Q: According to my CPU-Z scan, I currently have 256MB DDR RAM in one slot with a second available slot. Also my on-board video controller shares system memory(if that is relevant). Due to slow performance of my computer I performed spyware removals, defrags, system scans etc etc with little improvement. Still simple programs like Excel, Word, Firefox and many others seem to take forever to load. So my next step is upgrading memory. Firstly, what is the minimum RAM should I upgrade to for gaming & surfing(generally not too taxing on computer), using Office products etc and other young kids programs that require less RAM than I've currently got? Secondly, what is the maximum upgrade I should consider for now or future use? Lastly, does DDR2 come into the equation or is it incompatible with DDR slots? And how much improvement should I expect on my P4 2.5G system?
A: If you want maximum performance, upgrade your RAM to its maximum ability. That way your performance is guaranteed. DDR and DDR2 are incompatible with each other. Expect perfomance to increase alot, faster boot times, faster load times for programs. Your graphics card /video card will receive a boost too because it is shared, that means the things on your computer will look better and lag less.