Question : Problem: Computer Ram and speed

Hello:

Do you know how to tell how much RAM a computer can take?
I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done to speed up this machine.
 
Here's my system info.  This computer is 4 yrs old.
 
OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name TARA
System Manufacturer System Manufacturer
System Model System Name
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2422 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Award Software, Inc. ASUS P4XP-X ACPI BIOS Revision 1005, 23/05/2003
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale Canada
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2562 (xpsp.040919-1030)"
User Name TARA\Tara
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 177.02 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 1.22 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Regards!

Answer : Problem: Computer Ram and speed

Memory is quite cheap, your time has a high (although sometimes hidden) cost.
So.... throw away your 512M memory, whether it is in one or 2 DIMMs, and by 2 DIMMs of 1GB each. Your total cost should be in the $100- range.
If you change nothing else, your available real memory will jump from 170M to 1700, which should give you a significant performance increase.
Second best choice would be to keep some of your existing RAM:
- if you currently have 1 DIMM (512M) by one of the "same type" (sparmarker answer is the one to obey!) in 1 GB, presumably in the $50- range. A 512M would not be significantly cheaper ($30-), so it lots more expensive with your time. Free memory would jump from 170M to 1200M
- if (most probably) you have 2 DIMMs each of 256M, replace one of them with a 1 GB DIMM of the "same type". Free Memory would jump from 170M to 950M.
NOTES:
- Some experts will rightly say that mixing DIMMS of different capacities and performance will affect your machine performance. True, you will not have the maximum that could be possible. But this will be anyway lots MORE performant than your current setup.
- Your machine is several years old. Be very careful when shopping for memory: in fact larger capacities might be CHEAPER than smaller ones, and the same is true of DDR more recent and more performant than SDRAM.