Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

What is RAM, and do I need more of it?

By Cate Eales
Appeared November 6, 2008 on castanet.net

If your computer is slow, you probably need more RAM. But...what is it? How much is enough? Is it easy to get more?

RAM is your friend
RAM stands for Random-access memory. It is hardware; you can see it and touch it. It's where your computer stores information it needs to remember in the short term. Any program you run needs RAM. The more programs you run simultaneously, the more RAM you need.

RAM is not the same thing as a Hard Drive, which provides permanent storage, whether the computer is off or on. RAM is much faster than your hard disk, CD-ROM, or floppy disk. Everything in RAM is ready for easy access, as long as the computer is running. When you shut down the computer, the RAM is cleared. (You did remember to save your work to your hard drive or CD, right?)

When RAM fills up, your computer's processor needs to go to the hard drive more often, and that slows things down. If your hard drive light is constantly flashing, or your system is sluggish, you will benefit from having more RAM. (I am assuming your system is not sluggish due to viruses, spyware, or a poor maintenance routine.)


Enough, or not so much?
Microsoft says you can run XP with 128 MB of RAM. For Vista, Microsoft says 512 MB will suffice. In my experience, XP will run best on 2GB, and reasonably well on 1GB. I have never seen any edition of Vista run well on less than 2GB, and 3 GB is better.

To find out how much RAM you have in Windows XP:

In Vista:

Wanted: More RAM
So, now you know what you have, and you know more-or-less where you want to be. How do you get there?

RAM fits into slots in your computer. Not all RAM works in all computers, so you want to make sure to get it right. You need to find out how many slots you have, what your RAM capacity is, and if you have any slots available. There are several ways to accomplish this, but the absolute easiest way I have found is to point your browser to http://crucial.com and run their discovery tool which you will see on that front page. (This works best with Internet Explorer.) You don't have to buy from them, but they will be able to provide the specs and their price for the RAM you need. For my customers, I run this tool, look at the prices on the Crucial site, and do some comparison shopping locally and online.

If you have the original paperwork from your computer, you may well find the answers to your RAM questions there (absent the prices, of course.) You can also contact your vendor for that information, particularly if your system is still under warranty.

If you plan to install it yourself, be sure to check the manual for your computer, follow the directions and take the precautions outlined there. If you're not comfortable with the idea of opening up your computer and installing RAM, there is nothing wrong with calling in a professional.

Once you've installed the RAM, your computer should recognize it as soon as you boot up. You can check this by following the same procedure outlined above.
 

Do you need help with your computer? Do you have something interesting to ask or tell? I'm here to help you and your computer get along! To ask a question, make a comment or suggestion, or schedule a visit, email cate@rlis.com. You can read previous columns here.  If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.

Links
Wikipedia article: Random-access memory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM
Wikipedia article: Hard Drive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_drive
Crucial.com http://crucial.com/
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.

© Cate Eales 2008 – All Rights Reserved
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