Windows 7, RAM help

[AMT]

I've got Windows 7 64 bit ready for download, but it needs a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM. My computer (Acer Aspire M1201) has 2 gigs, with a max of 4 possible. Should I get the RAM before I install Windows 7? (I have an onboard video card which uses the RAM as well)

If so, my comp uses DDR2 SDRAM. Will any DDR2 SDRAM work to add to it, or will there be any type that causes issues? What kind of RAM would you recommend?

[General Zod]

I'd say install Windows, then decide if you need more. I was able to run 32-bit Win 7 on an older machine with only 2 gigs without any serious problems, no sense spending the money until you're sure you need it. If you've got onboard video though, upgrading to an inexpensive dedicated graphics card wouldn't hurt.

[AMT]

I don't mind spending the cash for the RAM (planned to anyway), so I figured now would be a good time to look at it.

What's the worst that happens if I don't have enough RAM specced and I install, anyway?

[General Zod]

I don't mind spending the cash for the RAM (planned to anyway), so I figured now would be a good time to look at it.

What's the worst that happens if I don't have enough RAM specced and I install, anyway?

It might run a bit more slowly after startup. That's about all it did on my older laptop when I installed it.

[phongn]

W7 runs fine on 2GB of RAM. It runs better on more

You can use something like Crucial's memory advisor tool to find out what sort of RAM you need and then go to a place like Newegg to purchase.

[Bounty]

I first ran 7 on little over half a gig of RAM. With all the bells and whistles turned off it worked just fine. It'll run far below optimal spec, but it will run reliably.

[AMT]

Sweet. I've always been a little timid when it comes to RAM. Thanks for the advice.
*gos to google crucial's ram advisor*

[Dominus Atheos]

Don't forget Windows 7 is designed to run on netbooks so it actually has less resource usage then Vista. When Vista came out it was sold mostly on 1gb systems. A few Windows analysts have reported 7 runs fine on as little as 512mb.

[Bounty]

The system requirements for 7 are amazingly humble. It will work fine on a seven-year-old computer; it worked flawlessly on a machine with a P4, 640MB of RAM, a DX7-era integrated graphics chip and a 10GB HDD. Microsoft really knocked it out of the park this time.

[AMT]

And that's for 64 bit right, not 32?

[Dominus Atheos]

And that's for 64 bit right, not 32?

Not that it makes any significant difference, but yes.

A few hours later, I went back to that new Windows 7 installation to look at a few details, and that’s when it struck me: This virtual machine was configured with a mere 512MB of RAM, and yet I hadn’t noticed any slowdowns during setup or in operation. Even more startling, I realized that I had inadvertently installed the 64-bit edition of Windows 7 Ultimate in this VM. But the most eye-opening moment came when I looked at Task Manager’s performance tab. I’ve pasted a screen grab of the memory gauge here.

*snip same pic*

The x64 edition of Windows 7 Ultimate running on just over 200MB of RAM? That was a pleasant surprise.