System RAM or ReadyBoost?

Scenario: I picked up a cheap(ish) new laptop. It has 1Gb of RAM pre-installed (2x512Mb) and running Vista. I've debloated it as much as I can, without resorting to a clean install as I'm currently away from home and rely on this system to store my 'electronic life'.

If I were to upgrade the RAM, I'd have to throw out at least 1 of the sticks (I'm a tightarse, so I cry over any wasteage). On the other hand, I could get say 2GB or 4GB of flash memory, and use it as prefetch cache aka ReadyBoost under Vista, to supplement the existing system RAM. Would it be a sufficient boost in performance as a compromise to buying real RAM?

For the purposes of a mobile computer, I find 1Gb of RAM adequate for most tasks, all except image management. I'm a digital photographer, and use Capture NX as a raw converter. I suspect other raw converters to be just as resource intensive, but TBH I haven't tried. It is dog slow opening images one file at a time. If I tried to open 2 or 3 images at once, the system pretty much crawls for 5 mins with no other programs running.

Last night I went through ~300 images one at a time, images shot last week. I've yet to sort through my labor weekend ones, as well as the ~5Gb I shot at the US Open on Tuesday... At this rate, I'll get around to today's images about 3 weeks from now!

 

Buy the RAM. Readyboost is still a joke.

 

No flash memory/ready boost will ever ever compare to actual physical ram.

While the readyboost will help your situation, your best bet is to get more ram and sell the old sticks that you have.

 

Definitely extra RAM. Specially since you're using Vista.

 

Well it seems it's unanimous. More ram it is... Current special Circuit City 42.99 for 1Gb Kingston. Unless someone knows of cheaper retail source.
I can't do online due to numerous factors - overseas credit card, everchanging delivery address, etc. I'm currently in NYC.

 

Readyboost does not really make a difference unless you have a slow comp/lappy with less than 1gb ram.

 

At that price, buy 2 and sell your other 2 to help offset the already low price. The computer's ram will then be maxed out, to see if the system will ever be what you need... all for lke $85. Crazy how much ram has gone down in price..

 

Hi, I'm a new user to Readyboost. In fact, I just plugged a 2gb usb stick into my laptop which only has 1gb of ram right now. I can't say that any programs run faster after the readyboost, but I would like to say that my HDD temperature as ready from Speedfan has gone down from 43C to 39C. Also, my ram percentage being used as indicated by the vista side bar went down about 10%. So I guess it does do something. I'm waiting to get money to buy a 2gb stick of ram though

 

Yeah, I tried Readyboost plugging in a Sandisk Extreme memory card via a USB reader inbetween the day and a half that I sufferred with 1Gb of RAM. The LED indicating data transfer to/from the card would constantly twinkle (even when sitting on desktop not actively doing anything), but I noticed no appreciable improvement when I tried to open my images in Nikon CaptureNX.

Poorcollegeboi - if you live up to your name, even an additional 512MB of RAM would make an improvement; moreso than anything Readyboost can provide with multiple gigs IMHO.

 

I don't think that there is any substitute to actual physical memory.