Ram and 10.4

[thumper]

how much Ram does 10.4 need to run smooth?

i have 512 which i thought was enough. my games seem to run pretty good.
but now that im in 10.4 i find it hiccuping lots... when i open dashboard my mac almost comes to a stop for about a min as it loads all my widgets.

i dont normaly use a bunch of apps at the same time, but i do use Protools, logic, Photoshop, flash.. DVD studio and final cut. and a bunch of games like C&C zero hour, Starwars KOTOR.

do you think adding another 512 would be enough to make everything work more smooth...? i just think the Gig stick might be too much money and i might not use all that ram to justify the price.

thanks for your help!!!

 

[ITASOR]

do you think adding another 512 would be enough to make everything work more smooth...?

Yes, I do, depending on what computer you're using. The apps that you named seem to be pretty intensive and I think some additional RAM would help.

Which computer are you using? If it is a Mac Mini, I think the RAM would help. If it's a Dual G5 with 512MB RAM...you may have another problem perhaps.

EDIT: Didn't see the 17" PB in your signature. Yes, I think an additional 512MB RAM would be nice, but you have to think about the RAM you have now. Is it 2 256MB sticks or 1 512MB stick? If it's 2 256 (which I suspect it is) you would need to take 1 out, giving you only 640MB RAM. Therefore, you could go for 1GB, remove one 256 and sell it, ending up with 1.256GB RAM.

 

[thumper]

Yes, I do, depending on what computer you're using. The apps that you named seem to be pretty intensive and I think some additional RAM would help.

Which computer are you using? If it is a Mac Mini, I think the RAM would help. If it's a Dual G5 with 512MB RAM...you may have another problem perhaps.

EDIT: Didn't see the 17" PB in your signature. Yes, I think an additional 512MB RAM would be nice, but you have to think about the RAM you have now. Is it 2 256MB sticks or 1 512MB stick? If it's 2 256 (which I suspect it is) you would need to take 1 out, giving you only 640MB RAM. Therefore, you could go for 1GB, remove one 256 and sell it, ending up with 1.256GB RAM.

thanks for your reply!!!

i belive the 17"pb come with 1 512.

i always here people saying they have 2 gigs of ram or something high like that..
isnt that just over kill??? or do some people just like having all there apps on?

do you think that 2 Gigs would make a game run even better then just 1 gig?
i always think there must be some kinda limit with it.

 

[maya]

if its a problem from time to time, just restart your system to clear up some of that memory.

However it will ruin your uptime.

 

[Peterkro]

I think 1.5 is the sweet spot for a Pb,but like they say 2 is still better.

 

[gekko513]

1.5 and 2 is overkill for a casual user, but with pro apps it depends. Look at Activity Monitor and see how much green and blue memory you have when you use an app that you think could benefit.

Dashboard will not start up much faster with more RAM.

 

[YS2003]

For laptop, I usually max out on the RAM. I cheaped out on my ram upgrade on my Al 15" PB as I bought 1 GB and 512 MB stick instead of 2 X 1GB. If I buy another 1 GB stick, then, I have to waste the 512 MB stick. But, 1.5 GB is good enough for my usage.

So, for laptop, it would be better to max it out as incremental upgrades may end us costing you more as it is likely the ram you replace will not be used for another machine.

The 1 GB stick is so cheap now (you can buy it less than $200).

 

[solvs]

I have 2GB on my iMac and it's fine until I fire up FCP or PS. Even then, not too bad. The only Widgets that give me issues are the ones that search the net. Then there's the lag. Even though I have 4MB cable.