September 7, 2009

Perhaps the easiest and most cost-effective upgrade you can do is to increase the amount of memory in your computer. Known more precisely by geeks as RAM (Random Access Memory), this type of memory is not to be confused with your hard drive, which is memory you use to store files. RAM can be thought of as "short-term" memory, which your computer uses to quickly access the files you are using at the moment, while you're hard drive is slower, "long-term" memory used for storage. Having more RAM improves your computer's performance by allowing the processor fast access to more data at one time. You will notice a greater benefit if you frequently perform memory intensive tasks such as video and audio encoding or photo editing, if you multitask a lot and have many different applications open at the same time, or if you like to play the latest games with all of the graphic settings on high.

To determine if you would benefit from more RAM, open Task Manager in Windows (press Ctrl, Alt, and Del at the same time), go to the Performance tab, and look down just below the graphs on the right side for "Physical Memory." The top number is the total amount of memory currently installed, and the second is how much is available. If you don't have much available, you might want to consider getting some more. Another way to tell is by looking at the second graph on this tab "Page File Usage History." If it is showing maxed out most of the time, having more memory might help improve your computer's performance. A more in-depth discussion of the page file and ways to tweak it to improve performance can be found here.

There are currently a few different types of RAM depending on the type of motherboard and processor you have, more common among these include: DDR, DDR2, and DDR3. DDR2 is likely the most common in use today, with DDR being mostly outdated and DDR3 the newest technology available. To determine what type of memory (and how much of it), your computer supports, go to http://www.crucial.com/ and use their free scan or advisor tool. Then you can simply purchase the correct memory from Crucial directly (an excellent memory manufacturer), or search for a deal on the right type of memory module(s) armed with your new knowledge.

Installation of the memory modules is relatively straightforward. Crack your case (of course, your computer should be off) and ground yourself (touch something metal not inside your computer). Find the memory slots which should look something like the picture to the right. The slots open by push the the tabs down and away from the memory, which will also push any installed memory up and out slightly. Remove any installed modules if necessary, then use some compressed air to blow any dust out of the slots. Being careful not to touch the gold contacts on the memory you are installing, gently push the new memory into place. Turn your computer back on and then right-click on My Computer. Select "Properties" and then look at the bottom of the information box that pops open. It should show the newly installed memory. Congratulations, you did it!

PC World has a great overview of the entire process as well as some additional information here.

Newegg.com is a great place to shop for RAM, or anything else for that matter!

(Corsair memory image used courtesy of Victorrocha and the GNU Free Documentation License. DIMM slot image is public domain.)