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Posts Tagged ‘Memory’

Memory Upgrades: An Inexpensive Way To Boost Computer Performance

01 Mar

Many people buy a computer with only the minimum amount of memory (RAM) installed. The reasons for this vary, but usually computers with the minimum amount of RAM are cheaper than the others, so appear to be a bargain.

Other folks have older computers that might have had a reasonable amount of memory installed at the time of purchase, but struggle to keep up with the memory requirements of modern applications. Installing additional memory is a relatively inexpensive way to boost performance in old and new computers alike.

If your computer is 2-3 years old and it is running somewhat slow, then it’s worth considering purchasing a memory upgrade before lashing out on a new computer. The majority of people that I talk to about computer memory upgrades (especially those with a computer over 2 years old) are surprised at the increase in overall performance after installing a memory upgrade. Typically it can extend the useable life of the average computer by another 2-3 years, at a mere fraction of the cost of buying a new one.

Installing a memory upgrade is usually a simple process, requiring at most a phillips screwdriver to either undo the memory hatch on your notebook, or to remove the case if you have a desktop pc. Once you have access to the memory slots, it’s just a simple matter of pushing the memory module into the spare slot firmly, closing the hatch or putting the case back on, putting the screw back in, and rebooting the computer.

It can be a more complicated exercise if your memory slots are fully populated, but a competent memory supplier should be able to provide you with advice on the upgrade options available and whether or not you will need to remove one or more of the existing modules to make room for larger ones.

The question a lot of people ask me when considering buying a memory upgrade is “What size memory upgrade should I buy?”

I usually answer this with a question: “Tell me about the sort of things you use your computer for?”

Generally speaking I recommend you install 512mb if you are running Windows XP on your computer. Microsoft say that the minimum is far less, but it really is the minimum in my opinion. 512Mb of installed memory will give you enough room for Windows XP to load, and a little spare for a couple of web browser windows, an email client, antivirus application, and a spreadsheet or word processor.

If you run OSX or a flavour of Linux, I still recommend 512mb as a minimum.

If you only have the generally accepted minimum of 256mb, this is barely enough to load Windows XP. As you start up other applications, your pc will begin to allocate “virtual” memory. This means that a section of your computers hard drive is used for moving around data in the same way that physical memory is used, only it goes a lot slower.

If you do photo editing in addition to the basics, think about going up to 1GB of installed memory. If you are a home video buff or play a lot of computer games, then 2GB is really going to keep you productive. (Is gaming productive?).

Memory upgrades are available from many different sources, and made by a lot of different manufacturers. Kingston are probably the best known manufacturer, and they make modules for most of the top OEM’s, who rebrand Kingston memory as their own.

Before purchasing an RAM upgrade, be sure to ask if the memory is guaranteed to be compatible with your PC or laptop, and is backed by a no-quibble return policy. Always make sure a lifetime warranty applies as well.

So if you or your kids are complaining about their latest computer game running too slow, consider that you might not need to buy a new computer even if it is a couple of years old, but simply upgrade the one you have with some more memory. It can make a world of difference, and make your computing investment last a lot longer.

Rod Bland is an IT and SEO Consultant who owns several websites. Visit our site to learn more about finding the right RAM upgrades for your PC.

 
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How Much Computer Memory Do You Need?

13 Feb


Copyright (c) 2008 Titus Hoskins

You have probably heard the expression: “You can’t be too rich or too thin.” Well, now you can also add: “You can’t have too much memory.”

Actually, that last phrase is little misleading because when buying RAM (Random Access Memory) for your computer you can have too much if your computer doesn’t have the hardware to handle or utilize all of your RAM. But for the most part, as any computer user will quickly realize, when it comes to computers you can’t have too much memory.

Therefore, when buying a laptop or computer, memory should be one of your main considerations. Go for the highest amount you can afford simply because the more RAM you have, the faster your computer will run.

Besides, many of today’s software applications place ever increasing demands on your system’s memory. You have peripherals such as webcams, digital cameras, DVD players, USB hard drives… throw in extremely complicated webpages and PC based video games… all needing more and more RAM. Who knows what the immediate future will bring and what extra demands will be made upon your system’s memory.

The Tricky Issue of Shared Memory

Keep in mind, that unless you have a high end graphics video card with its own memory, your system’s memory will more than likely be shared between your Processor (CPU) and your graphics chip (video memory). Which means when your computer uses its own memory for your operating system, software applications, peripherals… your memory is quickly used up if this memory is also shared to run your video/graphics – and your system will report significantly less memory than what you originally thought you had.

That’s why many computer gamers will buy expensive Graphics Cards with lots of dedicated video RAM or built-in video memory. This way you can turn off the shared memory and free up your system’s memory for maximum power. While you can change or configure your shared memory thru your computer’s BIOS settings, many experts suggest you leave this setting alone since it is already optimized for best video/display performance. In other words, you could screw up your display resolutions unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

So buying extra RAM or high-end Graphics Cards will always be a safer option; if not the cheapest route to take. Often these gamers will even connect two or more GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) together in a SLI configuration so they will have enough memory and graphics processing power for all their highly demanding video graphics and games. SLI (Scalable Link Interface), PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), FSB (Front Side Bus) are all ways of handling/transferring RAM and your data quickly to the components that need it within your computer. That’s why RAM speed is also important for smoother running applications and games.

How Much Memory Should You Get?

When buying any system there is usually a limit to how much memory your device can hold or take. These days the amount of RAM is increasing, many systems can now take from 1 to 8 Gigs of RAM. You should ask or check the specs for the computer or laptop you’re buying and it will display the installed memory for you, plus it will also tell you the maximum memory that can be installed.

Today’s laptops and computers require a large amount of RAM, Windows Vista alone is recommended at 1 Gig of RAM, but many computer users have found using 2 or 3 Gigs of RAM will help to make Vista run more smoothly, if that’s possible. Although you can run Windows XP on 128MB of RAM, you should use 256 MB or more for best results. For the Mac OS X system you will need a minimum of 128 MB but for optimal performance try 512 MB. Linux will work nicely on a system with only 4 MB of RAM.

Of course, the devil is in the details, if you only want to use your computer for simple computing, browsing the web, reading and sending emails… then your memory requirements will be minimum, why waste your money on RAM that you will not be using. So if your memory requirements are very low, you can save yourself some money by going with the minimum amount of RAM, just make sure it is enough to run your computer (OS, CPU and Videos) smoothly. Always keep in mind, in most cases, you can simply install extra memory in the future if you should need it.

The author runs a handy online Laptop Guide featuring

the latest top rated laptops: www.bizwaremagic.com/notebook-online-buyers-guide.htm To learn how to do your own computer or laptop memory upgrade try here: www.bizwaremagic.com/buy-notebook/Computer_Memory_Upgrade.htm 2008 Titus Hoskins. This article may be

freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

 
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Getting The Most From An Old Computers By Adding Memory

07 Dec

Often, when we buy a computer off the shelf, the manufacture provides just enough for the computer to at least be able to power up, run, power off. In other words they just provide you with the basics to get you up and running. All too often most consumers and businesses do not look inside of the box to determine if they are getting the most possible performance out of the unit. As time goes by, often people replace computers due to the unit being deemed obsolete and slow. And the cycle continues. With a little bit of research, you can find out what level your hardware is running at, and how much the performance can be increased.

The first area I like to consider is the RAM. RAM is Random Access Memory that applications use to function. Typically, the machine uses all available physical RAM, and then reverts to using a part of the hard drive to substitute for what physical RAM is not present in the system. This therefore causes the hard drive to work a little harder. This is a pretty simple area to upgrade and you can get a lot more faster performance if you upgrade the RAM. To upgrade the RAM, you have to see what your machine currently has installed. If you run windows, you can go to the control panel, and click on system. In the general tab, you will see information about the operating system, the processor, and the RAM. Most of the time computers will have decent processing capabilities, and not enough ram to get the most performance. This is a great area for an upgrade.

In terms of RAM, there are several types of RAM such as SDRAM, DDR RAM, DDR2, DDR3 etc. It is crucial to determine what type of RAM your machine will take, and how much of it that it is able to take. A good way to determine this information is to Google the model number of your PC. For example, I have an old IBM Aptiva 572 with an AMD Athlon 600MHz processor. A more precise method is to find the make and model of the mother board. To get that information, you have to open the PC (if you don’t know) and look around on the mother board for various markings. There are many markings on the motherboard, the key is to look for the largest marks and see what you can get. Typically the largest markings you will find should tell you the make and model of the motherboard you are dealing with. When you go online and do the research, you can find out what type of RAM the machine takes, and the maximum that it takes. Consider the RAM that is currently installed for potential clues to the research that you do.

Once you have determined the type of RAM and how much capacity you can install, you can go online and place an order for the RAM that you need. When you receive the RAM chips, all you have to really do is open the PC, get access to the area where the RAM sits, open the slots that you need. Slide the chips into place and then lock them in place. Make sure that you take the necessary precautions to protect the equipment from static discharge. Make sure that the chips are seated tightly. Close the PC CPU box, connect the PC and see what you get. If the machine does its POST ( Power On Self Test ) successfully, that is a good sign that the RAM chips that you have installed work. You should also see some type of memory test that basically counts the amount of memory during the startup phase. The amount that it counts should reflect the amount that you have installed.

After all is done, installed and working, you’ll be surprised and amazed as to how much faster the computer runs. Applications will start and run faster. Processes will run much faster and smoother. You’ll find that you can get more stuff done in less time. The machine should run more stable for you. Often people overlook the fact that a simple upgrade to a computers memory can provide valuable increase to the overall performance of the machine. With this valuable increase in performance, you can save money and time. You can get a few more years of useful life out of a computer just by upgrading the memory. It is cost effective just to increase the performance of an old CPU as opposed to purchasing an outright new machine.

Paul Wilson Jr has been fixing computers since 1994. For more of my computer repair techniques, articles, reports, and sweet deals on computer parts, visit http://www.squidoo.com/DIY-Computer-Repairs

 
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Understanding Pc Computer Ram/random Access Memory

03 Sep

When you are buying a new PC computer, you may have noticed that one of the features/specifications include something called RAM. For someone who is not familiar with the internal workings of PC computers, PC computer RAM is a mystery. Actually, RAM is an acronym for ‘random access memory’ and is essential for the operation of your PC computer.

PC computer RAM, also known as volatile memory, is used by your PC computer in order to store information that will be processed by the CPU, or central processing unit. The random access memory in your PC computer stores information in memory cells arranged in a grid. This grid can be compared to a spreadsheet in which all the data is stored. Your PC computer’s processor accesses the data at random as needed to carry out the processes required by software being run on your system.

Occasionally, people confuse their hard drive with RAM. The hard drive is simply a storage system for the data on your PC computer – the software you run as well as the documents and files you store. The information on your hard drive cannot be accessed at random. When information from the hard drive needs to be accessed, entire blocks of data are transferred to the RAM. Once the information is in the PC computer’s RAM, it is randomly accessed used by the processor as needed.

Whenever you shut your PC computer down, all of the information that is in the random access memory is deleted. So the RAM of your PC computer is only like a temporary storage system that works in conjunction with your PC computer’s processor to perform functions requested by software on your PC computer. The more RAM a program requires for operation, the slower your PC computer operates when running that program.

However, you can ensure that your PC computer RAM is working at its full potential by taking care to perform a few maintenance tasks. One of these tasks is to regularly empty the recycle bin. You should also uninstall or delete any programs and files that you do not need.

It is also helpful to defragment your PC computer every so often. This is a simple procedure that can be run easily. Just go to the ‘Start’ menu, click ‘All Programs’, choose ‘Accessories’, then ‘System Tools’, and the ‘Disk Defragmenter’. And you are all set – allow the program to run until completion.

If you are on the Internet frequently, be sure to clear your browser’s history regularly and also the temporary Internet files. These tasks can normally be performed from within whatever browser you are using by selecting ‘Tools’ and then appropriate subsequent options.

If you run a lot of programs that are resource hogs (require a lot of RAM), then you should also consider adding more random access memory to your PC computer. You should notice that the programs run more quickly and smoothly once extra RAM has been added.

RAM is an essential component for making sure that your PC computer operates at its peak. Not having enough RAM will cause your PC computer to behave erratically. Understanding how your PC computer RAM affects the operation of your PC computer is helpful in making sure that your PC computer has all the resources it needs for proper functioning.

Visit us to get more info on RAM, computer memory and PC memory.

 
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