Windows 98 vs XP

I am running:
Winxp
2ghz pen4
Geforce 4 mx 440
256mb RDram

Guild wars is 100% playable just it lags a lot at times. I was wondering if downgrading to windows 98 would improve performance in the game because it seems to use less ram.

No one knows if 98 would run this game better or not.

Upgrade to 512mbs of ram and you should be fine.

What type of lag are you getting? Is it the type that causes people to warp around on screen, or the type that makes the game look like a slideshow? If it's the warping lag then it's your Internet connection, if it's the slideshow lag then you should think about getting more RAM. 512 MB should be enough, I noticed you are using RDRam, sorry about that.

Not really, i have 8Mbit here and it happens sometimes. It's the servers that lag really, or have bad routing eventually. Soon i'll be getting 24Mbit internet and i'll be damned it if still happens then.

Downgrading to 98 might help a little with performance, since you have a very limited amount of ram but isn't really woth the trouble. You'd see a lot more of a performance boost by getting another 256MB of RAM (which would cost you about $20). Considering that you'd have to back up all your data, hunt down drivers, reinstall the OS & all software then download all the OS updates, you're looking at 4-5hr, minimum, of work. Beyond that, 98 is going to be a less secure & stable OS than XP.

$5/hr (less than minimum wage) * 5hr = $25. You do the math.

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I just looked at your system specs - it says your using RDRAM. If you're stuck with Rambus, it'll cost a bit more ($70-80) to upgrade the system. Remember you have to buy the stuff in pairs. Doesn't really change my recommendation.