Memory
 

I posted on Bf about a message that I'm sometimes getting "Insuffcient memory Cannot open file" but only got limited information back. It only happens when I'm PP'ing RAW images in DPP not when I'm opening a file.
It has been suggested that I buy more memory but I'm not 100% clear on what i need. Looking at online adds I seem to need to know how many pins I need. Presumably the shop will know that if I tell them the make and model computer?
If I buy memory, am I buying additional memory or am I replacing the memory that's already in the computer. I have 256 mb physical memory which means that at times I drop down to 15 mb of available memory and I assume that's when the problem is occuring. I can certainly afford to buy another 256 mb (assuming it is add-on and not replacement). Would that seem sufficient or do I need to go higher? How tough is it to install? I've changed other components in computers without difficulty but this will be the first ime for memory.Thanks!

Gasp! :eek:

I'm not surprised you are getting "insufficient memory" messages if you are processing raw files on a machine with only 256MB of RAM.

There are many different types of memory available and you need to get some that is compatible with your motherboard. There's more to it than hte number of pins, there's different types and speeds of memory that have the same number of pins. Depending on the make and model of your machine, the shop may be able to tell what kind you need, but don't be surprised if they need to take a look at it.

As for the "add or replace" issue, it all depends on how many memory slots your PC has, and how many of those have been filled by the memory you have fitted. If all your slots are full, you will have to throw away what you have to fit some bigger stuff. If you have spare slots, you may be able to fit more memory in the unused slots.

The good news is that, if you have free, usable slots, and you can buy the appropriate type of bigger memory, it is a doddle to add new memory modules.

I suggest you post some further information on what kind of PC you have, ideally listing the brand and model of motherboard you have fitted. A photo of the inside of your PC showing the memory slots would help. There are software tools, SiSoftSandra springs to mind, that can diagnose the type of motherboard/memory you have that will help you pick the correct replacement.

With a bit of luck, nirofo will be along to offer some further advice, he seems to be our expert in this area.

Regards,

Duncan

Thanks, Duncan! Very helpful. I think that a call to the store where I bought the computer, a Compapc Presario 6000, might make sense before i do anything else. Hopefully they will be able to give me some info. i'll get back to you shortly. I don't want to take the computer in to them because it'll be gone for a least a week and cost about $75 just to look.

Could be either. Motherboards ususlly have 2, 3 or 4 slots for RAM and it dependes on what is installed and how many slots are already in use. For example if your board has 2 slots with 128Mb sticks of RAM in each you will have to go down the replace route. If you have 2 slots with 1 x 256Mb stick then you could just buy additional. If you open up the case you should be able to see how many slots you have and how many are free.

Shop assistant know what they're talking about :confused: Must be different in Canada Dan. When you open up the case, take out the existing RAM and it usually will have a lable on it which tells you what sort it is - whether it is DDR or DDR2, probably DDR, number of pins 168/184 etc, speed either in Mhz 333/400 etc or as PC 2700/3200 (Mhz x 8 = PC ) and CL2.5/3 etc. You must match DDR type & number of pins (otherwise it wont go into your board) and usually CL as well. Speed - again try to match but if the new is faster your mother board will limit.

It depends on your file sizes and the more RAM you've got the better things will work. My recommendation would be to aim for 1Gb of RAM if you can - in UK you can get 2 x 512 sticks for ~£50

Dead easy :D There is usually just a clip at either end on the slot, flick them back, remove the old RAM (if necessary), line up the new sticks - they will only go in one way round - and press them down firmly. Often the clips will automatically click back, but if not ease them back. Reboot and your machine should fly.

Duncan - you beat me to it - I must learn to be more concise :o

This is embarrassing to admit but I can't even get the b***dy case open!
The store has in-store techs and they say that if I bring the computer in, they will check what I nedd while I wait. So that is what i'm going tio do. My wife will probably be unimpressed but i need to do something. Hopefully they won't charge me much for doing that.
I'll let you all know what develops, meanwhile thanks for the replies.

Dan,

From a quick Google, it would appear that a Compaq Presario 6000 has 2 memory slots and takes 266MHz DDR memory. How much capacity the motherboad can handle in total, and how big each slot can take seems to vary depending on which particular 6000 model you have. If you have the handbook for the PC it should say in there. It would appear that even the lowest spec 6000 models can take a 512MB module in each slot and cope with a max total of 1GB. Given the age of the machine, even the slowest of modern 266MHz memory modules should be able to work with this motherboard.

If you want to fit 1GB of memory, you would have to throw away your current 256MB module to fit the two off new 512MB modules. Fitting a single 512MB module in your current spare slot would give you 768MB of memory.

Unless money is particularly tight, I'd second Clive's suggestion and get 1GB. When it comes to photo processing, you need a lot of memory.

Hope this helps.

Duncan

Compaq cases are like that, I used to have one. Look for the green plastic catches. Once you've found them, it will ping off very easily.

Click on the link for "scan my system"

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...m+4+processors)

it should be able to report what kind of memory you have.

The memory you need is DDR266 SDRAM. Beware though I used to work for compaq and their machines at that time needed matching memory modules if more than 1 was installed i.e. 2 lots of 256mb. This may have changed now however but please check with the sales person before buying so that if your memory isn't compatible you can return it fuss free. This won't be a problem if if you are replacing your current memory with say a 1gb module just be aware that the 256 may not work along side it.

I took the computer in and the tech whipped it open and told me what I needed.
The reason I was having trouble opening it was that only one side slides open rather than the whole case coming off as with all of my other computers.
I bought 512 MB of RAM brought it home and installed it to give me a total of 768MB. I tried opening a RAW image and had no problems.
Scampo, writing on BF, made this point >I somehow wonder whether just adding more RAM will solve the problem as when RAM is short, WinXP uses the hard disk to act as a "swap file" to make up for lack of memory. That said, these days 1gb of RAM will make programmes run more quickly.<.
As I said earlier, when I would open an image approx. 240 MB of my Ram would be in use. With the new RAM added, 350 MB seems to be in use. From that I conclude that exactly what Scamo mentioned was probably happening which in turn may account for my slow image processing.
The new RAM was listed online at $89 Cdn but at the store, on the rack, it was labled $69 but that turned out to be an error, $89 was the right price. I was quite prepared to pay the correct price but the store insisted on giving it to me for the displayed priced. Their policy apparently! Nice to get lucky! The tech. didn't charge for looking in the computer so rather a satisfying sequence of events.
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll post how things go.

"I'm not surprised you are getting "insufficient memory" messages if you are processing raw files on a machine with only 256MB of RAM."

I didn't know Windows XP could even run in so little memory. You live and learn.

Scampo/Steve is half right. Windows XP does have virtual memory paging, so if an application uses more memory than is available, it will page out to disk information it is not using. But, and this is a big but, the overhead is huge. Quite simply virtual memory paging can slow a system to a crawl. Really the best most effective way to speed up a PC is to buy more memory. I think 1 GB is the bare minimum with XP, and 2 GB is preferred. I would go for 3 GB but my damned motherboard only has two slots with a maximum of 1GB in each.

There is also the issue with Photoshop of where you put the swap file which can make a difference. (Google to find out.)

Quite right. Dell also have that requirement. I think it applies to DDR2 memory only and not DDR. (I think it is to do with the way the system addresses memory. With DDR2 it polls both blocks at the same time to speed up memory access.) DDR2 memory costs more but runs faster.

You need to be more precise about the model number of your laptop computer, it seems there are at least 3 different models in the 6000 series. However the basic model will take up to 2048MB (2GB) in 2x1024MB DDR2 PC2-5300 speed modules. Crucial price for 2GB = £117.49 inc. VAT at this web address: http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/list...o+V6000+Series

Doesn't need to be matching pairs, you can install single modules of your choice, each memory slot can hold DDR2 PC2-5300 with a maximum of 1GB per slot.

Extract from Crucial web page:

Guaranteed compatible memory upgrades for your HP - Compaq Presario V6000 Series Laptop/Notebook.

• Maximum Memory: 2048MB
• USB Support: 2.x Compliant
• Standard Memory: 512 or 1024MB removable
• Slots: 2 (2 banks of 1)

Q: What memory goes into my computer, and can I mix speeds?

A: DDRII memory with support for DDR2 PC2-5300 speeds. Because DDR2 memory is backward-compatible, you can safely upgrade your system with any of the guaranteed-compatible DDR2 speeds listed below.


Q: How much memory can my computer handle?
A: 2048MB.
Adding the maximum amount of memory will improve performance and help extend the useful life of your system as you run increasingly demanding software applications in the future.

Q: Do I have to install matching pairs?

A: No. No, you can install modules one at a time, and you can mix different densities of modules in your computer. But if your computer supports dual-channel memory configurations, you should install in identical pairs (preferably in kits) for optimal performance.


Q: Does my computer support dual-channel memory?

A: No. Your system does not support dual channel.



Q: Does my computer support ECC memory?

A: No. Your system does not support ECC. Because ECC and non-ECC modules should not be mixed within a system, install the same type of modules that are already in your system.


Fitting is simple but requires the usual static precautions before you start.

Quote:

£99.99 ex. VAT £117.49 inc. VAT* http://images.crucial.com/images/res...ODIMMkit_2.gif 2GB kit (1GBx2) CT576512 DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 128Meg x 64

Quote:

£49.99 ex. VAT £58.74 inc. VAT* http://images.crucial.com/images/res...-pinSODIMM.gif 1GB CT576510 DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 128Meg x 64

Quote:

£51.99 ex. VAT £61.09 inc. VAT* http://images.crucial.com/images/res...ODIMMkit_2.gif 1GB kit (512MBx2) CT576514 DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 64Meg x 64

Quote:

£28.99 ex. VAT £34.06 inc. VAT* http://images.crucial.com/images/res...-pinSODIMM.gif 512MB CT576515 DDR2 PC2-5300 • CL=5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR2-667 • 1.8V • 64Meg x 64

nirofo.

My computer is a Presario 6000 desktop not laptop. It came with XP, 256 mb of RAM and has worked well up until the past month or so. It has been fast and stable until I started processing RAR files in DPP v.6 or in Picasa.
Perhaps someday I'll upgrade to 1 G of RAM but for now everything is working fine.
Thanks for the input.

Hi Snowyowl

Sorry for that, I just assumed it was a notebook, anyway here's a couple of links to the memory spec for your computer, depending on whether it's an Athlon or a Pentiun 4 motherboard.

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/list...+processors%29

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/list...+processors%29

nirofo.

I use this laptop for convenience not for speed when processing Raw files, if you thought 256mb of ram would not work try useing 96mb :)

96mb ram

Jim

My additional memory seems to have sorted out my problems and the computer seems generally to perfrom better.