Why Do You Need More Than 6GB of Memory?

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Why Do You Need More Than 6GB of Memory?

This is why. I have been closely monitoring my RAM usage lately on this fresh Win7 install. This is a normal workday for me. Yes, I am running content creation programs. 15 Items on the taskbar. I had just started encoding a Premiere Pro movie sequence I had edited for HardOCP front page.

8GBUsed.gif
 
This is the first time I have seen it break 8GB. For the most part over the last couple of weeks, it has stayed about 5GB+. Nothing "running" sitting at 6.08GB this very minute.

I will say this, I have stopped closing programs. I leave CS4 apps open all the time now. They are there when I want to use them, as are many others and there is no real reason to close them.

I was griping about the Quick Launch bar being natively missing in Win7, and now I have come to find out, you don't need it if you are not constantly launching programs. :)
 
And let me say this. I can now handle some lengthier 1080i clips in edited than I used to be able to .
 
TorchV said:
That is some fantastic reasoning. Might have to upgrade my system just for that.
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I keep my most used programs pinned to the taskbar so they are there easily when I do want to launch them and for the most part, they are always open when I am here anyway, so what do I care if there is an icon there. It is going to be live in a moment anyway...
 
If you using programs which in their operation are using rendering methods, layers, or encoding content from one format to another there is nothing strange about using of 8GB memory especially when they running and working together in same time. Can you give screenshot from processes tab where can be seen the separate usage of RAM by each program.
 
Acer_Sheep said:
If you using programs which in their operation are using rendering methods, layers, or encoding content from one format to another there is nothing strange about using of 8GB memory especially when they running and working together in same time. Can you give screenshot from processes tab where can be seen the separate usage of RAM by each program.
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Exactly my point, thanks for backing me up. I have stated more than a few times in the last few months that if you are using content creation programs, 6GB of RAM is a minimum on a new build.
 
Syndicated_Death said:
would it be safe to assume you don't shut down often? while I don't do it as much as I used to (preferring to sleep now). when I first boot I could see the desire to have various programs quickly available to start back up.
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Check the screen shot. :) Rebooted 36 hours ago. Not unusual for me to go a week or two.
 
So even with Vista64/Windows 7 64, one still needs to reboot from time to time aye? Good to know.
 
paco16 said:
So even with Vista64/Windows 7 64, one still needs to reboot from time to time aye? Good to know.
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The only times I have HAD to reboot my machine since I got it was when doing an install or uninstall of software. I rebooted several times this week working with CS4 and its ability to recognize the camera I was pulling off of. It is forgiving with my Sony HDR-HC1, but with the Cannon XHG1 it is a bit more picky.
 
Kantastic said:
I only have 4GB of 533MHz DDR2 and I never use all of it.
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Thanks for you input. We do of course realize that there are people that do not need 6GB of RAM. I have posted this thread because I have seen some outcry as to 12GB of RAM in a desktop i7 build as being a total waste. Obviously as I have posted here, it is not if you are a user that heavily multitasks and uses content creation programs, which has always been my assertion.
 
Hey Kyle, pretty awesome use of the RAM!

Makes me want to try to max out my "lowly" 8GB.. and I do have a couple nerdy math programs that I wrote that should be able to do it. Such as generating all prime numbers in between 1 and the 64-bit integer limitation.

Oh well.. will have to wait for another day as I have too much going on to worry about such "trivial" things. :D
 
Glad to see this thread since I do occasionally see people claiming 6GB is sufficient for all but the most extreme professionals. My typical workday;
76860242.jpg

Work machine - has 8 GB which is sufficient.
It used to ride very close to 8 because I had an Oracle db hosted locally (brutal on boot times too lol)
I think some people who are getting 12 would go 8 if it was simple to get 8 on the new triple channel systems. I personally would be ok with 8 on my next build, but will be going 12 since you can't get 8 with triple channel, and getting 9 is silly since you'd already be getting 6 sticks ;)
12 is a nice number, and hey, leaves some room for a RAM disk or something cool like that.
edit/ I should also say, yes 6 GB is sufficient for many people too. It's probably an excellent amount to equip computers with when a need isn't seen to go for more.
 
aznpotpie said:
That is true but if your doing intensive gaming I assume you wouldn't need as much would you?
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I have not seen any gaming scenarios that needed more than 4GB of memory in a system as long as it was the only thing running and even then you should have a good bit of buffer in my experience.
 
I have to agree with everything you're saying- my last machine was stuffed with 16gb, and while it seemed like massive overkill, I never had to worry about running out of memory while editing video, compressing video, running Photoshop, or whatever else. Current build only has 8gb in it, but I've slacked way off on the video work for the time being and haven't missed the extra 8gb yet.

Good message to get out to people though, thanks!
 
aznpotpie said:
Just being curious, when you first installed Windows 7 how much RAM was being used in general?
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Just an FYI, but that won't really tell you anything. Starting with Vista, MS finally realized what everyone else knew - unused RAM is wasted RAM. Anyone who has worked with a cache will tell you that if you aren't maxing out the cache, you are just wasting it. RAM is no different. "Free" RAM is pointless.

Hence why Vista was labeled as a "memory hog" - because MS finally implemented aggressive caching and preloading (a *good* thing), which Windows 7 of course kept.
 
I will say this. I have a Core i7 system with a GTX 285. Also, I have 12 gigs of OCZddr3. As I am typing this, I have Assassins Creed, and GTA IV minimized without skipping a beat. WOW. Just built this a couple of days ago, so still a little giddy/excited. Heh.
 
i run 8GB ram and have hit swap file many times in photoshop cs4, so yeah it was worth it to me.
 
My server needs that much memory. I've only got 8GB in it, but it will need more by the time I'm finished configuring the software.

My gaming desktop will probably remain at 6GB of RAM for the near future.
 
Thinking back to the advent of the 'modern' OS, i.e., W's 95, the one thing desktop PC usage has taught me, albeit indirectly, is to use caution when multitasking.

cntrl > alt > del your way down to having only Explorer & Sys Tray running, just to play a game!

Apparently, I've just been HW challenged.
 
12GB RAM, why not? Seriously you won;t need to use virtual memory and will be able to run your games and leave your work programs open as well. More applicatiosn will be able to take advantage of the extra RAM. Why not spend the extra $150 for something you many not need now but may need int he future. I don't know about other people but I tend to hold on to my computer for 5 years and upgrade it once or twice. With the low cost of Ram I say just spend a the little bit extra and it will pay off in the near future.
 
I'm currently running 6GB on Win7 x64. For most of my daytime tasks, 4GB would be sufficient, but I'm on-call 24/7 for work. Having the extra ram needed to be able to alt-tab out of a memory intensive game to handle a work situation is fantastic. When I'm editing/encoding video it would be nice to have more.
 
I have 4GB in my system. When i built this thing 2 years ago, that was an amazing amount.
Now, i find it runs low on mem often.

this is a shot of what the mem usage was at when i got home after work.
there is about 5 active torrents uploading, a connection to a remote server open, steam running, windows live messenger with a couple chat windows open but not active, and one instance of chrom with 4 tabs.

performances.jpg


I know vista precaches programs, but doesn't it only use half the mem?
 
If you need the memory, then you need it. Nothing is overkill if it's used.
 
I could easily come up with some crazy scenario that would cause my system to use more than 4GB of RAM but nothing I do on a daily or even yearly basis...
 
Just a quick post from the other side of things....I run Ubuntu 9.04 with 8GB, and regularly use 7GB+. Most of my development is Linux-based these days (cross-platform, really, but my workflow is quicker when using the extra features of a Linux desktop), but I still need to use Windows a fair bit. The main memory usage comes from a couple of XP desktops and a Linux production server copy in VirtualBox, an instance of Eclipse/Java and Firefox. With a couple of monitors and 4 workspaces on the desktop, it doesn't even get in the way.

Sure, I could run a couple of other machines and not bother with the VMs but it's more environmentally friendly this way, wouldn't you say? :D
 
12Gigs is not enough. I thought i7 would be my solution to NOT having to build 2 different systems (Gaming/Workstation), but now I find myself waiting for the 3x4gig kits to come out so I can run 24gigs. That, or I am gonna have to build a second machine soon. Some days while things are running I could still play a game, now I can't even do that while I am working some times on my sig rig.
 
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Remember this is just with "today's" software. Ofice 2010 comes out next year and you can bet the memory footprint goes up to match today's machines. Lynnfield will have 4 slots and I'd bet enthusiast Lynnfield will have 8gb's running.

6gb is just for folks who are working on high memory speed being the only way to skin a cat. People who want to get more work done are going to use 12 if they're smart.
 
Well... Good thing i'm not only person here who has more than 6+ gig =]

8gig for... mmmm

Anyways.. I never really reboot anymore.. The other day I did breach the 6 gig mark.. but that was with Outlook, 3 EvE-Online clients, multiple browsers open. watching Hackers :D working on excel :D and fixing a pattern on my song in fruity loops :D

If thats not tasking a machine... i donno what is... but i tell you what... Vista Sp2 is very snappy fast when you get all your apps loaded into ram :D

I will going to Windows 7 when retail comes out... i have the trial version on my laptop and love it..:D

But i can offically say.. 6GB min if your building a new rig.. 12 gig max and possibly more if you get a board that can handle more...

Just remember... you can ALWAYS make a ram disk and dump your page file in that.. :D
 
Yeah....ever since I upgraded from 2GB->4GB, I've found that I can minimize BF2 and actually do something with my computer! :eek:

It's nice. Sometimes I regret not getting 8GB, but then I remember that I don't have that much money, lol, seeing as my mobo doesn't like 4 sticks.

~Ibrahim~
 
You can get 12GBs of very fast (ddr3-1333) ram for $150 or less, it just makes sense to max out your mobo with those kind of prices if you can afford it (I know some people can't.) Modern OSes like Vista and Win 7 cache programs, so any memory you don't use will be like a ram disk full of your most often used programs so you'll never waste the ram. Typically I max out at about 5GBs of ram out of my 12GBs in the sig rig, but every program I have opens INSTANTLY, it's great.
 
$150 is so little for 12GB of DDR3. I remember my friend buying the Corsair Dominator's 2GB 1066MHz kit for about $450 a few years back.

~Ibrahim~
 
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