Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
Re: "256 is a bare minimum ..., just enough for the OS to run reliably",
while I agree that 256 is a minimum if buying a new machine, xp will
load and run in 64 megs with some limits on functionality and slow
speed, and much better with 128 megs. There are tons of older machines
that can only be expanded to between 128 and 192 megs of RAM but that
are otherwise capable of running XP, and it's not always unreasonable to
do so.
eM eL wrote:
> "Darwin" <mNOSpAMlant@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1dbGe.191195$on1.143607@clgrps13...
>
>>On the other hand, unless you have special needs (which apparently is
>>not the case), going beyond that is entering the area of decreasing returns.
>
>
>
> Hmm... Yes and no. With Windoze it depends what you do and how you do it (say, how
> many apps are running in the background.)
> 256 is a bare minimum no matter what you do, just enough for the OS to run reliably,
> 512 MB is nice to have - it allows some breathing room, but 1 G is even nicer.
> Consider for instance that the system performs a lot image manipulation when
> browsing, so it is nice to have more RAM. RAM is cheap - I paid Crucial over $100
> for 512 MB last October and only $63 earlier this month.
>
> Here are some speed tests of my oldish ThinkPad A31 (1.6 MHz Pentium 4-M) with 768
> and 1024 MB of RAM respectively. See the difference as the image size grows..? Oh,
> upgrading the hard drive to a 7200 RPM disk is also a good way to increase
> performance.
>
>
>><eM eL><
>
>
>
> ####################################################################
> BMP Image Save/Load/Edit Test Version 2.2 Wed Jul 13 15:05:58 2005
>
> Copyright Roy Longbottom 1999 - 2003
>
> Input Enlarge Save Load Scroll Scroll Rotate Use
> Image Display Display /Repeat Overall 90 deg Fast
> Mbytes Secs Secs Secs msecs MB/Sec Secs BitBlt
>
> 0.5 0.12 0.11 0.08 0.4 1765.7 0.10 3
> 1.0 0.14 0.04 0.09 0.7 1786.5 0.13 3
> 2.0 0.17 0.06 0.12 1.7 1613.7 0.19 3
> 4.0 0.22 0.09 0.17 2.8 1654.5 0.27 3
> 8.0 0.33 0.35 0.44 35.0 160.7 0.69 3
> 16.0 0.47 0.59 0.72 35.8 157.1 1.48 3
> 32.0 0.79 1.24 1.40 36.9 152.5 1.75 2
> 64.0 1.03 2.07 2.32 83.4 67.4 4.87 0
> 128.0 1.91 4.58 4.51 106.0 53.0 21.00 0
> 256.0 47.66 13.02 11.32 143.9 39.1 48.23 0
>
> Windows NT Version 5.1, build 2600, Service Pack 2
> CPU GenuineIntel, Features Code BFEBF9FF, Model Code 00000F27, 1598 MHz
> Memory Status Maximum Use
> Mbytes of physical memory 766
> Percent of memory in use 83
> Free physical memory Mbytes 123
> Mbytes of paging file 1875
> Free Mbytes of paging file 1030
> User Mbytes of virtual space 2047
> Free user virtual Mbytes 1506
> Screen setting 1400 x 1050 x 32 bits = 5.9 MB
>
>
>
> ####################################################################
> BMP Image Save/Load/Edit Test Version 2.2 Wed Jul 13 17:08:49 2005
>
> Copyright Roy Longbottom 1999 - 2003
>
> Input Enlarge Save Load Scroll Scroll Rotate Use
> Image Display Display /Repeat Overall 90 deg Fast
> Mbytes Secs Secs Secs msecs MB/Sec Secs BitBlt
>
> 0.5 0.11 0.03 0.07 0.4 1764.2 0.09 3
> 1.0 0.13 0.06 0.08 0.7 1785.1 0.13 3
> 2.0 0.16 0.06 0.13 1.5 1794.2 0.17 3
> 4.0 0.21 0.08 0.16 2.8 1668.4 0.26 3
> 8.0 0.31 0.34 0.44 3.1 1788.3 0.62 3
> 16.0 0.47 0.57 0.74 35.5 158.6 1.40 3
> 32.0 0.76 1.07 1.38 35.2 159.5 1.88 3
> 64.0 1.00 2.29 2.31 82.5 68.2 4.78 0
> 128.0 1.76 4.54 4.67 105.0 53.6 10.02 0
> 256.0 3.48 9.48 9.41 138.8 40.5 24.80 0
>
> Windows NT Version 5.1, build 2600, Service Pack 2
> CPU GenuineIntel, Features Code BFEBF9FF, Model Code 00000F27, 1598 MHz
> Memory Status Maximum Use
> Mbytes of physical memory 1022
> Percent of memory in use 75
> Free physical memory Mbytes 248
> Mbytes of paging file 2459
> Free Mbytes of paging file 1699
> User Mbytes of virtual space 2047
> Free user virtual Mbytes 1506
> Screen setting 1400 x 1050 x 32 bits = 5.9 MB
>
>
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