What does computer memory (ram) do, and how much should I have?
RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is commonly referred to as computer memory.
Here’s a few ways to think of it:
- Computer memory is the equivalent to “thinking memory”. When you’re trying to work out a long equation, or complete a puzzle like a Sudoku, your thinking memory is what limits your ability to do so efficiently. If you can’t remember something, you have to write it down. The more you have to write down, the longer the entire process will take.
- When you go shopping, you take a shopping list. If the shopping list is in your head, you know what you need and where to go. If it’s on a piece of paper, you have to look at the piece of paper, read it, and cross out where you’ve already been. The latter takes longer.
- You have a desk that is big enough to spread eight sheets of paper and keep them visible. If you have less than eight sheets, you’ll be able to work on the paper with no problems. If you have more than eight, you’ll have to shuffle sheets with a pile, which is less efficient.
Get the picture? Your computer works the same way – it can only remember so much at any given time. It’s important not to mix the purpose of memory and your hard disk space; memory is a precious resource that applications use to temporarily store data, and hard disk space is an abundant resource that you use to store your precious documents that should be backed up!
The problem with RAM is computers never seem to have enough of it. The more you have loaded simultaneously, the more RAM you’ll need. (Note for the less literate: Loaded isn’t the same as Installed, think of Installed as having an application readily available, think of Loaded as actually having the application visible and usable. Having lots of applications installed doesn’t necessarily mean you’re using up memory.)
So where does the problem occur?
When your computer finishes booting, it will have an “idle” memory usage level of (we’ll guess for argument’s sake) 300 megabytes. This is fine, because your computer has 512 megabytes of memory available.
The problem occurs when you open four Internet pages that suck up the remaining 212 megabytes of RAM and you suddenly find yourself firing on three cylinders! Your mouse cursor starts to judder, images redraw slowly from top to bottom, and everything else comes to a grinding halt. Sound familiar? Your hard drive at this point might sound like something from The Matrix.
“WHY?” you scream at the top of your lungs, “why is my brand new computer running like crap?” The answer is simple; no matter how new your computer, the laws of computing still apply. If you don’t have enough memory, your computer will grind to a halt.
But there are solutions to this problem! Voila:
Solution 1: Buy computer memory
This is the best option if you can afford it. It’s the computer equivalent to buying a friend a house closer to work to save them that 3 hour commute everyday. By giving your computer more RAM or “thinking memory”, your computer will have less to do. If it has less to do, it can spend more time concentrating on the tasks you actually want it to do, thus the tasks you’re trying to get done will get done quicker!
These days, you can upgrade your computer’s memory moderately cheaply. Fitting it is an easy job you can do yourself, just open up the side of the case and look for the memory slot that it clips into. Crucial sell memory and even have a memory selector you can use to find the correct memory for your PC. It’s worth spending a little more on memory if you can, because more expensive RAM is generally more reliable. What’s an extra few quid or dollars anyway?
Upgrading your computer’s memory is one of the best investments you could make, and the difference is almost always noticeable. It will make your PC boot quicker, run quicker, shutdown quicker and will help improve performance all round. It reduces wear and tear on the hard drive, improves cooling by reducing the machine’s work load, and gives you a better computing experience with little to no frustration.
Solution 2: Make better use of your computer’s memory
This is a solution that has been long forgotten, but can make the difference between a PC that runs like a moped going uphill, and a Ferrari. By making better use of your RAM and therefore reducing your memory usage, your computer will have more RAM to use for the applications you load.
Here are a few tips:
Try removing any programs you don’t need from startup. Applications for your printer and camera can usually be loaded from the start menu. Any icons in the tray bar count towards your total RAM usage.
Uninstall unnecessary toolbars. If you have the Yahoo, AOL and Google toolbars installed, try removing one of them!
Run a spyware removal tool such as AVG Anti-Spyware. Get rid of any adware or spyware from your machine that could be using up precious RAM and processing power.
Solution 3: Apply Solution 1 & Solution 2
Combining both solutions is a smart move for any computer user. Applying solution 2 should be mandatory regardless of whether or not you are monetarily prepared to fork out for some extra megabytes.
These days, RAM is cheap enough for everybody to upgrade. I’d definitely recommend you do so if you have the money, as the difference you’ll notice will definitely be worth it.