 | | Why all the hype for installing lots of RAM when the system doesn't utilize it? | | Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday and a happy Halloween! It's always so fun to see how excited my kids get during this holiday. I've already lost count of how many times my kids have tried on their costumes already in the past couple weeks. Here's hoping you have spooktacular Halloween! Now let's see what our members had to say about Jhampa's question on why all the hype of adding more RAM (random access memory). The answer to your question, Jhampa, about why there's so much hype for installing lots of RAM when the system doesn't utilize it is: "Bragging rights, period," as Coryphaeus puts it. I'm sure he's just kidding, even though there may be some truth to it among some of the computer technical geeks out there. So really why all the hype? While many members chimed in to give you their opinions, I thought I would bring to your attention a couple of answers that included some interesting points, so give them a read to get you thinking about the hype around RAM: ·"Why the hype" --Submitted by scleung
·"Misinformation" --Submitted by yourpcmedic There are many more great responses to the question posed by Jhampa, and many interesting conversations spawned from it. And from the shared knowledge of folks who participated, I think many folks here will learn a great deal from it. There are no right or wrong answers, so give them all a read. And if any of you folks have additional opinions, join in the discussion and get heard. Thank everyone for your continued support to help one another out. Have a great Halloween and weekend!
Cheers!
- Lee
Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail: messageboards@cnet.com | | | 
Lee Koo
CNET Community manager |  | | Last week's question | | | Why all the hype for installing lots of RAM when the system doesn't utilize it?
 I have always followed the advice of this community, and they have always been great suggestions. I have one question. I have 3GBs of RAM on my current Dell 531S and my new Dell 546, which I will be receiving, will have 4GB of RAM. I have two RAM monitors on my systems that keep an eye on RAM usage. They never go above 1GB and most of the time it is at 225MB to 500MB of usage. So why all the hype for lots of RAM? I periodically do film editing and it still uses only a little RAM. Is there something I am not doing to use more RAM? Is there a way to get the computer to utilize more, a setting I should redo or set? Suggestions and comments appreciated.
-- Submitted by: Jhampa S. | | | | Check out next week's question: | | | Please help, my computer goes rogue on me
 I have a three-year-old laptop, a Compaq nc6400. It's loaded with XP and I am using Microsoft Office '07, as I had a new hard drive installed last year when the old one started acting up. Now, I do go online at various hot spots around my community, but always have my AVG Security active during these visits. I recently dropped the laptop onto a hardwood floor while taking it out of the travel case I use. Since then it seems to run fine, except it will frequently (at least once every day or so) go "rogue" and stop responding to any key except possibly arrow up and down. When I repeatedly strike a key it won't respond until suddenly it will respond with multiple lines of a single character (or back spaces) until I hit "page down" or some other random key and it stops its machine gun behavior. I have picked this unit up held it securely and shaken it upside down, shut it down for 5 minutes and restarted it, used canned air across the keys and a Dust Buster-type vacuum with a focused nozzle on the keyboard, thinking maybe a food particle might be hiding back in some obscure corner. I have run Ad Aware, AVG Security, and Spybot Search and Destroy wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiithout any apparent help. What do your knowledgeable and generous tech helpers suggest? Do I spend my limited funds on a "hospital visit" at my local computer repair shop, or is there something else I should try first? Or maybe do again? Do I have a virus? Have I been hacked? Or is there just something shaken loose in the abrupt impact with the floor? I would appreciate your suggestions.
Thanks in advance for all your thoughts and attempts to help with this challenge.
-- Submitted by: Michael G.
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