit(nor in general terms anyways).

    If you're at 3, I'd say to stay there. 3Gb is more than enough for most users. 4Gb is mostly for the big big multitaskers or those who think pair numbers are better lol :p.
     
    Melody, Dec 11, 2008
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  5. hazard7741

    hazard7741 Newbie

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    Personally, I notice a lot of performance difference between 2 and 4 on a 64 bit system, but it is liekly less for 3-4. If you cant get 64 bit i would stick with three anyway because the os won't recognize much more than three.
     
    hazard7741, Dec 11, 2008
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  6. Melody

    Melody How's It Made Addict

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    Well 2Gb is recommended to run Vista smoothly, so if you have 2 you're on the borderline of smooth. Any upgrade above that will yield a better performance since you've officially crossed the threshold.

    But it really depends on what you're doing. People have made themselves an image that more RAM is better(which isn't false), but as a user, you might not personally need more RAM either.
     
    Melody, Dec 11, 2008
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  7. Noterev

    Noterev Notebook Consultant

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    I've seen a few 4gb 2x1 kits that with a rebate, bring the cost down to the mid $20's. If you can find a deal for 4, do it.
     
    Noterev, Dec 11, 2008
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