Maxwell Render | Official public forum

I've currently got 2 GIGs of RAM and am thinking of adding 2 more for a total of 4.
I have the 3 Gig switch *clicked* for my 2 Gigs and that helps a bit.
Some people tell me I'm wasting my time going to 4 Gigs because Win XP won't use it all. Some say I will be better off.
My feeling is, if I can access 3 of the 4, I'm better off. Bothered I can't use all 4, but atleast I have a bit more ceiling room for multi-light renders.
And I'll be in better shape when I move to Win 64.
Oh, my CPU is an AMD 64 X2 4400+.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Well, if your xp4400 is the older 939 pin then you'll be buying ddr ram which nothing new supports anymore. Winxp32 will only recognize 3gb of the ram as you say. You can sometimes remap in the bios so that it will post 4gb but still only 3 will show in windows. Some motherboards even say they wont support 4 x 1 gb sticks on board.

I would keep the money and use it toward something else. My last system with a conroe6400 my 2 gb of ddr2 ram cost 30$ more than the processor

b-kandor wrote:Well, if your xp4400 is the older 939 pin then you'll be buying ddr ram which nothing new supports anymore.

Um, that's interesting. I don't understand "which nothing new supports anymore".
I just upgraded to the dual core, the week the quad Intels came out. I'm a master of timing.
The new MOBO will support 4 one gig sticks.
This new machine will be replaced in 12-18 months when AMD's first wave of quads is one step behind. This dual core will become Le Wife's email/music appliance.
I have no need to be cutting edge with speed re renders. I just don't like the RAM ceiling I'm hitting.
I'm just thinking about beefing up my current set up. If 4 gigs of RAM help me with my 3-5-7 million poly earrings and multi-light I will be happy.
Color me foolish, but I'm shopping for some Corsair gig sticks.

If you are planning to move to xp64 or vista then take the 4GB, if not just 3.

glypticmax wrote:Um, that's interesting. I don't understand "which nothing new supports anymore".
I just upgraded to the dual core, the week the quad Intels came out. I'm a master of timing.

Hi Larry, I'm on the same boat here, a nice socket 939 board, right?

It uses DDR, and new ones will use DDR 2,3 or I don't know what else!

This means that next time you swap CPU/Mobo, Le Wife will get plenty of RAM sticks

Ricardo

Hi Ricardo,
Righto!!
I'm about to rebuilt my old AMD 3800+ for her and her only question was "Will I still be able to do email?".
Fortunately, I could say "Yes" and make her happy.
That happens occassionally.

Be careful, upgrading Le Wife's computer is the most hazardous computer related activity around!

Ricardo

I think you are right.
Any problems are obviously my fault.
But wait!
Thats the way it is about everything.
If not for me, no problems would exist.

That's why we love them, isn't it?

Ricardo

ricardo wrote:That's why we love them, isn't it?

Ricardo

Computers or the wife?

You can always go to Win XP 64 which removes the switch necessity and means you can put more than 4GB on the mobo.


TIm.

ricardo wrote:...This means that next time you swap CPU/Mobo, Le Wife will get plenty of RAM sticks

Ricardo

Soooo true

Tim Ellis wrote:

ricardo wrote:That's why we love them, isn't it?

Ricardo

Computers or the wife?

You can always go to Win XP 64 which removes the switch necessity and means you can put more than 4GB on the mobo.


TIm.

The wife, what else makes you feel so great like everything that goes bad is your fault?

Just kidding, before some angry girl hops in

Ricardo

glypticmax wrote:Um, that's interesting. I don't understand "which nothing new supports anymore".

Color me foolish, but I'm shopping for some Corsair gig sticks.

What I meant was: AMD x2 chips have been modified and now use the 'am2' socket mobo's which only support ddr2. Your new x2 maybe an am2 version? 'Nothing new' meant AMD chips are now ddr2 and all the new intel chips are also all ddr2.

Your not foolish as long as your informed about what your spending your money on! Which it seems you are.

PS. My wife uses my 3 year old p42.4 box. 2 weeks ago I used a red ink paint been to draw a big thick red circle with a line through it around the reset button, because that is the button she always uses to open the cd tray!!!!!!!!

I installed the additional gig sticks last night getting the box up to four.
It was worth it. I worked on a 5.7 million poly displacement and everything worked beautifully. Doubling polys to get that, and exporting previously was always a crap shoot. Now its smoothe as silk.
I'm not sure Le Wife is going to get this box after the next upgrade. It will probably become a render slave. There's something about "I'm going to email my sister on my AMD dual core, 4 gig box after you do the dishes." that just doesn't sound right.
And its not about the dishes.