Difference: Dual Core / More RAM ?

[false_prophet]

Hey, this might be a fairly stupid question, but not to me...

I have read both dual core and more memory allow you to run more applications at once without your computer slowing as much. If that's true, what is the difference between the two then?

eg what is the noticeable difference between these 2 computers:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ AMD Athlon 64 3800+ Dual core
3 gigs of pc3200 RAM 1 gig of pc3200 RAM

(same gfx card, motherboard etc)

Thanks.

 

[mpjesse]

If your using say.... more than 10 applications at once, dual core and more RAM will probably help a bit. The problem is most applications written do not take advantage of all that RAM... so no matter how much you have chances are 50% of 3GB is only going to be used. I rarely get my machine w/ 1GB to use all of it... and I'm a multitasking fool.

My advice would be to go w/ a dual core and 2GB of memory. More and more apps take advantage of dual core everyday. Eventually programs will start to take of advantage of 2GB of RAM as well (some already do).

-mpjesse

 

[chuckshissle]

Yes, go with Mp said, a dual core and 2 Gb ram is the best. For the ram, I have test it myself with 2x512 high performance gaming and 2x1Gb value ram. With heavier application and playing games with high setting the value ram smoke the high performance ram eventhough its fast, it just doesn't have the capacity. So I concluded that 2 Gb of ram is optimum for both multi tasking and gaming.

 

[Craigmandu]

What you have heard is indeed correct, but really only in the context of how they are presented.

If you have a computer with 512MB of ram and are running 10 programs at once, odds are you are running out of ram or paging like crazy. This slows down your machine. However if you have 2GB or 3GB of ram in the same machine the odds are you aren't paging as much, but may not be able to up to say 20 running programs at the same speed. Why? Because the applications and memory management of the computer might not be able to make use of higher memory amounts in an efficient manner.

The same is true, although to a lesser extent in a Duo-Core system. With low ram amounts a Duo-Core system is going to perform just as bad as a single processor system. Where the differnces really come into play is when the RAM level exceeds how much you are throwing at it or rather how much the machine is efficiently handling.

So to give a generic view of your example.

Ath 64 3500+ 3GB Ram = Baseline performance
Ath 64 X2 3800+ 1GB Ram = Most likely more performance. Why? Because the odds are you aren't running out of the 1GB of physical memory to begin with, so you gain full benefit of the applications being spread out between 2 cores instead of one. Now if you use high memory intensive applications and you use say 2GB of memory, then the 3500+ would probably perform better, because it wouldn't be paging as much.

 

[enewmen]

When will this 2gb / 4gb limit business finished?

I think I Need to wait for Vista and a full 64bit comp and full 64 bit software to notice any improvement.