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Author Archive: Josh Shapiro

Speed Up Your Computer With More RAM 4

RAM (random-access memory) is the lightning fast volatile memory in your computer that the operating system and active programs access as a type of short-term memory for the CPU. This differs from your hard drive (HDD) which is considerably slower, but a cheaper form of long-term storage. While most HDDs have a transfer rate between 70-120 MB/sec, in comparison, the DDR3-1333 memory we used in our workstation build has a transfer rate of around 10,600 MB/sec. Without mechanical speed limitations, DDR SDRAM and other forms of solid-state memory have random access read and write speeds hundreds of times faster than HDDs. Not surprisingly, with higher performance comes a higher cost. HDD storage is as low as $0.10/GB, where as DDR2 memory is closer to $25.00/GB. There’s a hefty price tag associated with using DDR2 for long-term storage. (e.g. ACARD ANS-9010 and other DDR SSDs.) While using DDR SDRAM for long-term storage is too expensive for the average person, with prices for DDR2 continually decreasing, adding more RAM to your aging computer is a great way to speed it up and extend its life.

What can adding more RAM do for you?
RAM acts as a fast memory cache for system processes. Having more memory allows more programs to run simultaneously without having to access the slower virtual memory on the hard drive. Because DDR2 memory for laptops and desktops has become so cheap, adding more gives you the biggest bang compared to other hardware upgrades. Given that both Windows Vista and Windows 7 are particularly memory hungry, 2 GB of RAM is the sweet spot for most users, however if you are multitasking with resource intensive applications (i.e. Photoshop, Video Editing), consider getting more. (Note 1/2/10: I should mention that a 32-bit system won’t be able to utilize 4GB of RAM to its entirety.) With as little as $25 of RAM making a noticeable increase in performance, it’s a great way to stretch the life of a computer. Of course, upgrading your hardware is second to basic computer maintenance. Neglecting to disk defrag, optimize your start-up processes, update your drivers, and keep your registry clean will have a substantial impact on computer performance which adding more RAM won’t solve. Since the latter are all free, it would be wise to do some much-needed maintenance before deciding if you really need to upgrade. Read More

By Josh Shapiro In Hardware & Tips & Tweaks On Friday, January 1, 2010 With Comments (4)

Building a Workstation – Part 1 6

Whether you’re performing engineering simulations, rendering CG scenes, or you just want a beat all gaming rig, there are times where your average desktop computer just doesn’t cut. For these times there’s the workstation. With similarly specced systems from HP and Dell costing upwards of $6000, we decided to build our own, and Project Colossus was born.

Project Colossus
To meet our needs, The Colossus had to be a versatile powerhouse that could multitask like no other with an emphasis on CPU rendering, all within my budget. I decided to go with a dual-socket Intel e5500 platform, keeping the cost to performance ratio in mind to avoid diminishing returns. Data redundancy was a must and extra scavenged hard drives are used to help keep costs down. After putting a plan together, it was time to do some shopping.
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By Josh Shapiro In Hardware On Friday, December 18, 2009 With Comments (6)

Choosing The Right Computer Monitor 1

With so many options available on the market, for some, choosing the right computer monitor may seem like a daunting task. While the average consumer is often focused on price point alone, the fact that “you get what you pay for” still holds true. The two monitors I’ll be using for an example in this article are the Samsung 2494SW, a common 24″ retail monitor now priced online at $209.99 and the $549.99 HP LP2475w, a popular ‘prosumer’ wide gamut monitor that’s easy on the wallet, relatively speaking.