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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Computer not coping too well with Photoshop?
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12/21/2007 03:32:20 AM · #1
Sometimes when editing large files my computer starts to lag ridiculously and/or I get error messages about not having enough memory. So I'm guessing this will cause problems in the future when trying to edit RAW files and the like?

When right clicking My Computer and selecting Properties, this is what it lists as my current specs:

"AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2000+
1.55 GHz, 512MB of RAM"

I know, it's a bit old and far from impressive, but I thought I had more RAM than that coz I remember a friend saying he was going to put some more(not heaps, just a little extra) in for me, but maybe it was just talked about and never followed through, however I've got a funny feeling it was. As for space, I've got two 20GB drives and a 40GB one.

What do I generally need to upgrade to stop this happening? I'm guessing RAM, is that right? And if so, anything else? If it is just the RAM that needs boosting up, will the current CPU, motherboard, or any of the other contents of my tower, need to be upgraded to handle the extra RAM?

12/21/2007 03:39:07 AM · #2
You are on the right track, go for at least 2GB of RAM if within yr budget and also
upgrade to a larger hard drive if possible , make sure you always housekeep your
harddrive to leave as much storage as you can.
Also really depends on how large the file sizes you are playing with.... Andrew
12/21/2007 03:41:12 AM · #3
Photoshop loves RAM, the more you can give it, the happier it is. It's surprisingly not that processor intensive or video card dependent.

So... if your budget is limited, go for RAM. Ofcourse 20 and 40 GB drives fill up real quick and Photoshop needs scratch space, along with Window's virtual memory requirements.
12/21/2007 03:43:08 AM · #4
XP2000 is fine, as that was the OS that I was using prior to this 1GB RAM dual core Vista machine. I had been running a 2.66Ghz CPU and had 775MB RAM and though the FSB was considerably slower than this machine and had a slower hard drive, it actually ran faster processing images in Photoshop, and I was over 450MB at times in file sizes. You really need more RAM - the more the better. That machine with 2GB RAM would run fine. Keep in mind PS likes to have a second drive available as a scratch disc, where it writes to/from temp files as a virtual memory.
12/21/2007 04:18:00 AM · #5
id hop ontop of buying atleast another 512 mb of ram so you got 1gig of ram in the machine if it has enough slots otherwise get 1gig sticks or 2 512 sticks. that should do you good. although it is not bad. i recommend getting a new harddrive, one about 200gb or 300gb capacity, expecially for photography, they are around 120-150 bucks, pritty cheep a 500gb western digital off of newegg and its a good deal, its only 7200rpm with 8mb cache but that should be good enough if your not into gaming
12/21/2007 04:43:52 AM · #6
Thanks guys.

So basically, if I was to buy 2GB of RAM and a new hard drive around 250-400GB, that should be enough? Will I need to upgrade any of the other parts(CPU, power supply, motherboard, fan, etc)? Or will the current ones be fine?

And with the RAM, I've been checking out the website of the store I usually go to for computer related stuff and I don't really understand all the different types of RAM and the numbers that are included in the names. Do I just open my tower, write down what I've got at the moment and get more of the same?

Cheers!
12/21/2007 08:15:58 AM · #7
If you go to www.crucial.com they have a tool on their web site which can (usually) identify which type of memory you need.

You should not need to upgrade any other components.
12/21/2007 10:20:51 AM · #8
I have a slightly older machine and I was running into significant lag times with CS2.

I bought 512 more RAM that brought me up to 1GB, and bought an external 500GB hard drive, all for less than $200, and have been fine since.

Quite fast enough and oodles of room.
12/21/2007 11:34:20 AM · #9
Your CPU is a little behind, but adding more memory is going to at least help some. If you are not very experienced with this, go to Crucialand use their Crucial Memory Advisor™ tool to figure out what and how much you can add to the model you have. Their memory chip price is very good too. Let me know if you need more help
12/21/2007 05:53:09 PM · #10
Originally posted by Lee85:

Thanks guys.

So basically, if I was to buy 2GB of RAM and a new hard drive around 250-400GB, that should be enough? Will I need to upgrade any of the other parts(CPU, power supply, motherboard, fan, etc)? Or will the current ones be fine?

And with the RAM, I've been checking out the website of the store I usually go to for computer related stuff and I don't really understand all the different types of RAM and the numbers that are included in the names. Do I just open my tower, write down what I've got at the moment and get more of the same?

Cheers!


Your current CPU, motherboard, power supply and fan should be fine. As others have said, adding memory and a bigger hard disk will give you the biggest performance increase for the smallest money, far more than upgrading CPU would.

The best thing to do would be to write down the model number for your motherboard (should be marked somewhere in relatively large numbers) and current memory. Depending on what your motherboard is and how much memory you're getting, you may end up removing your old memory and putting new memory in rather than adding to it (some motherboards are fussy about what combinations are allowed).

If you're able to post your motherboard model number, one of us might be able to give you pointers on what sort of memory you'll need.

One other thing about memory - buy brand name, not generic. Corsair, Geil, Kingston all have good reputations.
12/22/2007 01:24:07 PM · #11
i actually have 2x512MB PC2100 sticks that have never been used sitting on my desk, if you're after some cheap RAM give me a holla :)
01/11/2017 02:55:17 AM · #12

i'm looking for a new 500GB hard disk drive,
can anyone help me to find the best one?
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