Help! Something's wrong with my new computer.

[Jason Pearsall]

Just recieved my Dell XPS 420 and upgraded the software to Vista Ultimate 64 Bit and Memory to 8GB of OCZ, 6400 800mhz DDR2 ram.

The "Aero" vista program actually detected a slower memory benchmark than the computer had with only 2GB's of 667 MHZ DDR2 ram.

2GB: 5.6
8GB: 5.5

How could I not be a 5.9 with 8gb's of good ram?

I don't know what's going on here.

I ran the Performance Test Benchmark and here are my results, which I don't know how to interpret.

BTW, my chipset is Intel X 38

[Jason Pearsall]

Test NameThis ComputerCPU - Integer Math1085.5CPU - Floating Point Math1474.1CPU - Find Prime Numbers669.1CPU - SSE9039.9CPU - Compression12578.5CPU - Encryption64.6CPU - Image Rotation4380.4CPU - String Sorting6372.2Graphics 2D - Lines102.8Graphics 2D - Rectangles74.0Graphics 2D - Shapes45.2Graphics 2D - Fonts and Text234.4Graphics 2D - GUI160.3Graphics 3D - Simple2340.2Graphics 3D - Medium723.4Graphics 3D - Complex72.0Memory - Allocate Small Block2555.0Memory - Read Cached2108.0Memory - Read Uncached2028.0Memory - Write1725.1Memory - Large RAM2632.1Disk - Sequential Read89.9Disk - Sequential Write77.6Disk - Random Seek + RW5.2CD - Read0.9CPU Mark3086.52D Graphics Mark438.7Memory Mark816.8Disk Mark624.5CD Mark114.73D Graphics Mark1003.5PassMark Rating1297.4
System information - This Computer

CPU Manufacturer:GenuineIntel
Number of CPU: 1 (4 Core(s)/CPU, 1 Logical(s)/Core)
CPU Type: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
CPU Speed: 1596.0 MHz
Cache size: 4096KB
O/S: Windows Vista (WIN64)
Total RAM:8125.0 MB.
Available RAM:6611.5 MB.
Video settings: 960x600x32
Video driver
DESCRIPTION:
ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series
MANUFACTURER:
ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series
BIOS:

DATE:
01/14/08
Drive Letter: C
Total Disk Space: 283.0 GBytes
Cluster Size: 4 KBytes
File system:NTFS

[David (PassMark)]

I can't comment on the Microsoft memory benckmark application. We didn't write it and don't know what is measures to come up with its results.\

As far as the PerformanceTest results go, they look OK to me.

[Jason Pearsall]

So, my memory is where it should be with 8gb of ram?

[David (PassMark)]

The amount of RAM doesn't effect the speed of the RAM. In normal day to day PC use you don't need 8GB and for the most part it probably won't be used. (There are a few exceptions to this, like the editing of huge image files).

The only test in PerformanceTest that is impacted by the amount of RAM is the "Memory - Large RAM" test. Which seems OK.