When do you need more RAM? A short and simple review.

[redbeacon]

When do you need to buy bigger computer memory?

The amount of RAM in desktops has increased over the years,

but we found out that it happens greatly whenever a new OS hits.

A. Stafford, PC World

Oct 26, 2007 6:00 am

 

Everyone knows that PCs sold today have more RAM than they did in the olden days. The question is, why?Applications grow hungrier and RAM prices keep falling, of course, but operating system bloat is the biggest reason.

 

A review of systems that the PC World Test Center has evaluated since 1999 (see the chart below) reveals that the average RAM provision has grown from a little over 90MB to about 2GB, spiking whenever Microsoft releases a new version of Windows.

 

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/1614/1389072512p0842bol3.jpg

 

In detail, when Windows XP machines started appearing, computer users' RAM needs (and final purchases) increased, on average, from about 126MB to more than 286MB.

 

When Windows Vista started shipping, our test PCs' RAM jumped from slightly more than 1GB to about 2GB. Windows' minimum system requirements ballooned from 16MB to 1GB over the same period.

 

Generally, when you are ready to upgrade your PC and your OS, you can assume that you'll need substantially more RAM.

 

~PC World Magazine 2007

[redbeacon]

Generally, when you are ready to upgrade your PC and your OS, you can assume that you'll need substantially more RAM.

 

For basic computer users, that's the easiest rule-of-thumb that you can abide by your computing needs grow with every new game, heavy application, or new operating system that comes out.

[jB]

Like a bigger CC bikes gulps more petrol than that of a small capacity maybe

[craz_03]

maybe internally juz put alot of idling ram but min requirement to run the OS..

den in turn sucks ur pockets for the RAM which u have to pay extra for..

marketing strategy...