Saturday, September 4, 2010

Has your computer got adequate memory

Has your computer got adequate memory

If your computer is running slow it may be for several causes such as a virus or your hard disk becoming full or that you don't have adequate memory for the applications you are running. In this article I'll focus on how to speed up your PC with more memory.

An critical factor that determines how fast a computer works is the amount of memory called RAM (Random Access Memory) that is in the computer system. When you have a small amount of memory for the application programs you happen to be running the computer will need to spending time (processor time) swapping information in and out of the limited quantity of memory into the hard-disk. If the processor is spending time swapping information in and out of memory it is not spending time on running your applications. With more memory added to the computer system (assuming space is available) more applications or data can remain in memory, reducing the amount of time wasted swapping information in and out of memory to the hard disk.

When you have had your computer or laptop for several years and you may notice that it is running slower than it did when it had been new. This is often as a result of new software you added to the computer or any software you upgraded as these could possibly be bigger programs and therefore will probably be using up more of the existing memory.

If you need to determine if memory may be making your computer run slow, check the memory usage by running Windows Task Manager. To start Task Manager merely press Ctrl-Alt-Del at the same time (Vista users will have to click Start Task Manager) and then click the Performance tab. Check the number against 'Available' (or 'Free' in Vista) in the 'Physical Memory' section is getting especially low for instance if it is about 10% you probably need more memory in your computer.

In the main a standard Windows XP user will discover that 1GB of RAM will give them acceptable system performance. If you're a user running a number of demanding programmes simultaneously or the programmes do a lot of working with digital video or other huge graphics files then you should have 2GB or more of RAM.

When upgrading your PC to run a more recent Windows operating system seek to have at the very least 1GB of memory, but as these Windows operating systems may possibly use more memory themselves it might be a good idea to have 2GB or more of memory.

If you decided that you need to increase the amount of memory in your system to improve its performance it is advisable to answer the following questions:-

1. Are there empty memory card slots in the computer?
2. Will I you need to remove some or all of the current memory to create space for new memory cards containing more memory?
3. What kind of memory does your system need?
4. Is your computer using dual-channel memory, if that's the case then you must install a pair of memory cards for maximum performance?

To obtain the answers to these questions you can read your computer’s manuals, but the easiest thing to try first is usually to surf to one of the dependable memory card manufacturer’s internet site using the computer you want to upgrade. The main memory supplier web sites contain on-line tools for identifying the correct RAM for the computer you are using to surf to their internet site. These tools can let you know what memory you're currently using, if you have any empty memory slots and what upgrade possibilities are available.

With these internet based tools you are able to clearly see your computer memory upgrade alternatives and they really help you to make sure you are buying the correct memory for your system.

Make sure that when your new memory is delivered you read your computer manual first to know the right way to open up your computer and properly insert the new memory. It is important to know that when handling memory any static electricity can damage these delicate memory chips and your computer’s other circuits. That is why you have to read the computer manual as it should explain that it's essential to unplug your computer from the mains electric supply before opening the computer. It should then explain that you must earth yourself to the metalwork inside your computer (simply touching a part of the metalwork is all that you have to do), while removing your new memory from its protective packaging and removing and adding memory to the motherboard in your computer.

Click the following for information about a suitable web site that contains an internet memory upgrade tool.

 
Visit Click Digital Products for more consumer digital product and technology information.

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