Benchmark Results: 32-Bit
Part 1 – Gaming
When playing games, the benefits of adding memory space depend on the title. We looked at a few games and averaged the startup times and load times of various levels.
These charts show how much the games make use of the outsourced swap file or the temporary directory. As you can see, the difference between 12 GB and 16 GB of RAM is rather marginal. Half-Life 2 Cinematic Mod is the only game in which 16 GB pulls slightly ahead. The differences observed with large amounts of RAM are pretty much within the margins of error. As you can see, demanding games in a 32-bit environment actually benefit quite a bit from our extended RAM disk swap file.
Unfortunately, we can't measure subjective impressions of in-game frame rates. Especially when the game loads new level areas (GTA IV, Mafia II) during play, or if you pan in the panoramic view (Anno 1404, Sims 3), the impression is much smoother with the larger memory space, and you don't get as much stuttering. Overall frame rates hardly change, but the experience you get while playing, even if entirely subjective, is much smoother.
Part 2: Applications
With applications, we see that benchmark results are dependent on system memory requirements, while the application's subjective user experience also depends on the outsourced temporary dictionaries. As examples, we used a file compression tool and Photoshop.
Once again, a RAM disk-based temporary directory pays off. Overall, looking over our results from the games and applications, we'd say the outcome from using a RAM disk is beneficial.
Conclusion
Even the 32-bit versions of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 can benefit from 8 GB or more of RAM. Depending on the application, the focus should be on relocating either the swap file or the temporary directories. Given that memory prices are falling again, we recommend an 8, 12, or even 16 gigabyte kit. It's worthwhile to upgrade, even when using a 32-bit version of Windows--especially if you're having to hold off on jumping to a 64-bit OS for some reason.
