How much RAM?

[Mats]

I'm shopping for a new computer for my elderly folks. I keep watching the <gotapex.com> site for Dell deals, and will snap one up when a particularly good one comes around.

I don't know anything about the newer forms of memory like SDRAM. So my question is, how much RAM do you think I need for someone who is just surfing the net and doing e-mail? I've got 512MB of RAM in my older Athalon 1800 but I don't know how this newer DDR SDRAM compares or what a Pentium 4 2.6GB would need. Do you think 128MB is enough or would you say 256MB is the bare minimum? And if they were using something like Photoshop to manipulate digital photos, would 256MB be enough or should it be bumped up to 512MB?

Thanks.

[Shabow]

Well.... The Pentium 4 that you said they had takes DDR memory. What operating system are they using? If it's windows xp then put in 512 MB of PC2700 memory. Plus, buy it from newegg.com they are an excellent place to shop for computer parts

[elroy]

If you get a new Dell it will have WinXP so 256mb is pretty much the minimum needed to run decent. 128mb is not enough. I think Dell sells them with 128 knowing they will get most people to upgrade their order at a high cost to 256mb or 512mb.

Yea like Shabow said get more ram from newegg or someplace similar.

[Shabow]

If you buy the Dell computer don't upgrade the RAM just put it in yourself if you can because you can get better and cheaper RAM yourself

[Mats]

Yes, I'm buying them a Dell because it is already configured and delivered to their door for a cheap price. They aren't power users or gamers, heck, they're in their 80s <g>.

So this newer DDR SDRAM is like the older ram I used and you still need a bunch, huh? Would you recommend buying from Newegg (who I use a lot of other computer parts) or going to Crucial?

Thanks.