In the old (32bit) days the rule of thumb was that for windows you needed as much memory as you could get or afford.
Nowadays unless you are using multiple programs at once or editing photos or video the “law of diminishing returns” means you get little benefit with more than 4GB.
However, with 2GB, Windows has to make regular use of “virtual memory” (writing and retrieving from the hard disc) so making everything slower. Having 4GB lets it keep more in RAM so everything is much quicker.
As they say in motorsport, “Speed costs, how fast do you want to go?”
It is hard to find even a cheap laptop nowadays with less than 4GB.
Would a 2GB laptop run smoothly just using the internet and Microsoft word and anti-virus as well? Yes it would, if you really want to cut corners. The anti-virus possibly being the thing to slow it down. And you don’t need an i7!
Meursault (30-03-16)
"The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation" - Henry David Thoreau.
I have several computers because I kept the old ones when I updated.
I have an old Pentium with 1GB of ram.
It doesn’t have the overhead of an anti-virus program but it accesses the internet and runs Microsoft Word just fine.
[Hard Disc does thresh a lot because of the "virtual memory" but as I said, it’s OK]
Last edited by SteveB; 30-03-16 at 17:54. Reason: Note about "virtual memory" and Hard Disc threshing
Meursault (30-03-16)
"The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation" - Henry David Thoreau.
Meursault (30-03-16)
Meursault (30-03-16)