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.