Laptop RAM -- do I get 512MB or 784MB?

[ski]

Dell Inspiron 8600 came with 256MB RAM, and I've noticed that running the UT2004 Demo creates big problems due to not enough RAM! I could pick up a 256MB stick for $40 or so, or a 512MB stick for $90. What do I get?

I have a 128MB Radeon 9600 in there, so in 1-2 years, it won't be an effective gaming laptop. Will I cross the 512MB barrier before the video card gets too outdated? I'm on a tight budget!!

[bachviet]

Get the 256MB since anything above 512MB gives little gain.

[Kevster]

I have 1Gb of memory on my Dell laptop and with some of the apps I use for work, it uses about 3/4 of it.

[LPMiller]

Originally posted by bachviet
Get the 256MB since anything above 512MB gives little gain.

not true at all on a laptop.

Get the 512.

[Apex]

Above 256mb, you won't get a huge jump in performance, but it will be noticable. Above 512mb, you may not notice a performance difference at all, depending on what you're doing. Graphics or video intensive stuff (or multitasking) does tend to take up more memory.

This being said, one of the side benefits of more memory is less use of the hard drive as virtual memory. This allows your battery to last longer, which is definitely nice.