Upgrading RAM and CACHE memory

Hello,

my PC is a 6yo HP Pavillion 32bit with the following main specs:

• OS: Win 8
• Processor: 2,40 gigahertz Intel Core2 Quad 64 kilobyte primary memory cache 4096 kilobyte secondary memory cache
• Ram: 2 Gb
• Hd: 500 Gb - traditional -

I only run Office - not games, no graphics -

The Pc is still adequate for my usage, nevertheless I thought to increase its performance, by adding:

• 2x1 Gb RAM cards to provide extra margins
• 1 SSD 32 Gb drive to work in parallel to the existing one, to increase Cache Memory

QUESTIONS:
1) Are these 2 alterations redundant one to the other?
2) Can an upgraded RAM reduce boot time latency?
3) or, instead, can an SSD cover the functions of an upgraded RAM?

Thank you

geomazo said:

Hello,

my PC is a 6yo HP Pavillion 32bit with the following main specs:

• OS: Win 8
• Processor: 2,40 gigahertz Intel Core2 Quad 64 kilobyte primary memory cache 4096 kilobyte secondary memory cache
• Ram: 2 Gb
• Hd: 500 Gb - traditional -

I only run Office - not games, no graphics -

The Pc is still adequate for my usage, nevertheless I thought to increase its performance, by adding:

• 2x1 Gb RAM cards to provide extra margins
• 1 SSD 32 Gb drive to work in parallel to the existing one, to increase Cache Memory

QUESTIONS:
1) Are these 2 alterations redundant one to the other?
2) Can an upgraded RAM reduce boot time latency?
3) or, instead, can an SSD cover the functions of an upgraded RAM?

Thank you

Click to expand...

Hi there
For Office 2GB RAM is probably OK however I'd look at installing another 2GB RAM.

swapping the HDD for an SSD would certainly help -- For your applications just get a 128 GB one now -- they are very cheap compared with what they used to be -- .

Normally getting an SSD is probably the best improvement you can make to a PC -- but you should normally have 4GB of RAM. A 32 GB SSD is likely to be old and at least an order of magnitude slower than the current crop of SSD's -- a 128 GB Samsung SSD can be had for around 95 USD these days. Well worth it in anybody's book.

You can then also look at using the 500GB disk as an external Disk -- use a SATA ==>USB connector.
(I'm assuming the pavilion is a laptop).

My only query is with a 6 year old laptop -- is the Disk SATA or IDE -- if it's IDE then I really don't know if you could change to an SSD -- probably not.

Cheers
jimbo

I doubt that your PC supports the use of Intel Smart Response technology (using a small SSD as a cache for a spinner):

Smart Response Technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might do better to get a larger (64GB or 120-128GB) SSD for your OS and applications, and run it as a separate drive.

I believe that there is no redundancy between RAM and an SSD. Upgrading the RAM is less work, because it wouldn't require you to re-install the operating system.

bobkn said:

I doubt that your PC supports the use of Intel Smart Response technology (using a small SSD as a cache for a spinner):

Smart Response Technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might do better to get a larger (64GB or 120-128GB) SSD for your OS and applications, and run it as a separate drive.

I believe that there is no redundancy between RAM and an SSD. Upgrading the RAM is less work, because it wouldn't require you to re-install the operating system.

Click to expand...

Hi there

I assume that its NOT a laptop now.

upgrading the RAM might yield no advantage at all if the user is just doing simple office type stuff and doesn't run a lot of concurrent applications. However it's cheap enough and won't do any harm.

Re-installing the OS won't be necessary if you Image the OS partition say to a backup device and restore it to the SSD.

Do it this way,

1) Create on the old computer another partition on the internal HDD -- assuming you don't have a spare external HDD.
You can split / merger / create partitions with things like GPARTED.

2) back up the "C" partition on to the spare partition you've created using an imaging program like Free Macrium.

3) Connect the SSD to a USB slot via a SATA==>USB connector.

4) restore your "C" partition to the SSD.

5) now swap the HDD with the SSD -- on laptops it's an easy five min process.

6) Boot -- job done.

You can use the same USB==>SATA cable to use the old 500GB Disk as an external HDD. (If it's IDE still possible to use it as an external disk --just buy an IDE enclosure and it will work fine via a USB port).

One Caveat in all this -- if the old computer doesn't support SATA drives then "All bets are off" --I've no idea whether it's possible or worthwhile to connect an SSD to an IDE port. I think there USED to be some PATA SSD's around (these are IDE type) but whether they are any good I just don't know.

If the SSD is a PATA one then you will have to install the disk in the machine first, create a bootable copy of the Imaging program on a CD, boot it and run the restore from a bootable CD.

Cheers
jimbo

Many thanks to all of you that responded,
You gave me very valuable suggestions.
My HP is a desktop and the HD is SATA type.
Yes, You convinced me that 32 GB is by far too small.
I shall upgrade with 2 GB Ram and 128 Gb SSD.
Many thanks again.