Hi.

Built a computer about two years ago for Christmas.  Nothing stunning, but very solid. XP 1700+, Radeon 8500 LE, half a gig of DDR 2700, win2k pro.

Ram is getting dirt cheap again.  I don't want to put a lot of money into this at this point, but will adding another half gig of memory show much of an improvement?

57.99 from crucial.   sure why not.


i don't think i would really spend much more on that speed system though.   I would definetly save towards a faster system

my testing(junk) linux box is a 1800+    

You'll see a modest improvement in SOME applications.  If Windows is now using a disk "swap file" (virtual memory) during some applications or processes, more memory will help.

Well, this computer does everything I need/want.  It does so in a respectable time frame.  Lately, though, a few things happened

I realized how cheap ram is
I'm spending more time in front of it, though I'm meaning to cut down
Opening up over twenty browser windows at a time, it's a touch slow to swap between with music playing and a few other applications open.

Thanks, I'll get a stick.

It's also running a bit warm - I have an 80mm on the stock heatsink, and another 80mm in the back of the case.  More fans, larger fans, something else?  Don't screw with it as long as it's working and quiet?

I have two 80mm case fans, one in front, one in back.

The front fan pushes air in, while the rear fan and PS fan exhaust air out.

I think it will be worth the cost if it is less than $75 and you intend to use the computer for three or four more years. Otherwise, do as the others say and save up for a totally new system. 1gig is the minimum for good performance these days.