1GB RAM and PC still slow! ??

Hi,

I just upgraded my PC by adding 2 500 MB RAM (Total of 1GB) hoping that will make my computer run fast.

I usually work with few programs open most of the time, like: Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver…

And there are few programs that are running in the background 24 hrs. a day: Azureus, Limewire, Winamp.

The only reason I upgraded my RAM was to work simultaneity between different programs with out any delay…..

But things aren’t working right….there is lot of delay in switching between different programs…..

I defrag my hard drive at least 3 times a week and do virus scan every day……

How can I make my computer run faster while working in different programs simultaneity?

Here are my computer specs:
Intel®
Windows XP Pro
Pentium® 4 CPU 2.60GHz
1 GB RAM

BTW my computer is ON 24 hrs a day, If that has to do with anything.

are there a lot of rpograms running? like useless things such as icons in the system tray aht dont do anything (like the winzip icon and nvidia icon and stuff)?

use msconfig (start>run>msconfig) to disable some stuff.

Shut down a few programs then try. Do your d/l at nite only. Run a ccleaner type program. Dump your prefetch files, and check for spyware. You have a decent setup, mabye running to much memory entensive programs at once ?


Disable wallpaper just run a blank background .I find when I come home work my computer just crawls . I have three little guys playing on the internet all day. I clean my temps and cache , reboot I'm fine again.

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are there a lot of rpograms running? like useless things such as icons in the system tray aht dont do anything (like the winzip icon and nvidia icon and stuff)?

use msconfig (start>run>msconfig) to disable some stuff.

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No there are no useless icons in the system tray....I have also checked the msconfig and most of the programs are already unchecked...Infact the only programs that are checked are: Symantic Antivirus and Netgear Wireless Connection.....

@samseer , I have Symantic Antivirus too only seems to annoy me at start up . :dry:

Symantec/Norton causes extreme slowdowns for me, especially on startup.

Not sure if that's what is causing you problems but it's a possibility.

I don't have problem with startups....My computer startsup pretty fast....I have prb...with my computer slowing down while working in different programs simultaneity...

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Originally Posted by sameer0807

I don't have problem with startups....My computer startsup pretty fast....I have prb...with my computer slowing down while working in different programs simultaneity...

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Friend that was my point ! :)

NOD32 owns anyway, get NOD32.

Mabye your computer is overheating, check your temps :01:

Mabye spyware is pwning your computer.

Mabye god dosnt like your computer :unsure:

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Mabye your computer is overheating, check your temps

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What program should i use to check the temps?

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Mabye god dosnt like your computer

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lmfao...i like this possibility..

Everest Home ! Seems to be the new one .


http://www.lavalys.com/products.php?lang=en

I often have several programs open - MusicLibrary, NewsbinPro, DW, Winamp, PSP9/PhotoshopCS, IE, Outlook and I also have 1GB RAM but only get that sort of slowdown if I have shareazaa running - even with less main apps open. Loadsa concurrent connections take a toll.
I very rarely use Shareazaa (will prolly uninstall it) and don't have any other fileshare tools installed BTW.

The only times I ever experience those annoying "slow-down" symptoms are when utilizing PaintshopPro9 over numerous bmp files and then applying them through TGT Soft's "StyleBuilder". Usually closing PSP9 alleviates the problem. With a gig of ram myself, I would have thought I would never need to do that.

The only other slow-down I ever notice is concerning my internet connection when my son has numerous chat windows open over AIM, Yahoo and Messenger. Then trying to run K-Lite or Limewire Pro at the same time. Bandwidth seems to become extinct in a hurry when he does that and I usually have to power cycle my router and dsl modem to reset everything. Were on two PCs sharing one connection. He uses a [email protected] and 256mb of ram while I am utilizing an AthlonXP [email protected] and over a gig of ram.

As was suggested by theCanuck I would seriously look at spyware and adware.

have you tried removing ram a stick at a time to see if you have a bad stick?
Also although it seems a reasonable machine and this is a long long longshot, check the specs of your pc to see if it can actually handle that much memory. I haven't heard of overload with xp before but have experienced it with win 2k back in the day.

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Originally Posted by vidcc

As was suggested by theCanuck I would seriously look at spyware and adware.

have you tried removing ram a stick at a time to see if you have a bad stick?
Also although it seems a reasonable machine and this is a long long longshot, check the specs of your pc to see if it can actually handle that much memory. I haven't heard of overload with xp before but have experienced it with win 2k back in the day.

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I ran more RAM both on Win2k and XP with a machine that was otherwise way below his specs, for more than a year without any trouble, I highly doubt it's what affects him

I guess it could be a bad stick tho'.


What kind of RAM did you add, and exactly what did you have before, sameer?

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Originally Posted by SnnY

I ran more RAM both on Win2k and XP with a machine that was otherwise way below his specs, for more than a year without any trouble, I highly doubt it's what affects him

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i did say it was a long long longshot however it has been an issue in the day.
as i said i doubt with those specs it would be too much but wouldn't say it was impossible

the ram issue

I'm thinking that the RAM he added might have been much slower than the RAM he had.

Would still like to know what kind of RAM he added and what kind of RAM he had before that.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

I'm thinking that the RAM he added might have been much slower than the RAM he had.

Would still like to know what kind of RAM he added and what kind of RAM he had before that.

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Everest home , should tell him what ram he has .

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Originally Posted by peat moss

Everest home , should tell him what ram he has .

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Cool program, exactly like aida32 :)

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Originally Posted by TheCanuk

Cool program, exactly like aida32 :)

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That'll be because the people behind AIDA32 now work for the company that produces EVEREST. :)

switch over to nod32 instead of norton. so much faster and better. i'd also recommend closing some of those programs. like y would u keep winamp running in the middle of the nite when ur sleeping??

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Originally Posted by sameer0807

Hi,

I just upgraded my PC by adding 2 500 MB RAM (Total of 1GB) hoping that will make my computer run fast.....
How can I make my computer run faster while working in different programs simultaneity?

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Sadly, just "hoping" a RAM upgrade would help was a bad idea.
Back to square one.
Reinstall your old RAM and run some tests (Super Pi or Prime 95) to give you a baseline to work from.
Install new RAM and repeat (we are assuming that you have the proper speed RAM to start with).
Now, tweak your RAM timing in BIOS and see what you can do.
After each change, rerun the tests to prove stability and see if there is an change.

You might also benefit from resizing/moving your virtual memory (Photoshop is particularly greedy when it comes to virtual memory).

Just tossing parts (in your case, memory modules) at your PC is not a real good way to make it better.
It will make it different, but to see a real benefit will take some work on your part.

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Originally Posted by TheCanuk

Mabye god dosnt like your computer :unsure:

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this is true, God himself runs an AMD64 FX-55, and He despises Pentium :P