# RAM: How Much Better Is 16GB Than 8GB?



## TomBrooklyn

With a Windows 7 64bit OS, in using LR with Plug -Ins and Photoshop, and usually multitasking with typical business apps like Word, Excel, and Quickbooks, and open internet browsers also open,  is there much benefit in getting more than 8GB of RAM?

EDIT: Added system info Win 7 64 bit and multi-tasking info.


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## Hal P Anderson

Tom,

On XP, assuming your profile is up-to-date, there is no benefit whatsoever going higher than 4GB. To take advantage of more RAM than that, you'll need to be on a 64-bit operating system.

Hal


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## Victoria Bampton

Depends on how many things you like to be using at once too.  I tend to have about 25 programs running at any one time, so I need far more than someone who only opens the one or two programs they're working with.

Is this a new system you're planning, or you already have 8gb?


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## Kae

I find that I can happily run a video file, e-mail client, Lightroom 3.5, Photoshop CS5 and an internet browser comfortably with 8GB of RAM.  I run Windows 7 which is very good at handling RAM requirements, so this does help.


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## TomBrooklyn

Hal P Anderson said:


> On XP, there is no benefit whatsoever going higher than 4GB.


Hi Hal.  I was asking for a system I'm going to build, not the one I have now.  I edited my post to clarify that.  T.


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## TomBrooklyn

Victoria Bampton said:


> Depends on how many things you like to be using at once too.  I tend to have about 25 programs running at any one time, so I need far more than someone who only opens the one or two programs they're working with.  Is this a new system you're planning, or you already have 8gb?


 Hi V, I like to run a lot of programs at once too.    And often have one or more youtube videos playing at the same time.    I am often stimied by my current system which will slow to a crawl and then bog down completely and force me to close things down and reboot long before I even get everything open I want to.     I am asking about a Windows 7 64 bit system with an Intel i2500K SandyBridge system I plan to build, not the system I have now.


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## Anthony.Ralph

Earlier this year I purchased a system and had 16gb installed because [a] memory isn't that expensive in the overall cost of a high-spec machine and * whilst 8gb might be sufficient today, this kit needs to last 4 years+ and in that time, I am sure more memory capability could be needed. It is nice to have the best spec that a given budget can support and know that there is 'elbow room' in the system.

Anthony.*


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## Hal P Anderson

Tom,

Anthony has a good point about the future, and it stands to reason that as Lightroom matures in an environment where memory keeps getting cheaper, the designers will opt to use more memory in order to speed up its tasks. There's a standard tradeoff in programming between memory use and time, where more memory used will reduce time taken, but only if the program is written to take advantage.

Furthermore, the more cores available, the more a task like import or export can be broken up to run in parallel, and each of the threads using one of the processors will need its own, possibly large, chunk of memory, so the more cores you have, the more memory you're likely to need.

What the heck. Go for 16 gig.

Hal


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## Victoria Bampton

Anthony.Ralph said:


> Earlier this year I purchased a system and had 16gb installed because [a] memory isn't that expensive in the overall cost of a high-spec machine and * whilst 8gb might be sufficient today, this kit needs to last 4 years+ and in that time, I am sure more memory capability could be needed. It is nice to have the best spec that a given budget can support and know that there is 'elbow room' in the system.*


*

That's the same logic I used when choosing my machine too.  I haven't regretted it.*


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## TomBrooklyn

But if 8 GB is enough RAM for now, and more is needed in a few years, it might be possible to get 2x8 sticks then which aren't available now.


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## Jim Wilde

Actually, 8gb modules *are* already available, though prices tend to be on the high side.

The issue of course will be the capabilities of the motherboard, in terms of number and type of slots available. Unlikely to be less than 4 slots, and may even be as many as 8, but if you're thinking 8gb modules you'll need to make sure the MB will support them.


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