Memory requirement

[AJL14]

Hey you experts! I'm just ordering all the components for a new EDIUS editor, and have a quick question. I'm using Corsair PC8500 1066 memory, and needless to say, I don't want to overpurchase just because it might look impressive! I started to order 2 Gigs, then wondered if 4 Gig's might work better with a QX6850 Quad core. Does anyone know exactly how much memory EDIUS can access or use? Would the 4 Gigs be overkill - or used at times? Many thanks for your advise.
Cheers, Alan

[GrassValley_BH]

Hi Alan,

Happy New Year!

If you're running 32-bit Windows and mainly using EDIUS, there's no compelling reason to go with 4 GB instead of 2 GB of RAM. I would order 2 GB as 2 x 1 GB so you have extra slots to add more RAM in the future if you need to.

Brandon

[AJL14]

Hi Brandon,

Happy New Year right back at you. We spent the holidays in Maui. Don't mean to make you jealous, but we had 23 straight days of 83 degree sunshine, with 70-75 on the beach for midnight dinners. Will you still talk to me?

Thanks for the input. Does that mean that EDIUS as of this moment, with a quad processor, does NOT need access to more than 2 GB of RAM? But I will just populate with 2 1024GB modules as you suggested so there's room for more, should future revisions use that memory.

Thanks again. Hope to see you more this year.
Best always,
Alan

[tingsern]

Under WinXP 32 SP2, the maximum user address space is about 2.5GB to 2.8GB. Even if you have 4GB RAM, WinXP 32 only maps the 2.8GB or so for a user program. The rest of the address space is for the OS and h/w resources (especially PCI-E cards).

In short, unless you are running WinXP 64 - there is little or NO gain in putting more memory greater than 2GB.

EDIUS (and most other video editing programs) are not memory bound - but I/O and CPU - especially for RT effects under EDIUS.

[GrassValley_MD]

Depends on the Price of the memory.

If it is reasonably priced you could prepare for the future with the 4 Gigs.

If it is rather expensive then wait. BUT... with waiting comes the questions of Will you be able to get the exact memory later and if you can will the two runs be truly compatible.

With memory just because the type is the same doesn't always mean that it plays well together... even from the same manufacturer.


Mike

[SRsupport]

"If it is reasonably priced you could prepare for the future with the 4 Gigs"

Are you trying to tell us something? :)

[GrassValley_MD]

We are going to be Vista ready one day ya know. :)


Mike

[GrassValley_BH]

I'll still talk to you, because I like you. :) Besides, I spent some time home last year too.

Now that I think about it, if RAM is affordable to you and you have more than 4 slots for RAM, I would get 4 x 1GB. By getting them all at once, you have less to worry about regarding mismatched or mixed RAM.

[GrassValley_MD]

Brandon and I think a like :)

Just because RAM is the same type doesn't mean that it will play nice together. :)


Mike

[STORMDAVE]

Just get 2x2GB...it's around $50-60 for high quality PC6400 (800MHz) OCZ, Crucial, etc RAM right now. Windows 32bit (Vista or XP SP2) will see 3.5GB only, though.

Example, here's one on sale right now:

http://www.frys.com/product/5439699

It has nice timings too.

[shueardm]

Not really to do with EDIUS but how come I'm using 3GB RAM when encoding. All that's being used is ProCoder Queue manager. So for me, I'm glad I got 4GB and not 2GB.
PS. I think 4 X 1GB is better than 2 x 2BG.

[Bluetongue]

Mark
The PF usage (Bottom left) is the amount placed on the Pagefile (Disk) not memory used.
To see the memory used look at "Physical memory" three entries
Total
Available
System Cache
Take the available from the total to get the memory used
When I use Procoder all 4 cores are between 60 and 100%
Total 2095500
Available min 200000
System Cache wildly varying
With the Quad core render time for HD to HDV better than real time, 6 min timeline takes 4.5 min instead of 12 min on dual core
Impressive It will be interestimng to see how long it takes to encode a 2 pass DVD
Regards Barry

[Jerry]

Just get 2x2GB...it's around $50-60 for high quality PC6400 (800MHz) OCZ, Crucial, etc RAM right now. Windows 32bit (Vista or XP SP2) will see 3.5GB only, though.

Example, here's one on sale right now:

http://www.frys.com/product/5439699

It has nice timings too.

Just to add to Dave's reply:
On newer mobo's with the correct ram speed detected, not overclocked at install, Windows 32bit will automatically throw in the PAE switch so that
it will show 3.5gb of ram. It did this on my P5kWS board.
On the same note, I am of the belief that Windows 32bit, even though it does not show, will use whatever ram is installed. I know that my older machine reacts completely different with 2gbs as opposed to 4gbs. It only detects 2gb. But, when I add that extra 2gb the system will handle multitasking with greater ease. There is no way to prove it, except I have taken this puppy to the extreme and back, and no crashes. JMHO

[STORMDAVE]

Just to add to Dave's reply:
On newer mobo's with the correct ram speed detected, not overclocked at install, Windows 32bit will automatically throw in the PAE switch so that
it will show 3.5gb of ram. It did this on my P5kWS board.
On the same note, I am of the belief that Windows 32bit, even though it does not show, will use whatever ram is installed. I know that my older machine reacts completely different with 2gbs as opposed to 4gbs. It only detects 2gb. But, when I add that extra 2gb the system will handle multitasking with greater ease. There is no way to prove it, except I have taken this puppy to the extreme and back, and no crashes. JMHO

To add to Jerry's reply (sorry, not meant as a joke :D )

I concur that adding RAM will increase multi tasking speed. It frees the page file and stops it from always being written to, so the hard drive is only used for launching applications.

I recently upgraded from 1GB to 3GB of RAM on my home PC (Vista 32) and the speed has increased by about 40%!

[STORMDAVE]

Not really to do with EDIUS but how come I'm using 3GB RAM when encoding. All that's being used is ProCoder Queue manager. So for me, I'm glad I got 4GB and not 2GB.
PS. I think 4 X 1GB is better than 2 x 2BG.

Not sure that having 1gbx4 will make that big of a difference between 2x2gb.

These are Dual Channel memory kits anyways...however, if you jump to DDR3 RAM, I'm sure you will see a huge improvment...but these sticks are too expensive at the moment and not worth it.