Upgrading (rather than replacing) Computers

[Martin963]

This is just as relevant to the computer forum as here,   but as it's primarily to save money......

If - like two of ours - your four-year-old computer runs a bit slow,   and you've tried all the usual clean ups,   it might be worth buying more RAM,  rather than buying a new machine.   

Our two have been TRANSFORMED by the increase in memory,   it's not expensive (in our case about £30 each including someone to put it in,  although it's not that difficult),  and for those of us suspicious of all these new versions of Windows that just seem to perpetuate existing problems  it's one in the eye for Mr Gates.

One computer with XP was changed from 256 k to 750 k - this was the most dramatic improvement (from barely useable to Rolls Royce),  but even the one with 512 k existing runs much much better on 1500 k.

I'm sure the real experts would furnish more detailed information in the relevant forum,  but memory can be ordered on-line very easily,   with some sites having an indexing system for practically every model of computer ever made so that you know you're ordering a compatible RAM.

Might not improve the economic figures but presumably good for the planet,   and saves transferring all one's data onto a new machine too.

[Judith]

Martin,

Have to agree.  Needed more memory to install new software, so bought online (French site) (checked first on English sites which memory product I needed - easier to understand!), then installed it myself (can do this with mac's), then it ran superbly.  Installed new software (which inevitably is more memory hungry) so it runs a fraction more slowly than before I put in the new stuff, but still can recommend.  Mine was not all that expensive,  either.  Worth the money, IMHO.

[Théière]

I can't believe you actually managed to get XP to run on 256k, I was running 1gb and have just ordered a dual core computer with 3gb because of the graphic bits I do.

[suein56]

[quote user="Théière"]I can't believe you actually managed to get XP to run on 256k ... [/quote]

Just to say my OH's Toshiba laptop arrived with 256k and he limped along with it until we realised how much sprightlier it might be with a touch more memory, so he added another 256k and it is still like that 6 years later. Tortoise rather than hare.

Sue

[AnOther]

I agree that 256k RAM is pathetic for XP but it's worth remembering that intrinsically PC's do not deteriorate in performance or slow down, it's the crud and bloatware which is loaded onto them which does that, so there would no reason why, with a clean install of Windows, they should not run every bit as fast (or slow) as they did the first time they were switched on.

[Théière]

I agree Ernie, unfortunately half the bloatware is the operating system [:)] the advanced virus and malware detectors take up half of what's left cookies from every website you visit take a half of the remaining system resources leaving a little bit for 3D cad and graphics and your hard drive gets filled up with warnings from moderators [Www]

[Martin963]

We reckoned that a clean install of Windows was ultimately much more hassle (and much riskier) than adding memory.

Fine for you experts I know,  but if you find you're missing some drivers..... (and you are a mere amateur!).....

[Judith]

The money I spent on my memory upgrade was well worth it, even if I couldn't have upgraded the software without, it I'm glad I did it.

[suein56]

[quote user="suein56"][quote user="Théière"]I can't believe you actually managed to get XP to run on 256k ... [/quote]

Just to say my OH's Toshiba laptop arrived with 256k and he limped along with it until we realised how much sprightlier it might be with a touch more memory, so he added another 256k and it is still like that 6 years later. Tortoise rather than hare.

Sue

[/quote]

I do need to amend this post as on rereading what I wrote I might have given the impression that nothing changed when the extra 256K was added; and this is not the case. After the upgrade OH's laptop glided along, as opposed to previously limping, but that it has remained in such a relatively low-key pace is down to my OH who doesn't like unnecessary change/alteration if he deems it is not needed. I'm convinced his laptop might break into a trot if even more memory were added but he isn't bothered, so there it rests.

You can take a horse to water but * ... etc

Sue

Edit:  * but as he is somewhat super I don't insist - the OH I mean; though his laptop is rather dashing too being coated in a splendid shade of electric blue.

[Théière]

Love me, love my laptop [;-)]

[Bob T]

One thing that you should remember with desktop PCs, is that there are many different types of memory (I have a drawer full). As PCs get older the manufacturers stop making the older types. Some old motherboards are also memory amount restricted, so there is a maximum that can be fitted.

My old laptop with its maximum 512 Mb is too slow when running XP, but flies when running Ubuntu instead. The desktop has no problem with 4 Gb of fast memory.

When you end up buying a new computer, instead of putting the old one in a box forever, try wiping the hard disc and running Ubuntu (free) on it, you may find that you have a fast enough second machine.

[Polly]

I've never really understood what all these memory sizes mean, I'm probably not the only person, can anyone explain it simply?

What's 256K or 1Go for example?

Apparently I have 2Go 667 Mhz DDR2 on the thing I'm typing on....

[Bob T]

If you imagine the processor in the PC as a little man in a room, then you have to give him a table to work on - the memory is like a table. If the table is small, 256 Mb then he does not have the room to work without shuffling things about. If you then increase his table size to four times as big, 1 Gb, he is able to work quicker.

Your 667 Mhz is just the speed at which the memory is able to have things put into or taken out of it. The DDR2 is the physical design, and shape, of the memory stick, the bit you need to know when buying more memory. You cannot fit DDR3 or SDram in a DDR2 motherboard.

[AnOther]

A quaint analogy Bob and to expand on it slightly, if his 1gb table gets full then from time to time he will have to pick up some work and store it elsewhere (shuffle things about) - the equivalent of writing to the hard drive - and later perhaps have to go and retrieve it, all which will slow him down - until he gets an even bigger table, and so it goes on.

The moral is that speed is not everything nor necessarily a substitute for memory and a slow processor with an adequate amount can very often out perform a faster one with insufficient.

[NickP]

[quote user="Polly"]I've never really understood what all these memory sizes mean, I'm probably not the only person, can anyone explain it simply?
What's 256K or 1Go for example?
Apparently I have 2Go 667 Mhz DDR2 on the thing I'm typing on....
[/quote]

Your not alone Polly, I had a look at my system information and it had the following:

 Total Physical Memory 1,024.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 294.04 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB

So maybe Bob or AnO can help me out and explain what this means? Cheers guys, I'm sorry  but although I can turn the PC on that's about the limit of my knowledge, but always willing to learn. [B] 

[Bob T]

Physical memory is the memory fitted, in your case 1 Gb.

You are using nearly 3/4 of it and only have 294 Mb left unused at the moment. If you run more programs they will eat into this.

Virtual memory is "pretend" memory, ie space on the hard disk. Think of the hard disk as cupboards in the room with the little man. Windoze has reserved 2 GB on the hard disk (cupboards) to be used as memory should the man use all the space on his table.

If the table (real memory) is full then the man (processor) has to keep running backwards and forwards to the virtual memory (cupboard) to swap things about. That is very slow as the cupboards take much longer to move things than the table does, and the man needs roller skates and a wheel barrow to move the things.

Much of the table (memory) will be used just to run Windoze and will leave just a little space for anything else. Running a video or photo editing program will swamp the table slowing everything down.

[Polly]

Bob, I have Go, not Gb.....so duh?

And I don't have any windoze, I'm Mac...

[Bob T]

Polly, I think the Go is on a button which switches the computer on!

Does not really matter what operating system you are using, Windoze, Mac or Linux, the description that I use of the man in the office relates to the hardware of a computer, and they are all very similar. You Go might be a Gb in another language.

For any PC these days the main memory should be 2 Gb.

If you are using Windoze (apart from a few versions) it will not access more than 4 Gb anyway.

[Sunday Driver]

Brilliant explanation, Bob. [:D]

Reminds me of some of the bedtime stories your Dad used to come up with when you were a kid. Can't wait for the next instalment....

 

[Polly]

I ain't THAT dumb, Bob!

From the screen 'A propos de ce Mac' I have

Processeur 2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo

Mémoire 2Go 667 MHz DDR2

and in the Mémoire detail it says for Bank  DIMM

Taille :    1 Go

 Type :    DDR2 SDRAM

 Vitesse :    667 MHz

 État :    OK

FYI, just in case you ever need to turn one on, the iMac on/off button lurks behind the screen unit, bottom left, with a standard on/off electrical logo on it.

Even non-tecchies like me can unpack a mac, connect it up and use it. The only people who have trouble using my machine are British visitors who can never find . or @ or & on an azerty keyboard.

[Bob T]

I was not trying to say you are dumb Polly, just injecting a little humour into my post.

Even non techies like my wife can switch her Linux machine on and write books, browse the web and edit photos.

[NickP]

Cheers Bob T, thanks for the info.

[Bob T]

Okay then, without trying to teach anyone to suck eggs, here is another instalment.

Let us look at the processor, also known as the CPU. Generally there are two distinct makes on a PC, Intel and AMD. They come in various shapes and forms, but they are matched to the motherboard, just like the memory.

The processor is the man working in the room. The faster he works the more he can do. First of all let us change him from and old 486 to a pentium, all we need to do is give him some roller skates. and an energy drink. By doing this he will move from the cupboards (hard disk) to the table (memory) much quicker, the energy drink will allow him to do the work on the table much quicker too.

The next evolution was dual core processors, in effect two little men working together, then there came quad core processors, yes you have guessed it, four men working together. There are now six core processors on the market, time for a manager me thinks (joke).

To browse the internet, a PC does not need a fast processor, but to play with photo or video editing, it helps.

Another thing to look at is something called BIOS (Basic Input Output System). This is the bit you see on some PCs when you first switch it on. If you are quick enough you will see some lines of text which show the Processor type, amount on memory, hard disk type, etc. If you think of this as the book of instructions where the man sees what he has in the way of tools and cupboards. The BIOS then, is a list of stuff that makes up the computer.

We then need an Operating System (also known as OS) this can be Windoze in various guises (XP, Vista, etc), or it can be Linux (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or many more), or it can be Mac OS. The reason that we need an OS is that the man, the table and all the other bits do not speak English, or any other recognisable language that humans understand, and the OS is a translator for us. It could be that this translates into lines of text like very old computers did, or into nice boxes and pictures as Windows, Linux and Mac do.

[Théière]

Ah yes Bob, but don't forget they all go to work on a bus with only 8 seats and that includes their luggage (back to Ryanair) [:)]

 

[Lehaut]

The is a handy little programme called SPECCY www.speccy.com which shows in an easy to understand form the RAM, CPU HDD etc contents of your computer.