Should I Upgrade to 8GB of DDR2 RAM?

[Groucho Marxist]

Within the next few weeks, I will finally be able to afford my dream laptop; a System76 Pangolin Performance with maxed out technical specifications (i.e. 3.06 Ghz Processor etc.,). However, I am interested in knowing if anyone here could help answer a question that I am concerned about regarding RAM upgrades.

As a video and audio editor, as well as a PC gamer, RAM is extremely important to me, and I feel blessed to have enough money to make the upgrade from 2 to 8GB on this laptop. However, a friend of mine recently related how, with the advent of DDR3 RAM, DDR2 RAM is obsolete/irrelevant. In order to create the highest quality dual-booting experience for both my Linux and Windows media, should I upgrade to 8GB of DDR2 RAM? Thank you to anyone in advance who can help me out with this querry.

[jml]

I think that your friend is overstating the situation a bit. The advent of a newer RAM technology does not make currently available technology automatically obsolete. Especially if it still does the job you need to do. Secondly, unless I am mistaken, I think a new RAM architecture will need compatible mother boards to utilise it. I would assume that computer manufacturer's product lines will have to be upgraded to support the new RAM. Then I assume that there will be a bit of a lag between introduction to the availability of Linux compatibility. So the likelihood of being able to install this new style RAM into a computer purchased today is small.

Since you are planning to use your computer with very resource intensive applications, I would spec. it out to the limits of your budget. I know you can usually add RAM later, but this way you know all of the hardware will work and be under warranty. Except for the cost, I see no reason not to buy the 8 gigs of ram. Besides, think of the bragging rights! ;-)

Joe

[Eldera]

Did you check the specs on the Serval?

http://system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=88

[drewbenn]

In order to create the highest quality dual-booting experience for both my Linux and Windows media, should I upgrade to 8GB of DDR2 RAM?

There have been one or two threads in these forums about RAM before, and I think the general consensus was that you'd only need that much RAM if you are going to be running virtual machines. From what I understand, 4GB should be enough for just about anything you'll encounter in Linux; unless you have a specific application in mind for Windows that requires more, I would think that 4GB would be enough in Windows, too. On the other hand, if you decide to run Windows in a virtual machine, so you don't have to reboot to switch between your Ubuntu and Windows environments, having 8GB of RAM would allow you to run a Windows VM with a full 4GB of RAM without negatively impacting anything you do in Ubuntu.

[PatrickVogeli]

8gb Ram are $440, while 4gb are $50. I'd expect that in some months the 4gb sticks will drop in price, and you'll get 2 of them for less than $200 or $300... Think if you really need them NOW or you can wait half a year

[Groucho Marxist]

Since you are planning to use your computer with very resource intensive applications, I would spec. it out to the limits of your budget. I know you can usually add RAM later, but this way you know all of the hardware will work and be under warranty. Except for the cost, I see no reason not to buy the 8 gigs of ram. Besides, think of the bragging rights! ;-)

Joe

Thanks for the feedback! I'm thinking that although it would cost more to upgrade the RAM now, it would be unwise for me to invalidate a warranty as soon as I received this laptop. On a separate note, I checked out the specs for the Serval model, and as strange as this sounds, it would be less expensive for me {according to my available funds} to upgrade a Pangolin model to the computing powerhouse listed about than to simply buy the next model up.

Thank you, everyone, for helping me out with this technological inquisition :)

[PatrickVogeli]

talk with Tom about the warranty. New ram sticks shouldn't actually invalidate the warranty. But check with him first.

About the serval.. it has better graphics and DDR3 ram, that's why it's more expensive. Would be the one I'd go for.

[HotShotDJ]

On a separate note, I checked out the specs for the Serval model, and as strange as this sounds, it would be less expensive for me {according to my available funds} to upgrade a Pangolin model to the computing powerhouse listed about than to simply buy the next model up.This is true to a limited extent. But with the Serval, you'll enjoy the benefits of a higher end graphics card (this will help with your gaming) and the faster DDR3 RAM. Given the way you will be using the laptop, you might be better off rolling back to a less expensive CPU (the difference in speed between the 2.8 GHz and 3.08 GHz processor will not be perceptible) and roll back to 4G RAM. Don't try to upgrade the RAM right away. The prices will fall in the future and upgrading it then if you still feel you need more RAM should not void your warranty (as suggested, double check this with System76).

Having said that, the research that I've done regarding DDR2 vs. DDR3 suggests that you won't see much difference in real-world speed. Some articles I've read suggest that this is because current software doesn't take advantage of some of the additional capabilities of DDR3 over DDR2. But I'm not really qualified to render an opinion on the accuracy of those claims. Nevertheless, I agree with a previous poster who said that your friend is overstating the situation. DDR2 is neither obsolete nor irrelevant, at least net yet.

If you absolutely must have a 3.02 GHz processor and 8G RAM, then you will probably be very happy with the Pangolin. However, if you are willing to go with a slightly slower processor and 4G RAM, you might find the Serval within your budget requirements and it will give you a higher-end graphics card.

By way of full disclosure, I do not own a System76 computer -- yet -- I'm in the process of accumulating the funds to buy one myself.