Minimum RAM for XP

[Ann White]

My friend has a Gateway computer with only 56 mg RAM. She has XP
on it but it is terribly slow and seems to have many problems. I would
like to add memory for her. What is the minimum she should have for
XP? Thanks for any input.

 

[MikeP]

If the computer supports it, 256 mb minimum, 512 for nice performance.
Go to www.crucial.com, fill in the details for the computer and it will
recommend
the correct RAM.

 

[Daniel Roth]

I Wouldn't recommend anything below 128MB, even with the classical GUI.

Best performance is 384MB and above

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

My friend has a Gateway computer with only 56 mg RAM.

Are you sure? That's a very unusual number and also below the
minimum amount XP is supposed to run on.

Perhaps you mean 64MB.

She has XP
on it but it is terribly slow and seems to have many problems.

Not surprising, even if it's 64MB.

I
would like to add memory for her. What is the minimum she should
have for XP? Thanks for any input.

How much RAM you need depends on what apps you run, but almost
everyone who runs a range of common business applications finds
that decent performance begins around 256MB.

 

[Steve C. Ray]

Maybe it is 64 installed, with a onboard video using the rest?

 

[Alex Nichol]

My friend has a Gateway computer with only 56 mg RAM. She has XP
on it but it is terribly slow and seems to have many problems. I would
like to add memory for her. What is the minimum she should have for
XP?

That is below the official minimum of 64MB - and even that is going to
be severely restricted. . Probably that is actually a 64 MB module of
which 8 is being taken for Video. Officially 128 is 'recommended' - I
would not want to see less than 192, and consider 256 a sensible start
point. Another 128MB module would be rock bottom. And make sure the
CPU is reasonably adequate too - not under 350MHz and preferably 400 or
500 as a basic level

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

Maybe it is 64 installed, with a onboard video using the rest?

Yes, very likely. Thanks for pointing it out.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
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