Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 11:25:50 -0800 (PST) From: Donald Burr <d_burr@ix.netcom.com> To: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Cc: FreeBSD Chat <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org> Subject: Will an additional 4 MB help? Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.951227111555.203B-100000@ncc-1701-d>
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Well, looks like I got some Xmas money this year... not a lot, but still some. And so I decided to apply it toward my lifelong quest: to make my computer the mightiest it can be. My computer, FYI, is an 486DX2/66 with 8 MB of RAM... 1.0 GB FAST SCSI-2 disk, plus a 150 MB IDE that I use as auxiliary filesystem space. I've narrowed down my choices to one of two (I can only afford one): 2 backup cartridges, or an additional 4 MB of memory. I've been doing a lot more stuff in X lately, and find that it's quite slow, especially when I'm trying to do a lot of stuff. I guess, then, what my question would be is: would an additional 4 MB of memory help? Can anyone give me any sort of figures (I don't care if it's "real" benchmarks, etc. or "gut feeling") on whether 12 MB would run significantly faster vs. 8 MB. I don't do a LOT with my machine -- it's only a single-user machine, although I let friends log in over the modem every now and then. I do Web stuff, though, both browsing and Web publishing (I have a CERN Httpd running on my FreeBSD box, which I use to assemble and preview my pages in "real life" scenarios). OF course, I use Netscape (the BSDI version). As an aside, how "much" would a 12 MB configuration help out in Windows 95, vs. an 8 MB configuration? My system has 4 72-pin SIMM slots, which right now contain 2 4MB SIMMs, for a total of 8 MB. So if I continue adding 4 MB SIMMs, I can have a max. of 16 MB of memory. If I want to go any higher, I'd have to sell all my SIMMs and get bigger individual modules -- like getting 8 MB modules instead of 4 MB's, or 16 MB modules (do they even have those yet?). If I were able to afford this, then I might as well break down and upgrade everything, including the CPU (see below). So this probably won't happen. 16 is probably the max. memory for me with this system. I don't have a lot of cash, nor do I make a lot of cash -- so I can't just run out and get a new Pentium or whatnot. Although that's eventually what I want to do, in which case I'd have to upgrade just about everything else in my system, INCLUDING memory (I'd need 60ns or faster memory?, and probably this newfangled EDO memory or whatnot that I've been hearing about). Obviously, I'm not expecting to do this for a LONG, LONG time. So, I should probably get a 4 MB SIMM stick now, it'll probably help some (maybe even dramatically). Then I can always add another 4 MB later, and when the big jackpot hits, go for the Pentium. Right? Please help a confused soul out... and apologies if this is somewhat off-topic. Donald Burr [d_burr@ix.netcom.com], PO Box 91212, Santa Barbara CA 93190-1212 TEL (805)564-1871 / FAX 564-2315 / WWW http://www.geopages.com/WallStreet/2072 PGP Public Key available by request (send e-mail) or on Public Key Servers. ** Uphold your right to privacy - Use PGP. **
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