I need a new Desktop PC and I want it to run
well. First, what are good combinations of processor and memory? Intel's Ivy Bridge I7 processors look the best, and I'm guessing 10 gb of ram would suffice, or would it? I'm not buying an Apple, but HP? Compaq? Dell? What combination of processor/ram/brand would you recommend for a desktop somewhere around a thousand dollars? Thanks!
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posted by cashman
on Oct 1, 2012 -
31 answers
Just replaced the memory in my MacBook Pro (was 2GB, now is 6GB) - what should I do with the old memory sticks?
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posted by WestCoaster
on Jul 21, 2012 -
11 answers
I'm buying a new laptop, and I need to be able to watch a lot of live-streaming on the web on it. So which is more important for that, RAM or CPU speed?
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posted by mreleganza
on Jun 25, 2012 -
8 answers
My Windows 7 laptop says "Installed RAM 6.0 GB (2.87 GB usable)." What? Why is some of my RAM not usable? I have a 4-GB stick and a 2-GB stick, but I'm only getting 3 GBs of use of out them?
posted by jackypaper
on May 31, 2011 -
6 answers
I got some new RAM for my Macbook, but it's causing some really weird freezing issues.
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posted by jenmess
on Feb 11, 2011 -
10 answers
If one sets up a RAM stick as temporary storage to reduce writes on a SSD (via http://goo.gl/7cem) or for any other reason, can that particular RAM stick to be utilized
only in this manner?
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posted by robobrent
on Jan 20, 2011 -
10 answers
Should I buy a new computer now, or will I just kick myself in six months because it will be cheaper? I am contemplating buying the iMac, but the cost of getting 16GB of RAM upgrade adds about a grand to the total price. I really want to have a lot of speed. Is it likely for the price to go down much in the next 6 months? If so, will it be substantial (worth putting off the instant gratification), or will it be insignificant as a % of the total price? Thank you for helping me make this decision. (As a side note, does anyone know of a good PC that is comparable to the iMac? I couldn't find one that had a solid state HD) Thanks again!
posted by gibbsjd77
on Nov 30, 2010 -
18 answers
How should I reconfigure my Mac powerbook G4, and other mac-related growth advice.
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posted by Tchad
on Oct 25, 2010 -
18 answers
I inherited a barely-used 2004 Dell laptop, Pentium M 1600 MHz, 30 GB hard drive, Windows XP, Mobility Radeon 9000, 512 MB RAM.
Is it worth reformatting and upgrading the RAM to its 2 GB max (at $100), for a few more years of basic internet and Open Office, or as a whole will it forever lag in current-and-near-future contexts?
It could be a decent tool for my commuter days as an undergrad, though it is currently far too slow going to be productive or entertaining.
Thanks for ideas!
posted by methinks
on May 20, 2010 -
17 answers
I'm ready to buy a new desktop PC with Windows 7, and I can't decide whether to spend more money on a faster CPU or more memory, if either. Which would be better in the long run: i7-860 (or even i7-920) with 6 GB RAM, or i5 with 8 GB of RAM? Considering the CPU alone, is an i7 instead of an i5 worth the extra money?
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posted by Tin Man
on May 7, 2010 -
12 answers
Please help me make this computer run faster. It's running Windows XP, and I'll tell you everything else I know inside.
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posted by desjardins
on Apr 7, 2010 -
18 answers
I just picked up 4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM to upgrade my computer. It already has 2 GB of DDR2 533. Should I get rid of the old RAM and just use the new, or should I install all of it?
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posted by suburbanrobot
on Dec 26, 2009 -
7 answers
I'm in the market for a new laptop. Should I get a PC or Mac? What specs are important for me to look at when making a decision?
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posted by reenum
on Jun 2, 2009 -
31 answers
New Asus P6T motherboard only showing 4GB of RAM in BIOS when I have 6 installed. :(
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posted by PetiePal
on Mar 14, 2009 -
7 answers
How can I find out if I'll get more of a performance boost in my desktop PC by adding more RAM or replacing the processor?
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posted by gottabefunky
on Jan 19, 2009 -
22 answers
To my dear friends of the hive mind:
Yours truly is trying to upgrade RAM memory and running into problems with incompatible chips, slots, or both.
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posted by mjklin
on Aug 17, 2008 -
11 answers
Games PC CPUFilter: Is it worth upgrading from an Athlon64 3500+ Venice to a 4000+ San Diego? (plus a bonus question on 3GB RAM in XP and dual channel memory).
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posted by boosh
on May 30, 2008 -
12 answers
Potential upgrades to my aging desktop system- some advice from geeks would be greatly appreciated.
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posted by baphomet
on Jan 21, 2008 -
14 answers
Which would be more beneficial for a Photoshop user: dual-display + more RAM, or a new iMac with a faster processor?
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posted by blastrid
on Nov 2, 2007 -
18 answers
How do I fix it if Vista is causing my new off-brand laptop to choke while playing DVDs?
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posted by letahl
on Aug 22, 2007 -
4 answers
Shopping for a cheap used laptop: What are the minimum specs I should be looking for with respect to CPU, RAM, HD? I'm planning to use WinXP (maybe I'll settle for 2K), Open Office, and FireFox (including some AJAX-heavy web sites such as gmail, Google Docs, del.icio.us), with a wifi card. And not much else. I want to avoid "I'm always waiting for this stupid slow computer!" but not spend much more than the minimum needed to avoid that.
posted by Leonard of Vince
on Dec 18, 2006 -
24 answers
I want to upgrade my pc's memory, but I noticed 6400 is the same price as 4200, and I can use the ram to in a faster system later. Does faster ram (400mhz) 6400 underlock to (233mhz) 4200? Gskill has 2 gigs for 187 on newegg, 5-5-5-15, why my system ram is ddr2-4200 4-4-4-12.
posted by IronWolve
on Oct 15, 2006 -
9 answers
I'm thinking about buying a new iMac G5, and I'd like to bump the RAM up to 1GB from the standard 512MB. The Apple customization menu gives you the option of getting 1GB in two DIMMs or one; the latter is $50 more expensive. Is there any performance benefit in having all the RAM in one place, or is it just a question of keeping a slot open?
posted by logovisual
on Jul 13, 2005 -
14 answers
This is an extremely subjective question...In an earlier thread I mentioned that I couldn't find memory below $150, but several members here found it for much less. However, much of the cheaper RAM is generic. Does it matter? Is generic vs. brand name a big deal when dealing with RAM?
posted by BlueTrain
on May 12, 2004 -
15 answers
Looking to get some RAM for an older machine; the motherboard specs say it wants 168-pin 3.3 volt SDRAM; I'm wondering if this is still made (is this the same as some early PCxxx RAM?), or if I'm going to have to do some digging... If it's out of production, where could I find a 128-meg stick or two?
posted by kaibutsu
on Apr 30, 2004 -
7 answers
