memory 512mb ddr
Yup, that's yer problem. Maya needs a minimum of 512MB to run properly. So when you load up on some geometry it's going to bog it down good. Remember, you're sharing that RAM with Maya, Windows, the CPU, the video card, and everything else running on your PC.
Dave Baer
Professor of Digital Arts
Digital Media Arts College
Boca Raton, Florida
dbaer@dmac.edu