How much RAM do you guys use/need in order to run smoothly?
onegirlcreative (1092 points) | Mon, 2008-09-15 16:17I am finding recently that the more I work on Illustrator and Photoshop, my computer is a nightmare it's so slow. And I just purchased it in January. I have a 24" Intel iMac, 2.4 GHz and 1 GB RAM. Silly me, I actually thought 1 GB of RAM would be sufficient. Apparently not. It's a nightmare.
So now I need to purchase more RAM. What is an acceptable amount for both programs (or all) to run smoothly? It has gotten to the point, that when I'm finished with Photoshop, I have to close it out immediately because it REALLY slows Illustrator down, and I like to keep my programs open for ease of use.
Thanks guys!
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
Suz, I have 2 gigs of RAM on both my main studio computer and laptop. RAM is one of the best buys on the computer market, so don't scrimp! You'll work so much more efficiently and confidently after you upgrade -- trust me.
I know that ANY expense right now is unwelcome. Maybe others here will have some ideas about how to capitalize now on the RAM you have if you need to wait a bit. Used to be (back in System 9.x days) we'd always be advised to run various HD cleanup apps to get best performance, but I'm not sure if that applies to the new Mac OS.
Mara
Don't forget other factors like buying an external hard drive for storage and as a scratch disk for photoshop. If your computer is full with your files, it will run slower.
And, a regular maintenance program will help you keep your comp in top shape:
1. Repair permissions weekly
2. Use OnyX or Cocktail to run chron scripts and clean caches
3. I love CacheOut to clean caches as well
4. Restart your computer periodically as issues can build up as a result of constant use
5. Keep your hard drive as clean and free of data as possible as your RAM borrows virtual memory from hard disk space.
6. Turn off any unused and uncessary features like window animations (suck, genie, anyone?!)
7. Don't run several browsers, CS Suite and your favorite chat programs all at once. Every app on is more drain to your RAM.
8. Get iStat Info widget to monitor your computer's RAM usage
Leopard is quite the RAM hog but you can minimize it by not having all the fancy features turned on. Things like scrolling desktop backgrounds, etc. 1MB RAM should be suffient for the work you're describing.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
I definitely reboot my computer every, single night. I never leave it on overnight. I am also an advocate of rebooting for a quicker, more efficient system.
I don't typically leave a bunch of programs open simultaneously, other than Illustrator (always open), Safari, Firefox and Mail app. Maybe iChat here and there (Ahem...Nato). That's pretty much it. The rest I'll typically open and close up again if I'm not using.
I have plenty of space on my HD right now (225 GB free available), so I don't think that's necessarily the issue. I just think it's simply put, not enough RAM. I guess with CS3 and Leopard, 1 GB is not even close to being sufficient. So I may just upgrade.
Any suggestions on where to buy the least expensive (but of course, reputable) RAM sticks?
Thanks guys.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
crucial.com or smalldog.com
I'd recommend not running both browsers at once. FF especially can be a memory hog.
Make sure Photoshop has your hard drive set as a scratch disk.
What types of files are you working on? Maybe if I knew this I could give more specific suggestions.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
Do you mean photos, layouts, etc.?
Mostly vector stuff in Illustrator, but I'll need Photoshop to edit the photos beforehand.
Nothing to intense, but enough to slow my computer down, that's for sure.
Never thought not to have both Firefox and Safari running at the same time. I'll have to try that.
BTW, I download iStat, per your recommendation. Now I'll just have to figure out how to read it. ;)
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
Just wanted to find out how intense your work was. It doesn't sound like you're retouching 11x17 300dpi files with 100s of layers, so it's perplexing that you're having slow down issues on your comp. The cleanup tips I gave should really help. You should try not shutting down your computer as much. Maybe leave the comp on, but sleep it, and shut it off for the weekend.
Yep, FF and Safari when run together can use almost half of your RAM so it's important not to have them both running if you don't have to.
iStat is fairly easy to read. It's broken up into processor temp, RAM usage, etc.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
Why would you NOT recommend rebooting every night? Personally, I always felt it was good for the computer to reboot daily. Now I'm wondering why you're suggesting NOT to. I need to know these things. ;)
I will implement those cleaning recommendations and see how things work. Even though this computer was just purchased brand new in January, I still have never cleaned it out, if you will.
I guess that's another way to go, but I think regardless, I'll need to upgrade my RAM soon.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
Well, for one you're putting more stress on your hard drive and power supply by shutting down and starting up every time. Kind of like your car. You wouldn't turn it off at every stop light, would you?
It's similar, though not exactly the same, with your mac.
Also, your mac goes through cleaning routines around 3am automatically but if the computer's off, it won't run those things. The cleaning tips I showed you force these processes to happen when you want them to.
Some good thoughts here:
http://www.applemacpunk.com/C228008187/E20060214174317/index.html
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
Thanks, Nat. For years I have been rebooting my computers every, single night. I leave them on all day long, but reboot when I go to bed. I guess I will have to rethink that.
Here's a question that he didn't cover in his FAQ's. Do you leave your applications open, as well? Or just close those out and restart everyday? I would think by leaving them open continuously that it significantly slows things down. But if not, I'm more than willing to try them open.
Thanks for the FYI.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
Doesn't really matter. I just leave apps on that I need and keep the rest off. Ur welcome for the FYI. :)
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
not shut off. But I realize that in order for those system checks at 3 a.m. to work, that it needs to be "awake." However, my screen is so big that it glows so bright (even with the darkest screen saver) and it's right by our bedrooms.
I'm weird, I know. ;)
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
Go to your Preferences/Energy Saver Settings and set the screen to go black but turn sleep OFF and don't have the hard disk sleep either. Or just run the apps I told you about when you go to lunch and don't worry about when your computer sleeps. :)
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
I will try it tonight. I'm sure it won't be a big deal. Thanks, Nat.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
RAM is a funny one, you will eventually get to a point where the computer wont get faster no matter how much you put in, which is where cleaning up and re-organising comes into play.
I had 2.5gb in my G5 powermac and it ran fast. Everything loaded fine, no hassles etc. Then I was given an offer of an extra 4gb, so I shoved that in thinking it would be lightning - no difference! So i now have 6.5gb but in day-to-day running doesnt make the slightest change. You only notice it when rendering video.
2gb i would say these days for PS and Illustrator is the bench. My works iMac had that and it was pretty smooth.
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Richard Ramsay :: Graphic Designer
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Richard Ramsay // Freelance Graphic Designer
www.richardramsay.com
Is the extra RAM you put in showing up in About this Mac? It used to be that you had to install RAM in a certain sequence (alternating pattern); not sure if it's still this way today.
Also, there are different kinds of ram so maybe you installed a type that isn't supported by your mac?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
Hi Nato,
The RAM was all installed properly and does indeed show up in the 'about this mac' window. In general day-to-day running, I doubt any of us need more than 2.5gb, unless we are making some fancy artwork in photoshop using millions of layers and filters. I rarely use most of the 6.5gb I have. It only becomes 'active' when rendering video, encoding video or indeed adding loads of filters to artwork.
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Richard Ramsay :: Graphic Designer
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Richard Ramsay // Freelance Graphic Designer
www.richardramsay.com
You made it sound like the RAM was bad. Of course you won't notice much difference unless you push it hard.
It's much easier to notice the difference between .5G RAM AND 1G RAM than it is for 2GB or 4GB to 6GB.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
I work on a new 2 x 2.8 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Mac Pro Desktop and I am only running 2 GB of ram. It works great.
I keep meaning to add ram (I didn't want to pay for extra ram from the factory as I like money), but I just haven' gotten around to it yet. I run all the Adobe apps and even XP through Parallels concurrently and I haven't seen any significant slowdown. The new RAM will just be added piece of mind.
i run 4gb on every machine i have (3, btwn work and home). don't always notice a diff btwn that and 2gb, but sometimes i do. it's really more PS with bigger files than anything else.
i would definitely say 2gb is a reasonable minimum for most design work. you should at least upgrade to that, if you can. RAM has gotten fairly inexpensive. my 4gb for my laptop was probably $60 or so after rebate, and that was last fall.
I definitely wan to do a minimum of 2 GB, maybe a bit more. But right now, funds are a bit tight, so I can't really splurge on much. Do you think adding another 1 GB stick will make the difference? I got this straight from Apple, so there's still another slot available.
Also, I don't do intense work on Photoshop (with tons of layers, filters, etc.) so that's why I am surprised that a simple PS editing/rendering slows things down so much.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
yes, i think another 1G stick will make a difference w/o slammiing your wallet.
RAM is cheap nowadays. Get 4GB in your iMac and enjoy speed. There is little difference between 2 and 4. But there is a huge difference between 1 and 2.
then I will definitely go for the gusto and get 4 GB.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
I think upping your RAM to 4 or 6GB is total overkill for the type of work you normally do.
Run the cleaning scripts and restart and you might find you don't need to get any more RAM at all.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
since she only has 1gb now, i'd recommend going to 2. but 4+ is probably overkill. it wouldn't hurt, but it probably won't help enough to justify the expense, especially if money's tight. but that 2nd GB will definitely help.
I've got 2GB now and could do with more but my poor old Macbook won't support it.
I'll see if I can afford a new machine when I'm back from sunny Florida in October.
www.jamnittygritty.com
I buy from Ramjet.
http://www.ramjet.com/
Apple RAM is ungodly expensive, but I didn't want to take any chances with my first RAM upgrade on my MacPro, so I bought directly from Apple. Since then, I've used Ramjet exclusively to update my MacPro, iMac, and Macbook Pro with excellent results. Prices are much more affordable and I've had no stability issues whatsoever. Another bonus: according to Temperature Monitor, my Ramjet RAM runs much cooler than my original stock RAM from Apple.
As far as the "leave it on or turn it off" debate, I prefer to leave them all on, but since I've upgraded to Leopard, I turn my MacPro off. It has an annoying habit of randomly waking itself several times during the night and I hate to waste energy.
I really appreciate it. I think for now, at least until I get a job, I will just upgrade to 2 GB (just another 1 GB), because as Nat pointed out, I am not doing anything that intense to justify higher than 2 GB of RAM. At least I know I could always upgrade down the road if needed.
I guess if I find that prices aren't that much more for a 2 GB stick as opposed to a 1 GB stick, then yes, I will definitely invest in the higher RAM. But for now, I think a total of 2 GB will be sufficient.
Thanks Guys! You're the best!
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
check to see if this will work. the crucial web site is very good for telling you what RAM will work in your machine. if it does, this is a great price on RAM.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=95911&t=926920
Crucial Laptop Memory: 4GB (2GBx2) DDR2 PC2-5300 SO-DIMM $35 after $35MIR, 2GB (1x2GB) DDR2 PC5300 SO-DIMM $13 after $25MIR
so $70 - $35 rebate =$35 for 4gb of crucial RAM. and crucial has one of the best reps out there for RAM.
might even be able to make a few dollars selling your old stick of RAM on craigslist or ebay.
I also have my old stick from my laptop that I need to sell, but it is only 128 MB, so not much.
Thanks for pointing that out to me, I just wish I had a laptop so I could qualify for that RAM deal.
Mine is an Intel iMac.
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
I ordered it from Crucial, per a few people's recommendation. It was only $19.99 for a 1 GB stick. I really, really wanted to go for the 2 GB stick for $40, which is still a steal, but right now I think to save the $20 (which is a lot for us right now, believe it or not), I think having a total of 2 GB will be awesome.
I can't wait. Now I'll have to get instructions on how to install it (myself). The guy at Apple said it was cake, but I still like to SEE the instructions before I start.
Thanks again guys! You're all the best. I can't wait to get my upgraded RAM.
BTW, I have noticed a significant difference in speed since I started leaving my computer on all the time. Weird, huh? Who would have thought....
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com
Well, I just received my new 1 GB stick the other day, and I just got done installing it. I am noticing a huge difference. Or is it just me wishful thinking? I haven't worked on Illustrator or Photoshop or anything yet, but so far, just with my other programs, it's MUCH faster.
Amazing what 1 GB will do.....
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
www.onegirlcreative.com