# Is my RAM being fully utilized, or could I use more? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515 "2011-01-30T16:26:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/21 "2011-02-01T19:20:49Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > True, but adding memory will not help that. The point in my postings was that CPU intensive applications will benefit from the upgrade to a 64-bit OS **not** the upgrade in system RAM. ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/22 "2011-02-01T19:39:45Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > FWIW I have been toying with the idea of upgrading to a 64-bit OS (Windows 7) and adding 4 GB of RAM (for a total of 8 GB) at an ~ cost of $250-$300. The only drawbacks are having to do a clean install of the OS and having to go through the sheer joy of reinstalling all of the apps. If you don’t have one already, an SSD for your main boot drive would almost certainly be a much more effective upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/23 "2011-02-01T19:42:00Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > The point in my postings was that CPU intensive applications will benefit from the upgrade to a 64-bit OS **not** the upgrade in system RAM. With all else equal, the 64-bit OS is likely to be slower than the 32-bit OS. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/24 "2011-02-01T20:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The point in my postings was that CPU intensive applications will benefit from the upgrade to a 64-bit OS not the upgrade in system RAM. not if the applications aren’t 64-bit also. a 32-bit program running on a 64-bit OS/CPU will run the same as if it was running on a 32-bit OS/CPU. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/25 "2011-02-01T20:59:30Z")
I don’t know if there are two different variations but I thought that Photoshop, for example, was written to specifically take advantage of 64-bit OS’s. Not sure if I am confusing 32/64 bit OS’s with the data paths (32/64/128). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515/26 "2011-02-02T03:40:30Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > I don’t know if there are two different variations but I thought that Photoshop, for example, was written to specifically take advantage of 64-bit OS’s. . it is, if you use the 64-bit version of Photoshop. > [@](#): > > Not sure if I am confusing 32/64 bit OS’s with the data paths (32/64/128) not much to confuse, really. if you have a 64-bit CPU, then you need a 64-bit OS to take advantage of that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-ram-being-fully-utilized-or-could-i-use-more/569515.md?page=1)