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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> even worth the upgrade?
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 01/11/2005 10:18:50 PM · #1
My computer takes a real long time processing RAW files. I am already running with 512mb of memory, but my processor and my FSB are, well, they werent top of the line when i got it 3 years ago, and certainly arent top of the line now.

Basically, my question is, would a memory upgrade really help all that much? or am i just wasting my money?
 01/11/2005 10:22:31 PM · #2
In a nutshell yes...

Unless your box uses PC2100 (266Mhz) or less sticks.

Edit: Should explain...

It is not cost effective to buy PC2100 or less, as manufactures stop making chips they can hold the price high on older SDRAM until the demand subsides, and new mobos aren't using the older RAM so you would be stuck with it in your current mobo.

Message edited by author 2005-01-11 22:27:51.
 01/11/2005 10:22:54 PM · #3
built computer or mass computer? and what are your spec's
 01/11/2005 10:23:20 PM · #4
I don't think adding memory will have any measurable effect on performance. Which software are you using to convert? I know some converters are faster than others, though to be truthful I have not worked with enough of them to have a valid opinon with regard to relative speed.
 01/11/2005 10:28:18 PM · #5
A video card upgrade is likely to have more effect than more memory in this case. When I went from 512 to 1024 in memory it had little effect on speed; just allowed me to keep more stuff open and running at once.

A video card upgrade bumped overall speed in 'shop up by something like 25%.

Robt.
 01/11/2005 10:28:41 PM · #6
1.8Ghz P4, 400 FSB. Its a mass produces no-name brand. It was cheap, and thats what i was looking for.

i know im being picky when i say that my RAW files open slow, i use canons software to open RAWs.

EDIT: my video card is 32mb, would that be more worthwhile upgrade?

it looks like they loaded me up with DRAM (never heard of that), but i can expand with SDRAM

Message edited by author 2005-01-11 22:31:13.
 01/11/2005 10:35:36 PM · #7
Originally posted by maxj:
1.8Ghz P4, 400 FSB. Its a mass produces no-name brand. It was cheap, and thats what i was looking for.

i know im being picky when i say that my RAW files open slow, i use canons software to open RAWs.

EDIT: my video card is 32mb, would that be more worthwhile upgrade?

it looks like they loaded me up with DRAM (never heard of that), but i can expand with SDRAM


1.8 GHz/400FSB is really not that slow.
Yes, with what you currently have for video, you could certainly get a boost with an upgrade. You should just replace the video card; you really should not have to spend more than $75. Look for something that will take as much of the processing load off the main processor as possible.
The Canon software is notoriously poor. Try evaluating different RAW conversion software, you may see a big performance difference.

01/11/2005 10:40:24 PM · #8
alright, i'll look for some software solutions first, probably GIMP.

as always, thanks for all the help
 01/11/2005 10:46:30 PM · #9
Originally posted by maxj:
1.8Ghz P4, 400 FSB. Its a mass produces no-name brand. It was cheap, and thats what i was looking for.

i know im being picky when i say that my RAW files open slow, i use canons software to open RAWs.

EDIT: my video card is 32mb, would that be more worthwhile upgrade?

it looks like they loaded me up with DRAM (never heard of that), but i can expand with SDRAM


With the cost of computers right now and the price of what you may want to upgrade it would probably be cheaper to buy a new one. Your talking about spending 60 or 70 for another stick of ram and at least another 60 for a half descent video card. Wait till next year or do it now?

This one here is 3Ghz with 800fsb and is under $300. Just an example.
 01/11/2005 10:54:19 PM · #10
Are you using Canon Digital Photo Professional 1.1? Seems to work just peachy on mine.

You are opening them via Card reader or from the Hard disk right?

Your FSB is fine, CPU midland, the 32MB Video is killing you. A video card with a faster core clock speed would help emensely.

Some like the PNY GeForce4 MX 4000 ATI has some ok low end Radeons as well.

I'm running a gig of 333mhz Single Channel ram, with a 2800+ barton clocked to 3G, and a Asylum nVidia GEForce 5700 ultra for graphics and raw snap open with Canons DPP.


01/11/2005 11:23:06 PM · #11
I don't think upgrading RAM will change much at all in your case. I have 512 MB as well, and my computer zips through everything I throw at it. It's 2.7 GHz though, and I think that really helps a lot.

My old computer was 433 MHz and came with some stupid number of RAM like 128 -- I upgraded it to 256 and it changed some things a little.

I think in your case, you answered your own question -- your computer is having problems 'processing' the RAW files (it takes too long). That means that you need a faster processor so it can carry out the tasks quicker. Usually when RAM is too low it will do things like when you close the web browser, it will appear to still be on the screen for a while and then slowly fade away to show your desktop or things like that in photoshop.
 01/11/2005 11:53:06 PM · #12
Originally posted by deapee:
That means that you need a faster processor so it can carry out the tasks quicker.


Hate to do this again deapea. Really I'm not picking on you today I swear.

Processor speed is not neary as important as FSB. That is why a 1.33Ghz Mac will out perform a 2Ghz Pentium in graphics any day of the week. The only problem with that is you cannot upgrade front side buss with a simple upgrade. The new Pentiums and the 64bit AMDs have an 800 FSB. Pentium 4s were 400. G5 Macs are a gig. (mine is a dual with 2GHz FSB)

FSB was always a bottleneck with the Pentium 4 processors. It didn't matter how fast the processor got after so much. The information got slowed by the motherboard, HD and Ram.
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