Additional Information About RAM

Two Sticks of the Computer's RAM

Increasing the amount of RAM in your computer is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase its speed as it starts to get older. Modern programs and operating systems use more memory than programs from several years ago, and if your computer does not have enough RAM to support their demands, it has to transfer more information between the RAM and the hard drive then it did before, which can greatly slow down your computer. The recommended amount of RAM for modern PCs running Windows XP or Vista is 1 to 2 Gb of RAM. If you are planning on increasing the amount of RAM in your computer, here are some things you need to find out first.

What type of RAM do you need?

RAM comes in three main types: SDRAM, DDR, and Rambus DRAM. SDRAM, or Synchronous Dynamic RAM, was the most common type of RAM up until a few years ago, but it has gradually been replaced by DDR. DDR, or Double Data Rate SDRAM, is currently the most commonly used type of RAM, and it has many variations of its own, such as DDR2 and DDR3, all of which run at different and faster data rates. Rambus DRAM was a specific type of RAM designed for motherboards supporting Intel Pentium 4 processors back in the early 2000s. It had a special module called the Rambus that allowed it to process data faster than standerd SDRAM, but it was very expensive and was phased out with the arrival of DDR. The specific type of RAM you need will be based solely on what type of RAM your motherboard supports, so you will need to check your motherboard's documentation to find out what type you need.

How much do you need?

Most modern RAM is dual-channel RAM, which means that you need to install the RAM sticks in identical pairs for maximum performance. Thus, if you want to buy 1Gb of RAM, you will need to buy two identical 512Mb sticks of RAM for your computer. You will also need to determine if the RAM already in your computer is taking up two or four memory slots, becasue that will tell you whether you will need to remove some of your current RAM in order to upgrade, or if you can just add the new on to the old.



Now that you know everything you need to know about RAM: