4 or 8?

Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
overkill?

The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
My other/this pc will do everything else.

Thanks


--
Avo

I have 8 GB of memory on my system, it all depends on how you're
planning on using the extra memory. I'm a pc enthusist and have a killer
rig for gaming. I also use my machine for modeling since I do a lot of
digital artwork i.e- photoshop (scratch disk memory) and 3d (Maya, 3DS
max, zbrush, and mudbox) which they all benefit from the extra memory
when you render. Otherwise, I haven't seen many other applications that
will utilize all 8 GB's of memory. I use to run 4GB and that was plenty.
Hope that answers your question.


--
redmasc

Hi,

Unless you have applications that are written specifically for x64 and can
take advantage of the additional memory space and wider data paths, using a
64-bit OS and large amounts of memory is pointless. If your application is a
32-bit one, then it will run in 32-bit mode under x64, and the extra ram
won't be used. Right now, the majority of software is still 32-bit.
Eventually, that will change, but running x64 is pretty much a "because I
can" sort of thing.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Avo" <Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
news:Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net...
>
> Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
> I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
> overkill?
>
> The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
> My other/this pc will do everything else.
>
> Thanks
>
>
> --
> Avo

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:49:57 -0600, Avo <Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net>
wrote:

>
> Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
> I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
> overkill?
>
> The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
> My other/this pc will do everything else.


It depends entirely on what apps you run, and there's no single answer
that's right for everyone.

That said, very few people can make effective use of as much as 8GB.
But I know nothing about what games you run, and what their memory
requirements are.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Thanks for the replies so far.

As said before this is mainly a games machine, the latest top notch
games say "Recommended 2.0GB Ram under Vista"! When playing I have a
couple of other things open such as Xfire and a server remote manager
program (for the game).

I have read on other forums that I'd get away with 4GB of ram and a
Vista 32bit OS, obviously this would not show/use the full 4GB of ram,
but would be easier to use as 32bit drivers are easier to get hold of
and would save a lot of hassle!!!

The reason I thought about more ram and a 64bit OS in the first place
is because I don't intend to upgrade for another 3 years and thought it
would be more future proof than a 32bit OS running 4gig!

4GB of ram and Vista 32bit? (To be game proof for 3-4 years)
8GB of ram and vista 64bit? (To be game proof for 3-4 years)

One more thing, I have read on these forums that vista ultimate can do
a complete copy of your system so that you can put it back as it was if
things go wrong. Is that alone worth paying the extra over vista
premium?

Thanks


--
Avo

Why wouldn't it be used? The OS will map the memory into the processes
address space, regardless of whether it's 32 or 64 bit.

I'd rather use RAM than a hard disk for application memory.

"Rick Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:Om8T1OjXIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> If your application is a 32-bit one, then it will run in 32-bit mode under
> x64, and the extra ram won't be used.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>
> "Avo" <Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
> news:Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net...
>>
>> Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
>> I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
>> overkill?
>>
>> The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
>> My other/this pc will do everything else.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>> --
>> Avo
>

Hi Robert,

It has to do with how 32 bit applications load into and run from memory.
They need to run from the lower addresses since they are not "aware" of the
higher ones. So while the memory can be used by the system, the application
has to load (or be remapped into) into the lower 4GB in order to run.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Roberto Baggio" <baggio94@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:3fjmj.4431$4w.3393@pd7urf2no...
> Why wouldn't it be used? The OS will map the memory into the processes
> address space, regardless of whether it's 32 or 64 bit.
>
> I'd rather use RAM than a hard disk for application memory.
>
> "Rick Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
> news:Om8T1OjXIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Hi,
>>
>> If your application is a 32-bit one, then it will run in 32-bit mode
>> under x64, and the extra ram won't be used.
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>>
>> "Avo" <Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
>> news:Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net...
>>>
>>> Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
>>> I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
>>> overkill?
>>>
>>> The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
>>> My other/this pc will do everything else.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Avo
>>
>
>

If you can afford 8Gig, go for it as you never know what you might still
add into your pc


--
Robin Hood

In message <ObYy4c0XIHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> "Rick Rogers"
<rick@mvps.org> wrote:

>It has to do with how 32 bit applications load into and run from memory.
>They need to run from the lower addresses since they are not "aware" of the
>higher ones. So while the memory can be used by the system, the application
>has to load (or be remapped into) into the lower 4GB in order to run.

The remapping takes care of it though, no?

In x86, every 32-bit process gets their own 32-bit address space and
applications don't concern themselves with where the memory is physical
located.

Is this different in x64?

Yes but....


If you have more than one memory hungry app then more memory will help.

For example, right now I have 32bit VS2008 using a whopping 1Gig, Virtual
Server using over 3Gig and then loads of other apps.

So... my 64bit Vista is helping me out with those 32bit apps. (Virtual
Server is 64bit )

If your going to multi task then more memory the better even with 32bit
apps.

For the type of work I do, I could not work without a 64bit os, as time
passes this statement will be true for more people.

Take the plunge, go 64bit, get the extra memory.

Also, if you go 32bit you may find that due to the BIOS and drivers you may
only see 3.2GB - 3.8GB. You can work around this, but that's for another
thread.

Steve

"Rick Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:ObYy4c0XIHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Hi Robert,
>
> It has to do with how 32 bit applications load into and run from memory.
> They need to run from the lower addresses since they are not "aware" of
> the higher ones. So while the memory can be used by the system, the
> application has to load (or be remapped into) into the lower 4GB in order
> to run.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>
> "Roberto Baggio" <baggio94@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:3fjmj.4431$4w.3393@pd7urf2no...
>> Why wouldn't it be used? The OS will map the memory into the processes
>> address space, regardless of whether it's 32 or 64 bit.
>>
>> I'd rather use RAM than a hard disk for application memory.
>>
>> "Rick Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> news:Om8T1OjXIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> If your application is a 32-bit one, then it will run in 32-bit mode
>>> under x64, and the extra ram won't be used.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Best of Luck,
>>>
>>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>>>
>>> "Avo" <Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
>>> news:Avo.33nkhz@no-mx.forums.net...
>>>>
>>>> Hi, I'm soon to buy a new PC, I have the option of 4Gig of ram or 8Gig!
>>>> I know I need Vista 64bit OS but is it worth getting 8GB or is that an
>>>> overkill?
>>>>
>>>> The machine will be a pure gaming machine/browsing the net.
>>>> My other/this pc will do everything else.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Avo
>>>
>>
>>
>