Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software
bchacc at san.rr.com
Mon Jan 3 09:50:06 CST 2005
When I look at the processes running in the task manager I see a LOT of stuff running that doesn't show in the applications tab. Perhaps that's where a lot of the RAM is going. Rocky ----- Original Message ----- From: "John W. Colby" <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> To: "'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'" <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 6:12 AM Subject: RE: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster > 512 mb should indeed be enough. Unfortunately it just isn't anymore. I > haven't figured out exactly why but WinXP just sucks up memory. As an > example right now I have open WinXP, Outlook and Firefox with a single > tab. > Of course I have Norton AV and Sygate firewall as well (this is my > laptop). > Oh, and Folding at Home is loaded and processing a large work unit (100mb), > Yahoo and Messenger (which I don't use much but can't seem to get rid of). > > I have 1.25 gb ram (a 256m dimm and a 1 g dimm). Task manager shows 1.3 g > total ram with 700g free. That means that 600g is being used. For what? > All of the applications I mention only total about 300mb. I can only > assume > that Windows is really huge and lots of pieces of it are being pulled in. > > I found my system was always swapping to disk, which of course with the > 4200 rpm disk is just horribly slow. Just expanding to a gig or more of > ram > pretty much stops the swapping, but with the 4200 rpm disk load times were > interminably slow. It would take 4 minutes to just load everything. Now > with the 7200 rpm disk everything loads in about 1 minute 30 seconds or > so. > The same difference applies as I open access, open Visual Studio etc. > > I spent a lot of money (to me) on a modern laptop with a powerful > processor > etc. To not upgrade the hard disk and ram jut didn't make sense. > > John W. Colby > www.ColbyConsulting.com > > Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: > http://folding.stanford.edu/ > > -----Original Message----- > From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Erwin Craps - > IT > Helps > Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 3:26 AM > To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues > Subject: RE: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster > > > Well I can guarantee you also that change to a 7200 speed thing nicely up. > 512MB RAM should be sufficiant, but greatly depends on the number of apps > at > the same time. > > I notice that when I start photoediting some 8M pixel photos, I'm > diskswapping alot. > > Erwin > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John W. Colby > Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 10:48 PM > To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues' > Subject: RE: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster > > Lol. You really must believe me, I've been there. Replacing my hard disk > made the whole thing feel faster. Adding memory minimized swapping. > Taken > together they made a significant and noticeable difference. > > In a few years the 4200 rpm drives will not be used anymore. They were > used > to minimize operating current, but the new 5400 and 7200 rpm drives don't > use that much more current now. > > As for the memory, 500mb is not really all that much, especially if the > video is taking some. And WinXP is a memory hog too. I was really > unhappy > with my laptop performance (after the first few months ;~), and swapping > that hardware made it a real machine, every bit as fast as an equivalent > desktop machine. > > John W. Colby > www.ColbyConsulting.com > > Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: > http://folding.stanford.edu/ > > -----Original Message----- > From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin > - Beach Access Software > Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 2:15 PM > To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues > Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster > > > Ack! Hardware! Maybe I'm not in as much of a hurry as I thought. :) > > But thanks for the lead. I wonder if doubling the memory would be > effective? > > Rocky > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John W. Colby" <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> > To: "'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'" > <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 11:02 AM > Subject: RE: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster > > >> First thing to do is go get a 7200 rpm drive. I am serious Rocky. >> Laptops come with 4200 rpm drives and they suck for access speeds. >> >> http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-146-020&d >> epa=0 >> >> Get a usb port connected shell that holds the hard drive (the form >> factor >> is >> important here, laptop hds are smaller). Then attach the new drive to > >> your >> laptop. Ghost the contents out to the new drive. Swap the internal > with >> the new one. It took me about 1 hour (plus the transfer time of the > ghost >> operation), dead simple to do. >> >> After that get a 1gb dim. I bought this one for my EMachines: >> >> http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4158153 >> >> My laptop now performs like it should. >> >> John W. Colby >> www.ColbyConsulting.com >> >> Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: >> http://folding.stanford.edu/ >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky >> Smolin - Beach Access Software >> Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 1:55 AM >> To: dba-tech >> Subject: [dba-Tech] Laptop should run faster >> >> >> Dear tech: >> >> My laptop doesn't run as fast as I thin it should (who's does?). I >> recall vaguely some tips about things that can be turned of in windows > >> that tend to bog things down. Some kind of logging, or indexing, or >> audit trailing, or something. >> >> Anyway, if anyone has any hints I'll give them a try. It's a 64bit >> Athlon processor running with 512MB RAM and WXP Home. Seems to be >> doing a lot of disk swapping when starting or terminating programs. >> Also slow startup when changing user accounts. >> >> Any tips appreciated. >> >> Best, >> >> Rocky Smolin >> Beach Access Software >> http://www.e-z-mrp.com >> 858-259-4334 >> _______________________________________________ >> dba-Tech mailing list >> dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> dba-Tech mailing list >> dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >> > > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > dba-Tech mailing list > dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >