Help with Ram

[715]

Any changes in the way you had graphics settings configured prior to the latest version update should be returned to their previous settings. Doing this should result in the same performance you had prior to the latest updates.

Nope.  Still get lots of stutters and lower FPS with everything new turned off and the settings identical to what I had before the new version.

[Krusty]

The original post has a quite weak rig listed... However I would refrain from updating much for 2 reasons:

1) This immediate problem is most likely an HTC bug they're fixing, from recent discussions I've seen

2) Any updates to that system would be stop-gap in nature. You can only add so much ram, but the ram is a slower type with limited bus speeds, etc. You can go the budget route of "just to tide me by" upgrades but from my own personal experience this is more costly and aggravating in the long run. You get the lowest upgrade possible every time? Well that means you have to keep doing it constantly. I saved up a year ago and did a full system upgrade and it's still going strong a year later. If I'd kept tacking on an extra bit here or there to my older system it wouldn't be nearly as good as my current one.

A computer relies on the inter-relation of many parts. The RAM relies on the motherboard, which can accomodate different CPU speeds, which need better power supply, which also dictates what video card you can install, etc... It's better to just save up and get a new system all at once if your current one is so dated.


So, outside of the "Wait for it to get fixed" part my ONLY suggestion for immediate upgrade would be: Ditch Vista. It's utter crap. If you get Win 7 (make sure you get x64 bit) you will see improved overall performance, and then when you upgrade can move that installation over to the new system. Win7 isn't cheap (stupid Bill Gates...) but Vista is so rubbish that 2GB ram is the bare minimum for the average install. Idle at the desktop most copies I've seen use 1GB just to do nothing. Even paring that down gets it to the 750MB range. It's crazy.

[Drano]

I agree with Krusty here in his second point. I tried to keep up with AH by souping up my P4 machine that in the end would have been the envy of the computing world--in 2006. Problem was--it was 2011. Five years is an eternity with computers! I probably spent a few hundred bucks buying an unlocked 3.4 ghz CPU that I overclocked, the best memory that would fit on the board and the best AGP video card available. At the end of the day it was throwing money away. I just couldn't keep up. Things change and in the computing world that's generally faster than you can keep up with by doing little tweaks. Total do-overs are part of the process.

I ended up building my own PC. The first time I'd done that and I gotta tell ya--I'll never buy a pre-built PC again. It's tons cheaper and you have total control over not only the hardware but also the software. Google is your friend here. Edjucate thyself on the subject. Don't be scared. It's a lot easier to do than you think. I was shocked how easy it was. I now have a machine that should last me a while as I'm a bit ahead of the curve, which was the idea. I don't play anything but AH but if I wanted to I have the horsepower for it now.

Keep in mind that when I said it was way cheaper it was just that. Way cheaper doesn't equal free. Good quality components cost. Do your homework and determine what you need to do what you're doing.

Lots of help here.

[Krusty]

The real trick is once you decide what you want you have to figure out and predict the future tendencies... So for example you get a good system but you want to be able to upgrade a year down the road to extend the life of the system with a new CPU...

Well what if you got a CPU with a socket type and a motherboard that suddenly goes out of style and is replaced by a new one, and all new chips are on the new socket? Well, now you have a major upgrade of both CPU and mobo, and maybe RAM or other components for the new mobo! So try to find a socket type that will be around a while. I went with LGA 1366 and got burned. While I have upgrade paths, the new i7 2600 chips are not one of them! They bypassed me entirely in lieu of another socket size, and not I'm in a dead end.

I won't feel the pinch for a while, but when that time comes I can't just swap out the CPU. It'll be a larger upgrade.

That's the real problem, choosing the right parts.

Bad choices in the past I've encountered:

RDRAM
Slot III Pentiums
Settling for a LGA 775 with only 800MHz FSB
Going with LGA1366 right before they drop that socket entirely.


So, forums like this or others with technical-minded folks really helps get a feel for some of the trends and patterns you will want to look at. Longevity and future upgradability should be key to keeping long-term price down.


Just a few more thoughts to help you along!

[Bizman]

A couple of thoughts concerning a new build: I wouldn't worry much for possible upgrade disability. After all, there's really not much that can be done to an outdated rig. Adding RAM up to the sweet spot will help under certain circumstances, so does changing the GPU. Changing CPU, bus speed, different kind of HDD and such mostly shows up in test programs but not in everyday life. Of course that depends on what you want to do with your rig. Some games are processor hungry, some need the fastest video card available. Every year someone releases a game that outdates every computer available. I did my last major upgrade six (!) years ago and I still can play AH with everything maxxed except shadows. At that time I spent about € 600 for a GA-EP35-D83, Intel E6750, Radeon HD3870, 4 gigs of DDR2 RAM and a Cooler Master case with PSU.

IMO getting the second best combination money can buy is the most cost effective way. There's a spot where the price of computer parts jumps more than performance. The parts just below that spot will give the best bang for the buck in the long run.