For Desktops

If you plan to use your desktop to...	Choose...
do intensive gaming or complex video editing, or want to plan for future growth.	2GB - 4GB*
do email, web surfing or home productivity at the same time you are editing photos or playing music	1GB - 2GB
do email, web surfing or home productivity along with other basic applications	512MB - 1GB

For Notebooks

If you plan to use your notebook to...	Choose...
do intensive gaming or complex video editing, or want to plan for future growth.	1GB - 4GB*
do email, web surfing or home productivity at the same time you are editing photos or playing music	512MB - 1GB
do email, web surfing or home productivity along with other basic applications	256MB - 512MB

Random Access Memory (RAM) is the workhorse behind the performance of your computer. RAM temporarily stores information from your operating system, applications, and data in current use. This gives your processor easy access to the critical information that makes your programs run. The amount of RAM you have determines how many programs can be executed at one time and how much data can be readily available to a program. It also helps determine how quickly your applications perform and how many applications you can easily toggle between at one time. Upgrading your memory is one of the most cost effective ways to boost your system performance. When 64MB ATI'sMobilityTM RADEONTM  X300 HyperMemoryTM  is selected, up to 64MB of system memory may be allocated to support graphics, depending upon system memory size and other factors.