A factor that will determine how fast your PC runs is the amount of computer memory known as RAM (Random Access Memory) that is in your system. The reason for this is because if you have a small amount of memory for the application programs you are running, the PC will be spending time (processor time) swapping information in and out of the inadequate quantity of memory to your harddrive. This computer time spent swapping data in and out of memory is time that could be spent running your actual applications. Adding more memory to your system (assuming room is available) is therefore a good idea as there is then extra space for applications and data to remain in memory, reducing the amount of time wasted swapping information in and out of memory.
If your PC appears to be running slower and is a few years old it is almost certainly because new software or software upgrades that you have added to the system are placing evermore burden on the existing memory.
To grasp if memory might be a problem for your slow PC, then confirm your PC's RAM usage by opening the Windows Task Manager. You can start the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del at the same time (Vista users will have to click Start Task Manager) and then click the Performance tab. If the figure next to 'Available' (or 'Free' in Vista) in the 'Physical Memory' section is getting close to zero, for example if only 10% or so of your PC memory is available, you possibly need extra RAM.
Basically a standard Windows XP user will discover that 1GB of RAM should give them satisfactory system performance. For users who run lots of demanding applications at the same time or they work extensively with digital video or other big graphics files then they ought to have 2GB or more of RAM.
If you are planning to upgrade your PC to run Windows Vista, you can run this operating system with 1GB of RAM, however for a better Windows Vista experience then 2GB of RAM is recommend.
Having decided that you need to improve the quantity of RAM in your system to improve its performance you then have the subsequent questions to solve:-
1. Are there some unfilled memory card slots available in your system?
2. Will I have to do away with some of the present memory to make space for new memory?
3. What kind of memory does your system require?
4. Is your PC using dual-channel memory, if that's the case then you must fit a pair of memory cards for maximum performance?
You could glance at your PC’s guide to answer these questions and others, but the best thing to try in the beginning is to surf to one of the trustworthy RAM manufacturer’s web site via the PC you wish to upgrade. The main RAM supplier web sites have web based tools for identifying the precise RAM for the PC you are using to surf to their web site. These tools can let know you what memory you are currently using, if you have some unfilled memory slots and what upgrade options are available.
Using these online tools can plainly demonstrate your upgrade solutions and really helps your to understand that you are buying the correct memory for your system.
Once you receive your new memory you will then ought to read your PC instruction manual to work out the best way to open up your PC and correctly insert the new memory. One thing you should be aware of when handling memory is that static electricity can damage these memory items and your PC’s other delicate circuits. That's the reason you ought to read your guide as it must explain that you must earth yourself to the metalwork inside your PC, before removing your new memory from its protective cover and adding or removing items inside your PC.
For information on internet based tools to identify your memory upgrade options see the link below in the Author Resource information section.
Author Resource:
I hope you found my article useful, click the following link if you require an web-based tool to ascertain your Memory Upgrade choices.
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