# How Much RAM do you Really Need?

**Category:** [Yahoo Archive](https://www.epiusers.help/c/yahoo-archive/9)
**Created:** 2000-08-10 12:30 UTC
**Views:** 317
**Replies:** 1
**URL:** https://www.epiusers.help/t/how-much-ram-do-you-really-need/733

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## Post #1 by @system

<div id="ygrps-yiv-1433855482">At 12:11 PM 8/10/2000 , you wrote:<br/>
<blockquote><span title="ireply"> &gt;One thing I learned is to never buy a machine (server or workstation) that<br/>
&gt;does not have 50% of the ram slots still empty after loading up the RAM to a<br/>
&gt;level you think will be good for a year or two.<br/>
<br/>
 </span></blockquote>Oh yeah... Good Point!   2 x 256 was a bunch more expensive than 4 x 128 on <br/>
mine, but I didn&#39;t want to start out full-up.<br/>
<br/>
<blockquote><span title="ireply">  &gt;Are Compaq, Dell and IBM the only decent SERVER manufacturers left ???<br/>
<br/>
 </span></blockquote>Eeuuhh....  HP makes good boxes too, I&#39;m told.  For Win-Tel servers, I <br/>
think that&#39;s about it?<br/>
<br/>
I&#39;ve got this cool ABIT dual-Celeron w ECC n&#39; stuff on my desktop.  Would <br/>
like to try FreeBSD or Linux on it, but it&#39;s not exactly &quot;mission critical&quot; <br/>
material  :)  Been meaning to build another for a home server though.<br/>
<br/>
    -Wayne</div>

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## Post #2 by @system

<div id="ygrps-yiv-551963766">After having to continually add RAM to servers and workstation as apps where<br/>
added and OS&#39;s where upgraded.  I put 1 gig in a Compaq Proliant 3000.  We<br/>
could only afford 1 &quot;highly reliable and redundant machine&quot; so it has to run<br/>
all our &quot;must stay live&quot; services.<br/>
<br/>
	- Vantage (production and testing databases running)<br/>
	- Exchange<br/>
	- Veritas Exec tape Backup<br/>
	- Print Server<br/>
	- File Server<br/>
	- Fax Server<br/>
	- NAV<br/>
	- Power chute Backup S/W<br/>
	- Time Server<br/>
<br/>
With all of these services running it tops out at 0.6 gig (shown in the task<br/>
manager)<br/>
<br/>
If I add 2 more progress databases it jumps up to 0.75 gig.<br/>
<br/>
It&#39;s probably true that this appears to be overkill but every time in the<br/>
past that I though this way I was always proven wrong.  <br/>
<br/>
One thing I learned is to never buy a machine (server or workstation) that<br/>
does not have 50% of the ram slots still empty after loading up the RAM to a<br/>
level you think will be good for a year or two.<br/>
<br/>
Also very happy with the Compaq server, it&#39;s never had a problem and I can&#39;t<br/>
comment on service as I have never called for any.<br/>
<br/>
I&#39;m glad to hear that Dell has excellent H/W and service as competition will<br/>
keep all the players on their toes.<br/>
<br/>
Are Compaq, Dell and IBM the only decent SERVER manufacturers left ???<br/>
<br/>
Regards<br/>
<br/>
Jerry L. Solobay<br/>
<br/>
Ebco Aerospace</div>

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