[gourmand]

I used Crucial.comto determin my configuration
Please find the result below

Your M2NPV-VM System Specs
MemoryDR2 PC2-5300, DDR2 PC2-6400, DDR2 PC2-8500
Memory Type: DDR2 PC2-5300, DDR2 PC2-6400, DDR2 PC2-8500, DDR2 (ECC)
Maximum Memory: 8GB
Currently Installed Memory: 1GB
Total Memory Slots: 4
Available Memory Slots: 3

Each memory slot can hold DDR2 PC2-5300, DDR2 PC2-6400, DDR2 PC2-8500 with a maximum of 4GB kit (2GBx2) per slot.*
*Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory.

Although the memory can be installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using matched pairs of modules.

How much memory your Windows OS will recognize depends on which version of Windows you are running. 32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilize) only 3GB or 3.5GB. To utilize more memory, install a 64-bit version of your OS. More information about OS memory maximums can be found here.

Memory or DRAM is the 'working' memory of the computer. It's used to store data for programs (sequences of instructions) on a temporary basis.

How much should I upgrade to should I add 1,2or 3GB more.
few other info abt my pc
Hard disk : 250GB +1TB +1TB (ext.HD)
applications used : photoshop cs5 ,MS ofice,torrent client
OS windows xp sp2 but planning to add Linux based Mepis
mostly used for watching movies, songs and plaiying games like NFS COD etc
Please let me know if more info is needed

 

[gcavan]

As the Crucial memory configurator should have told you, for best results, replace your current memory with either a 2 x 1GB or a 2 x 2 GB kit of PC2-6400 memory.

Note: 32 bit operating systems and applications will only recognize up to about 3.25 GB