Register
Email: Password:
Forum » Problems with lacking RAM

Problems with lacking RAM

The Gemini 17 years ago
As the "Questions" stickie seems to be gone, I have to make an own thread for this questions.


Doing a quick check through the system specs for my mom's PC, I found out something wierd. While Windows tells me that the PC have 256 MB RAM (Something it actually does, the system specs in the manual shows 256MB), the PC shows 64MB on start up, and when I press CTRL+SHIFT+DEL, it tells me the same thing. I figured that this lack of RAM seems to be the cause to why the PC suddenly re-boots on its own when playing games like The Sims 2 and Homeworld 2. This seems to have occured recently, as Sims 2 used to run perfectly fine, untill a couple of months ago.

Can somebody please explain to me what's going on, and how to solve this problem?
#
Anonymous1157 17 years ago
Well, if your mom's computer is really that lame, it's probably old, which means that it's likely piled sky-high with dust. Grab an air compressor or something and clean it out. It might fix your problem with Sims 2 as well, since heat seemed to be causing my own instance of that problem.

By the way: if she has the money, BUILD HER A BETTER COMPY ALTOGETHER. Sims 2 probably runs poorly anyways due to the lack of ram. 'Cause, seriously, most of us have at least 512MB.
#
Madgamer 17 years ago
My compy needs to go through a "extreme remake" stuff that's not to the extreme. I'm aiming for 32MB graphics card, 1GB RAM, 100 or more GB harddrive, 2 disc slot thingies, get a better fan (I know one), and get a better power supply (I don't know one). Also a dual core CPU if I have the money.

Don't get quad, I heard it's ALOT crappier than duo core. Plus, it costs more to buy AND maintain.

Sims 2? I wonder why you wanna play th... Anyways just like Anon said, do a remake project with your mom or something. Provided she has the money of coursie.
#
Grim Reaper 17 years ago
"Madgamer" said:
I'm aiming for 32MB graphics card
...DUDE.

The games that require 1GB of RAM (or perhaps 512MB minimum and more recommended) will most probably NOT run on a 32MB GFX card. The MINIMUM of those would most certainly be 128MB, if not 256MB.
#
The Gemini 17 years ago
"Anonymous1157" said:
Well, if your mom's computer is really that lame, it's probably old, which means that it's likely piled sky-high with dust. Grab an air compressor or something and clean it out. It might fix your problem with Sims 2 as well, since heat seemed to be causing my own instance of that problem.

By the way: if she has the money, BUILD HER A BETTER COMPY ALTOGETHER. Sims 2 probably runs poorly anyways due to the lack of ram. 'Cause, seriously, most of us have at least 512MB.

I've checked the heat, and it is not the problem. I certanly doubt dust plays any role here too, as the compy was cleaned a few months ago. And btw, Sims 2 runs perfectly on 256MB.
#
Grim Reaper 17 years ago
First of all, they're "\"s, and seemingly they are there becuz of your browser.

Try clearing the browser cache, that seems to help to a lot of problems.
#
The Gemini 17 years ago
It was on one of the school's PCs. They're allways screwed up in some way. hehe.
#
Madgamer 17 years ago
"Grim Reaper" said:
"Madgamer" said:
I'm aiming for 32MB graphics card
...DUDE.

The games that require 1GB of RAM (or perhaps 512MB minimum and more recommended) will most probably NOT run on a 32MB GFX card. The MINIMUM of those would most certainly be 128MB, if not 256MB.

O rly?

...Checks...

WTF?!

Anyways, I'll prolly be asking my dad to buy 2 128MB graphics card so they can run on SLI. I heard it works better than just 1 256MB graphic card.
#
Barebones 17 years ago
"Madgamer" said:
"Grim Reaper" said:
"Madgamer" said:
I'm aiming for 32MB graphics card
...DUDE.

The games that require 1GB of RAM (or perhaps 512MB minimum and more recommended) will most probably NOT run on a 32MB GFX card. The MINIMUM of those would most certainly be 128MB, if not 256MB.

O rly?

...Checks...

WTF?!

Anyways, I'll prolly be asking my dad to buy 2 128MB graphics card so they can run on SLI. I heard it works better than just 1 256MB graphic card.

Yeah, and it turns your computer into a furnace from hell. Install a front fan if you don't already have one, because it will overheat if you don't have liquid cooling.
#
Anonymous1157 17 years ago
Like I said in my PM (Or at least I think I sent it), get the really fast fan. And, please, don't forget to buy some BIG copper heatsinks if you're really going to do this.
#
Madgamer 17 years ago
...Woah...

The whole process looks so complicated. I'm going to need to ask my dad how to assemble all this junk. He's a computer designer so it shouldn't be a problem.

The cooler I had in mind was the Artic Pro something. I need to check teh name again.

And to be ON topic... >.>

I have a 256MB RAM and this works fine with most of the freeware games I have. Even Wesnoth runs at a very decent speed. However, some of the programs I have used slowed my system to a crawl, then engine pooped out. I'm trying to upgrade it to 516MB on RAM (Yes Anon, I did upgrade it, but that was my other compy I think what I'll do is disassemble that comp and fit it into this boring beige box. Beige is starting to be my worst type of color now) and add lotta tricks to it.

One way to upgrade your RAM efficiency is to use Wincleaner
Very handy to use and you can choose if you want to clean it as soon as you enter your account.

Saved my life a few times from crashing due to heavy file managing.
#
Grim Reaper 17 years ago
"Madgamer" said:
I'm trying to upgrade it to 516MB
You must mean 512MB. There are no 516MB RAM thingies. Now go forth and learn the powers of 2 from 0 to 10, and don't you dare forget them, or else...
#
Zombie 17 years ago
Hehehe... Building a computer is not that hard.

I have a Core 2 Duo 6600 2.4 GHz with 2 GBs of ram. Integrated graphics and sound on the motherboard. Although my XFX GeForce 7950GT XXX should be arriving soon. ^-^

512 MBs of video ram on a 256 bit interface... Core and memory clocks are rather sky high. Core clocks at around 600 MHz and memory clocks at around 1.6 GHz for XFX's 7950GT XXX. ^.^

If I were you, Madgamer, I'd get a budget. A good card for < $200 is a 7600GT. Look at the 7900GT's too. If you plan it right, you can buy a card that will last you until the next major graphics upgrade. Save you some money in the long run, hopefully.

I usually aim for 256 MB cards with a 256 bit interface and around 20 or more pixel pipelines. If you browse cards on Newegg, you can sift through things like that rather easily. Hopefully you have a PCI-E slot or somesuch, as you want the card to be able to work in a new motherboard if you upgrade it.

I'd definitely go for a Core 2 Duo. The 6600 has gotten awesome reviews and, apparently, can be overclocked to well over 3.0 GHz with water cooling. Without watercooling, I think a 6600 can get up to 2.8 GHz before things start getting shaky and hot.

If you're going for new ram, then either look into buying ram heatsinks or buying ram with heatsinks. It helps a bit.

I have heatsinked ram and an Aluminus ATX tower case. My entire case is usually cool because it seems like aluminum likes to retain coldness.
#
Amarth 17 years ago
"Grim Reaper" said:
"Madgamer" said:
I'm trying to upgrade it to 516MB
You must mean 512MB. There are no 516MB RAM thingies.
One could install a bank of 512 MB and one of 4 MB. Also, there is no need at all to keep to powers of 2, that's only done to use the memory addressing bus as efficiently as possible. Some architectures might share this bus with another thing, so that it might not be efficient at all to use powers of two. My HP9000 has 80MB of RAM, for example.
#
Anonymous1157 17 years ago
Have you guys seen the GeForce 8 series? Those cards run like real mini-me processors, with threads and all.

You know what I find really strange? DX10 is highly efficient, but it only works on cards that are too fast to bother to begin with.
#
Bien45 17 years ago
My comp is very funny
i can run halo with out safemode with all the options on and i still have 50 + fps and my card is an intel brookdale g dated 2000
and i have 4 gigs of ram
#
Crazy 17 years ago
BUT...?
#
Madgamer 17 years ago
If it's so funny, do you laugh at it?

Next time, be more clear, sheesh.
#
Forum » Problems with lacking RAM

Post Reply
Your email:
Your name: