Something next to normal, that's the thing I'd like to try

RAM is there to buffer talk between the CPU and hard drive, so topping out your motherboard when you have Vista is a good idea. Also, you can defrag every day, it doesn't hurt anything. Do it every time you save something in a program. You'll also want to clear the temporary files through Disc Cleanup (not sure if it has the same name in Vista). They bog a system down big time. I clear those every time I go online. If installing the RAM doesn't really help, I'd suggest talking to a tech about possible problems that might be hiding in there.