Upgrade to 8gb worth it?

Nevakonaza · 2 Jul 2011 at 09:07

So i currently have 4gb of ram.

G-Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz Ripjaws Memory Kit CL7(7-8-7-24) 1.6V

And was wondering do you guys think it would be worth getting another 4gb to make a total of 8GB?

I don’t particularly use programs that are ram hungry, But my system uses around 1.6G idle...not sure what it used under load.

Why im asking about the upgrade, I want to make sure my rig will handle the up coming Battlefield 3 with no problems,Especially since it will have huge maps but i assume im good to go as my GPU has 2GB of dedicated vram?

What you think?

My system specs-
i7 860 @ 3.8Ghz
|Gigabyte GA-P55-US3L
4GB Ripjaws 1600Mhz CL7
HD6950 OC Twin FrozR III Power Edition 2GB (900/1325)
Vertex 2 60Gb SSD
500GB +250GB HDD
Asus Xonar D1
7 Home Premium X64.

Jordan97 · 2 Jul 2011 at 09:20

Gaming doesn't really use more than 4GB of RAM anyway, so if that is all you do, then save your money.

topdog@OC · 2 Jul 2011 at 17:06

Depends entirely on the game and gaming in question. Keep an eye on commit charge in task manager or a similar tool (or the peak value it hits if it's hidden whilst you're gaming, and you check it afterward). If you're regularly breaching 3.5GB then your machine is probably going to be holding itself back and more RAM may be useful. If it's not, don't fret, and don't bother buying in case a future app does or doesn't need it since:

a) it might not
b) odds of it being cheaper at the time are more likely, so get it then

Darth Bane · 4 Jul 2011 at 21:23

I have the same Ram too and was thinking of upgrading to 8GB.
The most have have ever used was 72% and that was with a game running,coretemp,EVGA Precision, Steam, Skype and one tab of Firefox.

Is it worth the upgrade ?

topdog@OC · 5 Jul 2011 at 15:04

Going from over 1GB unused RAM to over 5GB unused RAM is unlikely to make any difference, unless you also anticipate a change in how you use your machine as well.

Nightglow · 5 Jul 2011 at 15:39

With DDR3 fairly cheap now, I wouldn't hesitate upgrading to 8gb.
Might not need it all now, but in a few months you may, & by then price might have gone up.

Have done three builds for friends in last few months, & I now use W7 64, & install 8gb as minimum spec.

IT Troll · 9 Jul 2011 at 08:09

Crytek are recomending 8GB for Crysis 2 with all the DirectX 11 eye candy. Memory requirements for forthcoming titles are likely to be similar if you want high end visuals.

Randomface74 · 9 Jul 2011 at 08:13

I'd do it.

pspcpog · 9 Jul 2011 at 09:39

Do it!

bells · 11 Jul 2011 at 02:05

Just worth it !! and only just lol i did it last month and the system is a only a bit better ...you just might as well with the current prices ~

Plec · 11 Jul 2011 at 10:46

Nevakonaza said:
So i currently have 4gb of ram.

G-Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz Ripjaws Memory Kit CL7(7-8-7-24) 1.6V

And was wondering do you guys think it would be worth getting another 4gb to make a total of 8GB?

i7 860 @ 3.8Ghz

You run the risk of destabilising your clock running 4 sticks as it puts extra strain on the memory controller - it may not but it's still a factor to consdier.

'If' it did you would have to consider the trade off between extra memory and a lower clock (whatever that might be).

The only way to ensure that your clock wont be compromised is by selling your existing 2 x 2Gb sticks and installing 2 x 4Gb.