Understanding RAM benefits re: iMac, OS 10.2.8

dc3

Superficial question: Should I add RAM today? (iMac 1.25G4 has 256MB)

Deeper question: Where, when, and WHY does RAM make a difference (or not)?

Background: I felt like I understood when my OS 8/9 233MHz iMac needed more than 96MB--several running apps took up all the memory, and I could look at bar graphs showing me the main culprits (IE5, Limewire, Word, maybe iTunes). When I upgraded apps they wanted even more, so I had to add RAM or stop leaving apps open simultaneously. So, I upgraded to 288MB in that machine.

Now, 10.2.8 in my new G4 iMac tells me what % of memory is being used by which app, but I don't have a sense of when the system needs more. It seems to do better most of the time on its original 256MB than my G3 iMac did on 288MB. Specifically, it doesn't seem to care how many apps I have open. Mostly, I only notice sluggishness when Limewire is running (and, at 25%, it's using more memory than anything else), but not always, and Limewire causes other problems for no reason I understand, like screwing up my DSL connection. I wonder what the real factors are here?

brussell

You'll probably get a better answer from a more technical person, but basically more RAM allows you to use your hard drive less frequently, and hard drive access is much slower than RAM access. You'll see differences 1) in apps that use a lot of memory themselves and 2) when you flip among different open apps. If you run out of RAM in either of those situations, you'll go into virtual memory, you'll hear your hard drive crunching, and you'll slow down.



But if you don't notice or think it's bad, don't do it!

bunge

Reduce your upload allocation in Limewire. It can drag a good machine to its knees.



It is hard to know when you need more RAM now because OS X is really good even when you don't have enough. Personally, I'd like 512 MB or more because I sometimes run a bunch of programs at once. If you only use Mail and Safari, 256 is probably fine.

airsluf

Kickaha and Amorph couldn't moderate themselves out of a paper bag. Abdicate responsibility and succumb to idiocy. Two years of letting a member make personal attacks against others, then stepping aside when someone won't put up with it. Not only that but go ahead and shut down my posting priviledges but not the one making the attacks. Not even the common decency to abide by their warning (afer three days of absorbing personal attacks with no mods in sight), just shut my posting down and then say it might happen later if a certian line is crossed. Bullshit flag is flying, I won't abide by lying and coddling of liars who go off-site, create accounts differing in a single letter from my handle with the express purpose to decieve and then claim here that I did it. Everyone be warned, kim kap sol is a lying, deceitful poster.



Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.



Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.

dc3

>>bunge: "Reduce your upload allocation in Limewire"



I reduced max # allowed from 10 down to 4. Bandwidth allowed is around 80%, but programs fighting for upstream bandwidth shouldn't cause a general system slowdown anyway, should they?



>>AirSluf: "Limewire runs over Java so it is essentially a double duty RAM hog"



I suspected this, but never knew anything.



>>"timing isn't supposed to be a issue with network code"



What does that mean?



>>" hit the HD a lot for VM"



This iMac is really quiet, and I rarely hear the HD churning. If I try to listen am I going to start hearing it all the time?

airsluf

Kickaha and Amorph couldn't moderate themselves out of a paper bag. Abdicate responsibility and succumb to idiocy. Two years of letting a member make personal attacks against others, then stepping aside when someone won't put up with it. Not only that but go ahead and shut down my posting priviledges but not the one making the attacks. Not even the common decency to abide by their warning (afer three days of absorbing personal attacks with no mods in sight), just shut my posting down and then say it might happen later if a certian line is crossed. Bullshit flag is flying, I won't abide by lying and coddling of liars who go off-site, create accounts differing in a single letter from my handle with the express purpose to decieve and then claim here that I did it. Everyone be warned, kim kap sol is a lying, deceitful poster.



Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.



Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.