Will doubling RAM increase laptop speed?

[Autarchist]

I've got a laptop with a Core 2 Duo and 4GB of DDR2.

My desktop has an AMD quad core with 8GB of DDR3.

The desktop is MUCH quicker. On the laptop there is noticeable "lagginess" when switching windows and such. The desktop, by comparison feels very "snappy" and responsive, even though it is running Windows 7 and I have Ubuntu on the laptop.

Given the differenc in specs, would increasing the laptop memory from 4GB to 8GB make much of a difference? Or, does the difference between the CPU and memory types between my laptop and desktop account for most of the speed difference?

[JDay]

Your laptop is most likely already maxed out. What CPU model is it?

EDIT: I would think Ubuntu would run fast on that laptop, you might have an issue with your install. What graphics card do you have in there and what drivers are you using?

[Autarchist]

The CPU in the desktop? The laptop is an XPS M1530.

EDIT: Crucial says the laptop is good for 8GB: http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...0M1530&Cat=RAM

[JDay]

Ouch, $180. I'd just buy a new laptop. If you get a Sandy Bridge based laptop you can stick 16GB in it for about $110.

[SouperMan]

Not any better on Newegg: ($150 to $200)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007609%20600000401&IsNodeId=1&Description=DDR2%20PC2-6400&name=8GB%20%282%20x%204GB%29&Order=BESTMATCH

Only go 8GB if you are running a 64-bit OS. Otherwise, if this laptop needs to last awhile...it's a upgrade that helps.

[Demonicspire]

RAM will not directly increase your speed. What more RAM will help you do is run more programs at once, be aware that most programs are not written to use more than a small portion of your RAM (1-2gb), even big ones like games. I use 8 GB though honestly I could put in war more, I just honestly see no need for it. My dad on the other hand uses 24 GB because he uses a 3D scanner that needs to store a huuuge amount of data in the RAM while it works.

The biggest "speed boost" you will get is a new processor. Your desktop is a quadcore, of course its much faster than a dual core. In addition to being a more powerful architecture, desktop components are usually better than their laptop coutneprarts because they do not have the same power/space/heat limitations that a laptop part has.

[Autarchist]

Ouch, $180. I'd just buy a new laptop. If you get a Sandy Bridge based laptop you can stick 16GB in it for about $110.

Yeah, DDR2 is way more expensive than DDR3.

I plan on getting a new 14" Sandy Bridge laptop later in the year. That's why I only want to make the investment if it will offer a significant performance increase. I figure the RAM upgrade would still be worth it if that were the case, and I'd have a more competent machine later to either hand off to a family member or keep as a backup.

Other than the sluggishness, I really enjoy this XPS, the keyboard and everything has a great "feel".

Also, I do run a 64bit OS.

[p7m8jg]

Usually, more RAM always helps in some way. But from what you've explained so far, I don't think you will see a big improvement in software speed from it. Software often doesn't take big advantage of more RAM, not unless its designed to do so, and most programs are made with less RAM in mind to be useful on more machines.

[DiscoBayJoe]

If you are paging, then RAM will speed it up considerably. SSD + Lots of Ram is the trick to a fast laptop. CPU speed is less important to real-world performance. My Win7 image idles around 5G so I bumped my laptop to 16G to ensure i'd never run out..... and it's smokin' fast. As others mentioned, chasing memory numbers with older memory archetectures can sometimes be a sunk cost / dead end.

[oldsmoboat]

What OS? How full is your temp folder? What's running in the background?

[Demonicspire]

Yeah RAM is highly dependent on what you are doing. Its pretty cheap overall now, you could probably furnish yourself with 16 GB for about 80$ (desktop though, pricier for laptop). Some people swear by 16 GB of RAM, I personally am ok with 8 in my system, which is pretty high speed (i7-2600k, HD7970). If you want something that will really change how you experience your laptop, put your OS on an SSD as others have recommended.

[Turo]

Short answer, no.
Long answer, noooooooo.

Ram allows your computer to run more or bigger programs. Your processor is most responsible for actual speed, but it's not everything. Most likely your laptop's speed limiting factor is the hard drive, as is nearly every newer computer that doesn't run a SSD hard disk.

If you do a fresh windows 7 install on your laptop, you will probably notice a speed increase, but I can guarantee it'll never be a fast as your desktop.

[Autarchist]

If you are paging, then RAM will speed it up considerably. SSD + Lots of Ram is the trick to a fast laptop. CPU speed is less important to real-world performance. My Win7 image idles around 5G so I bumped my laptop to 16G to ensure i'd never run out..... and it's smokin' fast. As others mentioned, chasing memory numbers with older memory archetectures can sometimes be a sunk cost / dead end.

Yeah, I've got an SSD in it, huge improvement. I feel like adding more RAM would create a performance synergy.

What OS? How full is your temp folder? What's running in the background?

Ubuntu 11.10. Just emptied the temp, not even a MB was in there. Not too many things running. I do have a resource monitor and it shows my memory filling up, a huge chunk is cache. Seems like an obvious signal that more memory is needed, but I wonder if the additional memory would be used up the same way since it's there. Right now when it gets very full, I just run the following command in the terminal and usually a big chunk of RAM is freed up immediately:

sudo echo 3 | sudo tee /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

I think I will start by snagging up a single 4GB stick and using it to replace one of the 2GB sticks, leaving me with 6GB (2GB+4GB). Seems like you only save a few bucks if anything by purchasing both at the same time. I'm thinking I can judge by the performance gain from that whether or not to snag up a second 4GB stick.

[JDay]

Yeah, DDR2 is way more expensive than DDR3.

I plan on getting a new 14" Sandy Bridge laptop later in the year. That's why I only want to make the investment if it will offer a significant performance increase. I figure the RAM upgrade would still be worth it if that were the case, and I'd have a more competent machine later to either hand off to a family member or keep as a backup.

Other than the sluggishness, I really enjoy this XPS, the keyboard and everything has a great "feel".

Also, I do run a 64bit OS.

Going from 4GB to 8GB will not make too much of a difference under Linux. I upgraded my T510 to 8GB from 4GB and got a decent speed boost, however I run virtual machines, Photoshop and other RAM hungry applications on here. For the same cost as the RAM upgrade you should be able to find a faster processor. Core 2 Quad perhaps? I would also go with an Ivy Bridge laptop if you're waiting.

[JDay]

My Win7 image idles around 5G

Can you post a screenshot? That does not sound right at all, Windows 7 should be using right around 2GB unless you have a bunch of applications open.

Some people swear by 16 GB of RAM, I personally am ok with 8 in my system

Unless you're doing CAD, HD video editing, running a lot of virtual machines or doing something else that really needs that much RAM it is a waste. I have 16GB in my desktop and rarely use more than about 10GB of it, and that's with 4-5 virtual machines running in the background.