Upgrading Your PC Memory

Contributed by Jay Schroyer

When people talk about upgrading the memory in their personal computer, usually their impetus for doing so is to enhance the processing power of their machine. But it’s not as simple as just purchasing memory and installing it. There are a couple of factors that one has to take into consideration before purchasing. To make the best decision for your machine, it’s best that we define a few terms and explain a few important processes that make your computer the workhorse that it is.

Understanding RAM
The first step is to understand what exactly type of memory you’re upgrading. The computer RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the equivalent of a human’s short-term memory. It remembers things that aren’t necessarily mandatory for the long haul, but certainly vital to immediate operation. Your computer stores temporary data in this RAM memory so that it can provide you with lightning fast operation during the time that you have it on. Instead of having to search for answers to your questions or replies to your commands in the depths of its Read Only Memory (ROM), the computer can access the readily at-hand information stored in the RAM.

Once you turn the computer off for the day, that memory is wiped clean, leaving it empty for when you restart your computer and begin to give a completely new set of instructions for the day. What you can take from this information is that the more RAM a computer has access to, then the more data it can keep close at hand for quick reaction time to your requests.

For home computers, there are basically two types of RAM available: SDRAM and DDR-SDRAM. The S in SDRAM stands for synchronous and refers to the ability of this RAM to work in tandem with the computers processor meaning that this RAM will be as quick as your processor. So, if your processor is slow, this RAM probably won’t give you much performance enhancement as it can only work as fast as your processor.

DDR-SDRAM is like SDRAM, but with the addition of the DDR or Double Data Rate. This means that the RAM sends all information to the processor twice. The assumption is that by sending the info twice, it is twice as quick as SDRAM. But regardless of the RAM, your processor is an important part of the equation as well.

Processing
Working hand in hand with the RAM is your computer processor. All computers have a processor rating that is expressed with a number followed by the letters “MHz” (megahertz). This rating is how fast your computer can process commands input by the user. By synching up the appropriate RAM with your computers processor speed, you can maximize the performance potential of your machine. If these two things are out of synch, you can essentially create a traffic jam of your requests while the processor completes each requested task one at a time and as RAM allows.

Options
Now that we have some working definitions and a general understanding of computer memory, we can look at a checklist that will allow you to choose the appropriate memory for upgrading the performance of your computer.

• Motherboard Compatibility: First, check on your computers motherboard and what type of RAM it will accept. You can check with the manufacturer and take a look at the computers specifications to determine what type of RAM you need (SDRAM or DDR-SDRAM).



• Capacity: You can also check the specifications to see how much memory you can actually add to your computer. There will only be so many expansion slots that you can utilize and your motherboard will only be able to make use of so much RAM, so it’s pointless to buy more memory than you can use.



• New & Old Memories: There are plenty of retailers that offer both used and new RAM. Since RAM is a solid state technology that is electronic and not mechanical, you don’t really have to worry about how much “mileage” used RAM has. In the end, you could save yourself a lot of money by opting for used memory as opposed to brand new.



• Upgrade the Whole Enchilada: If your computer has some years on it, it might not matter how much RAM you add to it. If the RAM has to be compatible with your processor speed and it’s an old model with a low processing speed, don’t expect to turn your Yugo into a Ferrari. It might just be time to purchase a new computer that will give you the operation speed that you’re looking for.

If you do decide to take the next step in upgrading your computers memory and you don’t have much experience “under the hood” of computers, it might make sense to take advantage of free computer training online or some sort of computer assistance or even a pc hardware tutorial as there are some rather technical steps involved in the process. But if you feel comfortable with it and take the time to look up all the necessary numbers to make an informed decision, there’s a possibility you could greatly increase the performance and efficiency of your computer.

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