512 MB or 256 MB of RAM?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ColdAsh
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ColdAsh

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Im getting a new computer next week: P4 1.8GHz 423 pin, Intel Garibaldi motherboard, 40GB and 20 GB hard drive are the main parts you should need to konw
I was going to get 512 MB of PC800 RDRAM but ive heard that 256 is the most i should need. Is this true? It will cost me another $136 ($70 US) for the extra 256 MB. Is this a waste? I hope to eventualy be recording/playing 24-30 tracks of CD qualtiy (or 24bit if Logic Gold v5 allows it). Will the extra memory make a difference or should the moeny be spent elsewhere?
Hope i get the right answers by next week!
Cheers
 
As a rule you can never have enough memory :)

However, if you're just doing audio multitracking and DSP, then you will not require more than 256MB of memory, regardless of the operating system you go with.

Now this does sort of depend on software. If you're going to be running a lot of looping/sampling software that can load samples into memory (sound modules/fonts, etc), the extra memory might come in handy for sure. But even if you're using huge 64MB soundfonts, 256MB is still enough.

I never recommend that people upgrade from 256 to 512 if they don't have a reason (and lots of people do it anyways), but if you're not going to feel that extra $70 then go ahead and get 512MB.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Cheers Slackmaster. As always very helpfull. I will be getting the LM4 drum sampler VST pluging but not for a while. Perhaps i'll upgrade then if i feel the need
 
More RAM will make opening and editing files faster. Those RAM prices seem a little high. I second the "you can never have too much RAM" opinion.
 
Slack is right. However I would base the decision on what OS you will be using. Windows 98 & ME really dont make much use of anything over 256. However Windows 2000 & XP can absolutely use 512 megs (or more), and I would get the RAM in that case.
 
Hard drive performance will dicate how fast files are opened or written to the disk, not memory.

However I can imagine successive editing being faster if the application buffers the file in memory. Good point.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Well RWhite im getting 512MB based on your info, hope it wont be a waste of money :)
 
Theres the law of computer and hard drive recording that u all ways get as much memory as u can afford!!! :) Cos one day u r goin to need it!!
 
512 MB of RAM or greater

and if you have not bought that computer yet, you might want a SCSI hard drive in lieu of the second hard drive.

my 2 cents
 
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