How much RAM is too much?
This is a tough question. Some say you can never have too much RAM--within the limits of your system, anyway. However, there are a couple rules of thumb. First, know thy motherboard. Be aware of which chipset you have in your system.
In some cases, adding too much memory can actually slow down your computer. To understand why, you need to know the difference between level 1 and level 2 cache. Level 1 cache (also known as L1 cache) is inside the CPU itself, and you really have no control over it. The level 2 cache (also known as L2 cache) on Pentium, AMD K6, and Cyrix systems is external to the chip. The L2 cache on the Pentium Pro and Pentium II is inside the CPU package (though still external to the CPU chip itself).
Pentium, K6, and Cyrix systems run on motherboards with a variety of core logic chipsets. However, some of them are designed so that the L2 cache only works with the first 64MB of RAM in your system. Two of the most common Pentium-class chipsets available--Intel 430VX and 430TX chipsets--are designed this way.
Pentium-class motherboards that have the 430HX chipset can probably cache up to 512MB of RAM, but a few motherboard makers cut corners and left out a critical TAG RAM chip and--you guessed it--those boards can only cache the first 64MB or RAM. As far as we know, motherboards that use the VIA Apollo or SIS chipsets can cache more than 64MB, but be wary. Pentium II, Pentium III, Celeron, K6-2/3, and Pentium Pro systems don't have this problem; all can cache up to 512MB of RAM.
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