Is 2 GB of memory a waste?

I'm just wondering because I am looking at configuring dv2000t/v3000t (or a completely different 14.1" notebook, i dont know yet), and I had planned on just getting 1 gig but the upgrade is fairly inexpensive under the APP (academic purchase program). That and some of my friends that have macbooks were telling me how they almost require 2 gigs of memory, but with my experience with PC's in the past it hasnt been overly necessary. I do use programs such as Photoshop and Premiere, but in the past I've exclusively done them on the desktops I've built (versus on my heavy/cheap/slow notebook).

 

2GB of RAM wouldn't hurt you in any way. If you can get it cheap, then you might as well purchase it as a future investment if nothing more.
It is true that MacOSX's performance varies greatly with respect to the amount of RAM than Windows does (with sufficient RAM MacOSX can be a pure pleasure to use), but even if you currently barely see any difference in performance with the extra GB of RAM, it might make a great difference in the future especially if you plan to upgrade to the resource*hogging*ful Windows Vista.

 

I find 2GB of RAM to be extremely useful for the latest games, such as FEAR; often my memory usage is well above 1GB, so it was worth it to upgrade for me. I rarely do Photoshop work that uses more than a few hundred megabytes of RAM.

If you can get a 1x 1024MB stick installed, then that would be a good idea because you will have one slot open for later expansion. How much is the upgrade to 2GB?

 

overall i was just looking for an answer on what you guys thought about 2 gigs in general with a notebook pc (its obviously a totally different story for my desktop that is used for gaming/etc... that has 2 gigs). the reason i'm sort of asking this question is because the notebook i'm looking to buy specifically isnt designed for heavy gaming because its a small thin-and-light notebook that just has integrated gfx.

anyway, to take the issue further (to answer your question on cost) specifically with the v3000t model i am looking at it is a $120-ish upgrade from the 1 gig, which is about $10-$20 more than the appropriate 1 gb sodimm off newegg. the difference here is that the 1 gb option is 2 x 512, meaning its 2 gigs now or never. if i go with the v3000t, which i prefer more than the dv2000t at this point, i'll probably end up getting the 2gb anyway:

 

Take a look at you usual usage pattern in taskmanager, you don't don't go over 1Gb then 2GB is a waste (at least for now). If you routinely go above 1GB then it's time for 2GB.

 

It will be a boon in Premier, and allow you to process much larger files in Photoshop. More memory also can extend the life of a computer significantly if that's an issue, which it often is for students. In my opinion, 1GB should be the minimum a system is built with, 2GB should be one of the first upgrades after discrete graphics and nearly even with a first bump in CPU speed now that dual cores are prevalent in new systems.

 

I'd definitely upgrade to 2GB. Your HP has GMA 950 which directly ties to your system RAM. I would recommend you upgrading to 2GB. That is what I did with my GMA X60, altough I did not upgrade with IBM RAM. I went though Newegg and got 2x 1GB of Patriot RAM, but your getting your extra RAM through HP so that's fine.

 

Do you cook?

CPU---kitchen
cache---fridge
RAM---basement
HDD---supermarket
GPU---Emeril Lagasse ?
LCD---dinner table
touchpad---10 piece silverware with the annoying little salad fork you can't quite grasp comfortably

bon appetite

 

I think you should definitely upgrade to two gigs of BAM!

 

Hahaha...

So yes, unless you want to go to the supermarket every time you want to cook a big meal, I suggest you expand your basement.

 

1GB is pretty much the new standard. I find 2GB does me well.

After Vista is released, I think 4GB will be the norm. Atleast a year after.

2001 ... 128mb was standard
2003 ... 256mb was standard
2004 & 2005 ... 512mb was standard
2006 ... 1gb is standard
Mid 2007 .. 2GB will be standard
2008 .. 4GB or more will be standard

This is just my opinion tho. I also think External Ram like Flash usb will be used as well.

Go for the 2GB, you will need it more sooner than later anyway.

 

1gig will likely be enough for you right now. The reason MB and MBP benefit from RAM so much is that 1, OS X is a little more resource hungry than XP and 2, Rosetta, the PowerPC emulation software. Plus, when you run Windows and OS X at the same time 2gigs is helpful.

For you 1 gig will do, but at this point it seems it will be cheaper for you to upgrade now rather than later. First, you will have to replace both sicks, second, RAM prices are rising and are expected to continue to rise.

 

I'm guessing you won't be playing much games (since you chose a GMA 950) though I could be wrong. You will only need 2 GB if you do, even extreme multitasking doesn't require 1 GB.

 

1GB for XP, 2GB for Vista. Simple rule of thumb.

 

I am happy with 2GB. FEAR likes it very much. I also sstart many programs and ususally have 1,2 GB RAM allocation. Consider 2GB pagefile and 2GB hiberfil files on your disk too!

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Most users notice a significant impact in XP performance when going from 128MB -> 256 -> 512 -> 1GB, but above 1GB, unless you use applications that use a large amount of memory, it's not as noticeable. I have 2GB in my system (2X 1GB Patriot 667Mhz [only goes to 533]), and it runs really well. For notebooks (any system, really) memory is one of the two best upgrades you can do (the other is a faster hard drive. If you have a 4200 RPM model, moving to a 7200 RPM model will significantly increase your system performance).

Good luck!

 

You'll never wish you had less memory. The current trends will continue. Just my $.02

 

I think one other thing to keep in mind is the maximum RAM you can install.

Getting a system now that will only limit 2 GB of RAM could impact you down the road when your programs demand at least that. If you're planning to get a new laptop within, say, 3 years, then this could just be a pointless argument as laptops then will probably be equipped with more expansion possibility.

I'd also spring for the 2GB RAM option now as well. If this thing is for school, there's nothing wrong with additional memory especially when crunch time hits and a deadline is coming up fast.