2GB v 4GB Windows 7 64-bit

Used to be a regular poster a few years back but took a hiatus from the gaming/notebook scene so apologies if this is a frequent question.

I'm looking to get a new notebook that looks like the following:
core i3-380
GT 420m
500gb 5,200 RPM
2GB ddr3

So rather than just asking is is 4gb better than 2gb, my question is a little different.

My current notebook runs Vista 32 bit with 4GB of ram installed. I was told I'd absolutely need the 4GB to game and run applications smoothly. Truth is, I close all apps and hardly have anymore than a few windows open so I don't think I ever tipped 2GB usage in Vista, making me wonder know if I just wasted that money on the extra 2GB. Besides gaming, all I ever do is watch movies, surf the web, transfer photos and listen to music. Just idling in Vista, I'd be at about 700mb which would leave 1.3gb of ram for whichever game I was to play - more than enough.

So, for Windows 7, is 2GB sufficient if I close all background applications while gaming? How much RAM does Windows 7 generally use just idling?
Or is windows 7 a bit more RAM hungry than Vista? Games I'll be playing are Mass Effect 2, Crysis 2, Bioshock 2, Fallout 3.

Like I said, I understand some of you will say oh yeah 4GB is better than 2GB just because you would rather have it than not have it (kind of a safety net) but I'm looking at it from an efficiency perspective.

Thanks!

 

I ran Windows Vista 64-bit on 2GB of RAM in my T500 for more than a year before upgrading to W7 64-bit with 4GB of RAM. No, RAM will not be your bottleneck, so honestly, you'll at most see a a few (< 5) FPS difference with 2GB RAM versus 4GB.

W7 and Windows Vista can make use of "unused" RAM for caching purposes, though, so that can boost overall application launch times, system responsiveness, etc. So, given the super low price of DDR3 RAM right now, I'd say that although you won't need more than 2GB to run W7 and your applications smoothly, it may be worthwhile to get 4GB anyways because the price difference is so small.

Also, note when you say "efficiency" that RAM power consumption is so small that 2 sticks of 2GB each as opposed to one stick of 2GB is not going to make a dent on your battery life. In fact, the caching may actually allow your hard drive to idle more often, actually improving battery life.

 

Thanks for the response.

The vendor is offering to upgrade to 4gb RAM for $40. Is that a decent price or should I shop around? I'm located overseas right now so newegg delivery is kind of a no-go.

 

See if you can ask to get 1x 2GB stick instead.

If that's enough, then no need to do anything. If it's not enough, buy another 2GB stick yourself.

 

At least in the US, $40 is too high of a price. I got a 2GB stick of DDR3 RAM a while back for $14.

 

Considering price then I will just order it with the 2GB and upgrade later if I find it's insufficient for my needs.

Wow, been 2 years since posting but you guys are still as helpful as ever, haha. Thanks.