Photoshop Tutorials

Description

RAM\Memory

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a major factor in determining the speed of Photoshop. For the current generation of computers, we recommend a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. Keep in mind that your operating system and other running software will also be using your RAM.  RAM is relatively cheap and is generally the best performance gaining hardware for your money.  

Capacity

How much ram do you really need? This depends on your usage. If you're working on large files with many layers, you'll need to get more RAM. However, if you're using Photoshop just for simple task such as resizing photos and correcting color and you don't have a lot of programs running in the background, 1 GB of RAM should be enough. Here's a method to determine how much RAM is required:

1. Run Photoshop and open a typical file you usually edit. For example, if you edit high resolution digital images a lot, open a high resolution photo.
2. Make sure that your document isn't maximized. You can ensure that it isn't by choosing Window> Arrange> Cascade.
3. On the bottom of the window, locate the ► arrow. Click on the ► arrow and choose Show> Efficiency. The status bar beside the ► button shows the efficiency. If your computer has enough resource to display the image, the efficiency should be 100%. Anything lower means that more RAM may be beneficial.
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4. Try opening several of your typical Photoshop files. If it stays at 100%, it means that your current system has enough RAM. Use this to judge how much RAM you'll need for your next computer. For example, when I ran the test, I opened 7 high resolution photos and my efficiency dropped to 72%. Because my current system has 1 GB of RAM and the efficiency was at around 72%, I can conclude that 2 GB of RAM is a safe amount of RAM to get on my next computer.

Note: When using Photoshop on a 32-bit computer or operating system, Photoshop is only able to use 2 GB of RAM. Photoshop is able to use around 3.5 GB on a 64-bit system. Some version of Windows® requires modifying the boot.ini file to allow Photoshop to use up to 3 GB of RAM. The 3GB switch may not work with all computers. For more information, search the Microsoft support page for "3gb".

High Speed RAM

There are many types of RAM available; some reaching speeds of 1111 MHz such as the Corsair XMS2 Dominator PC2-8888. It's disappointing to say that using 1111 MHz RAM is not much different than using a 667 MHz RAM on a current-generation computer. The speed RAM can operate depends on what your entire system supports.  This means that you should only purchase the fastest RAM your computer will be able to use. Unless you have extensive knowledge with computer hardware and plan on overclocking your computer, there's no reason to purchase in top of the line RAM.

ECC (Error Correction Code)

Some types of RAM you may bump into will have the acronym ECC on its name. This simply means that the RAM will automatically detect and correct errors that may arise during the data transmission. ECC RAM is slower and much more expensive than normal RAM and isn't necessary for Adobe Photoshop. They're meant for critical tasks so we don't recommend using ECC RAM.