adding memory to a pc

[azpix]

my pc currently has 2gb of memory and i have a free slot open. If i add a 1gb memory card, will i notice an improvement in when running photoshop and lightroom?

[Deckham]

What operating system and graphics card are you running?

Actually - what are your pc specs?

[azpix]

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) Dell Inc. Dell DXP051

Enclosure Type: Tower
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
2.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium D
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Inc. 0FJ030

Bus Clock: 800 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Inc. A03 01/03/2006
Drives Memory Modules c,d
1155.92 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
604.02 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

_NEC DVD+-RW ND-3530A [CD-ROM drive]
SONY CD-RW CRX217E [CD-ROM drive]

ARRAY [Hard drive] (159.99 GB) -- drive 0
SMSC 223 U HS-CF USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 2
SMSC 223 U HS-MS USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 3
SMSC 223 U HS-SD/MMC USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 5
SMSC 223 U HS-SM USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 4
WD 5000AAJB Externa USB Device [Hard drive] (500.11 GB) -- drive 1
WD My Book USB Device [Hard drive] (500.11 GB) -- drive 6 2048 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM_1' has 512 MB
Slot 'DIMM_3' has 1024 MB (serial number 0D01F027)
Slot 'DIMM_2' has 512 MB (serial number 69BE0F54)
Slot 'DIMM_4' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes


c: (NTFS on drive 0) 116.59 GB 1.92 GB free
d: (NTFS on drive 0) 39.36 GB 13.74 GB free
g: (FAT32 on drive 6) 499.98 GB 399.30 GB free
m: (FAT32 on drive 1) 499.98 GB 189.06 GB free
Network Drives
None detected

[Deckham]

Graphics card?

[azpix]

Originally Posted by Deckham

Graphics card?

NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX [Display adapter]

[Deckham]

OK, thanks for that info.

Your operating system, being a 32bit Windows version, cannot take advantage of 4gb of ram. The PCIe bus utilizes some of it for the graphics card. Still I would use two 2gb ram modules, or 4 1gb modules. This would give you approx. 3.1 gb. I suggest using similar modules, because - well, they just work slightly better, let's leave it at that.

That said - with another 1gb worth of ram, your LR will be minimally faster, as will PS. Depending on what else you are running. More memory will help multi-tasking - so using them both together will benefit from more ram.

Something you could do to make a notable difference with PS processing - check your scratch disk in PS, and assign work space to your fastest drive/array. Also include at least one other drive - preferably, not your system drive, nor any drive that is almost at capacity.

Hope that helps some.

[tim]

Yep get another 2GB stick, it'll help a little. It's a pretty old CPU, but to get anything newer you'll need motherboard CPU RAM and maybe video card. You might just leave it as is, and save the money for an i7 upgrade in 6-12 months, that will probably be about ten times faster than your current PC.

[Deckham]

Originally Posted by tim

Yep get another 2GB stick, it'll help a little. It's a pretty old CPU, but to get anything newer you'll need motherboard CPU RAM and maybe video card. You might just leave it as is, and save the money for an i7 upgrade in 6-12 months, that will probably be about ten times faster than your current PC.

This is true.
An alternative - get a nice Q6600 system happening. Can be done for not too much. You can use your GFX Card, need new processor and ram (DDR2), and MB. That would set you back around $500 (4gb ram)

[BottomBracket]

+1, good advice all around. Q6600 systems give you great bang for the buck at present.

[azpix]

Thanks all for the input.

Originally Posted by Deckham

Something you could do to make a notable difference with PS processing - check your scratch disk in PS, and assign work space to your fastest drive/array. Also include at least one other drive - preferably, not your system drive, nor any drive that is almost at capacity.

Hope that helps some.

it does.so my d drive which internal i'm guessing would be my fastest non system drive im guessing.

Originally Posted by tim

Yep get another 2GB stick, it'll help a little. It's a pretty old CPU, but to get anything newer you'll need motherboard CPU RAM and maybe video card. You might just leave it as is, and save the money for an i7 upgrade in 6-12 months, that will probably be about ten times faster than your current PC.

DOh, hate to hear its old, but in know I'm pushing up on 3 years.

Thanks again all.