Would Increasing Memory increase Speed?

[swiftmed]

Hey Guys,

I have a fairly new computer which i think is not bad for what i need, however what can i upgrade to increase the speed of my machine. Its a self build and has the following:

Processor: AMD Sempron 3400+ 1.8 GHz
Memory: 2GB
GFX: Nvidea GeForce 7300GS
Windows Vista 32bit SP1

The system is already pretty fast, but what 'minor' software could i upgrade to increase the speed of my machine. I use some pretty powerful software on a day to day basis, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe FLASH CS3, Dreamweaver CS3 and some other animation and video editing software, so they are pretty resource-hungry programs, but what are your suggestions.

I always ensure the system is free of virus's, do a weekly defrag, get rid of temp files, all the usual stuff, Im only young so dont have a ton of money to spend, but is there anything more i can do/upgrade to increase speed?

Thanks a lot
Andy

 

[JogaBonito1502]

I assume you mean what hardware upgrade you can do. You have a good habit of keeping you computer safe. I think the main thing you should upgrade, if you do that many things, and especially if you do it simoultaneously, is the processor. A quad-core would be the best option for you. I think after that probably go 4GB of RAM. You might have to upgrade the MOBO.

PS: This should have been posted on Hardware/Software, but I'm sure a mod will move it.

 

[swiftmed]

I assume you mean what hardware upgrade you can do. You have a good habit of keeping you computer safe. I think the main thing you should upgrade, if you do that many things, and especially if you do it simoultaneously, is the processor. A quad-core would be the best option for you. I think after that probably go 4GB of RAM. You might have to upgrade the MOBO.

PS: This should have been posted on Hardware/Software, but I'm sure a mod will move it.

Hey,

Thanks for the reply, sorry i didnt make it clear it was a hardware upgrade i was thinking off.

Yeah i was looking at upgrading the memory to 4gb, i was speaking to a local computer shop an said to the guy, i have 2gb ram, would upgrading to 4gb make the computer any faster, an he flat-out said "no" - good salesman he is ay? lol.

I certainly think your suggestion of upgrading to a quad core is something i will seriously think about. I am sure that will mean upgrading the motherboard too, but i think its time the machine had an upgrade. Its been a year an i havent touched it, which is unusual for me. lol

And sorry i have posted this in the wrong area, i am new hear so didnt really know...

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Yea, adding another 2GB of memory wont necessarily make your computer "faster", but it will improve the working times of your animation and video editing software.

 

[swiftmed]

Yea, adding another 2GB of memory wont necessarily make your computer "faster", but it will improve the working times of your animation and video editing software.

Thats exactly the the thing i am trying to improve. You hit the nail on the head. I am looking to increase the speed of my working time when using such programs as video editing & animation software.

 

[Atomic Rooster]

With today's memory prices, it wouldn't be a bad deal to add some more memory to that old rig. Those programs do tend to work better with more memory.

 

[swiftmed]

With today's memory prices, it wouldn't be a bad deal to add some more memory to that old rig. Those programs do tend to work better with more memory.

Your dead right, ive just this second bought another 2gb on ebay, roll on it arriving.

thanks for the advicee!!

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Good deal.

 

[Cabbs]

What socket is your motherboard? I would at least get something that's dual core.

Do you notice a lot of HDD activity and stuttering when you're working? If you do, then you need more RAM. If you don't experience that, I would get a new CPU first.