Council on Computing Power Issues Warning to PC Consumers
PC Performance May be Compromised by Reducing Memory Content
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1999--The Council on Computing Power, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the awareness of the benefits of memory in overall computer performance, Monday issued a warning to consumers regarding the potential reduction in the amount of RAM being offered in PC systems available today.
''Consumers need to be aware that potential reductions in system memory will negatively impact PC performance,'' said Bob Freeze, director of communications for the Council on Computing Power.
''While DRAM prices have increased over the last several months, returning to price levels of earlier this year, consumers need to be aware that RAM may still very well be one of the best investments when it comes to boosting computer performance.''
Freeze said the Council's concern is particularly relevant given the impending launch of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 2000 operating system. He said that Microsoft is specifying that a ''Windows 2000-ready'' PC must contain a minimum of 64 Mbytes of SDRAM, but for optimal performance, many OEMs are suggesting up to 128 Mbytes.
''With more and more memory-intensive applications being introduced, it is ill-advised to reduce memory content -- especially now,'' he observed. ''Even the fastest processors are slow at performing memory-intensive tasks without sufficient memory.''
Freeze reported that recent benchmark testing performed by industry research group ZDTag illustrates how PC performance can be severely constrained by insufficient amounts of memory. The study showed that 32 Mbytes of RAM is not enough to efficiently run memory-intensive applications.
For instance, the study demonstrates that PC performance can be improved by more than 200 percent on tasks such as photo editing when system memory is increased from 32 Mbytes to 128 Mbytes. The full results of this important benchmark testing are located at www.rammatters.com., noted Freeze.
During the coming Holiday buying season, the Council advises consumers to evaluate the amount of system memory available when purchasing a new PC. If in doubt, the Council's Web site features a ''RAM Configurator'' that can figure how much RAM is enough, based on the computing goals a PC user wishes to accomplish (see www.rammatters.com/configurator/).
''Consumers need to be well informed about the consequences of reducing memory,'' said Freeze. ''The Council will continue to educate consumers so that they can make well-informed decisions regarding this fundamental aspect of PC computing.''
The Council on Computing Power is a non-profit industry group dedicated to helping consumers maximize their personal computing experience by increasing awareness about the importance of RAM. Companies or organizations that wish to join the Council on Computing Power should visit the Council Web site at www.computingpower.org to inquire about membership requirements.
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