Computer Advice

One of the easiest upgrades that a computer user can do is to simply install more RAM. Unlike some computer hardware tasks, it is relatively easy to install more RAM to a PC. This guide will help even beginning users to install more RAM in their PC.

The first step in order to install more RAM to a PC is to determine the kind of RAM needed. For mass market PCs (Dell, HP, et cetera), the first step is to identify the model number of the PC. Typically, such a model number will be located on the front of the PC’s case. Otherwise, check the back of the computer for a model number or serial number.

Secondly, once the model number has been obtained, check the manufacturer’s website. Under the manufacturer’s support or FAQ page, look for one of two things: First, some manufacturers may have a guide showing how to install more RAM. In this case, proceed that way. Otherwise, check your PC’s “Specifications” page. Such a page will show all of the technical details related to the computer’s inner workings, such as the processor speed, hard drive capacity, and other things. The important detail to look for here is the maximum amount of RAM supported. This will tell if it is even possible to install more RAM. An example of such a listing will say “2GB DDR RAM (4GB Max)”. This section here should also state the kind of RAM being used.

This is a very important thing to note in order to install more RAM into a PC since not all RAM is compatible with the other. Look for terms such as “DDR2”, “DDR”, “SD”, “DDR3”, and “RAMBUS”. An example of one of these full listings may be “2GB DDR2 PC5300 (4GB Max)”.

Once the maximum amount of RAM and type of RAM has been determined, the process to actually install more RAM becomes simpler. Since the type of RAM needed has been determined, it is easy to know what to look for – simply order the appropriate speed and capacity. With the PC powered down and unplugged from the wall, unscrew the bolts holding the side of the case in place. If looking at the back of the computer, the proper side will be the side on the right. If this is a “Desktop” style PC (One that lies on a desk horizontally), there may be more screws to remove depending on the case’s design.

The next step to install more RAM is to identify the RAM itself. Using the newly bought chips as reference, find the original installed RAM on the motherboard. Simply move the clips out of place and the RAM should pop right out – allowing the user to install more RAM. Align your RAM properly (it will only fit one way) and push the sticks into place with gentle pressure. A soft “pop” sound will be heard to signify that the process to install more RAM has succeeded. Reattach the side(s) of the case and enjoy the results!

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding computer hardware and what actually works to speed up your computer and provide promising results. However, most of the confusion resides around the various computer software applications that claim they can provide similar improvements. However, as a computer technician, such claims are completely unjustified and can instantly be ruled out. Software that claims it can speed up your computer can only function to an extent. In reality, there is only so much that software can accomplish, once it has reached its maximum capabilities, it’s likely that your computer will still be running at its same, slow speeds. In fact, there’s actually more that you can do yourself to improve upon your computer speeds with free software that’s available on the Internet.

If you’ve tried some of the free tools like CCleaner and Disk Defraggler, as well as running your anti-virus software and you haven’t seen any improvements, the next step is to purchase computer hardware. Inside your computer you have several main components. If you’ve ever seen the inside of a computer then you might think it looked rather technical, however it’s really not very complicated at all. The main part to a computer is the motherboard. Essentially, the motherboard is what all of the other parts in the computer connect to. Connecting to the motherboard you have the power supply that provides power to the computer, the hard drive, CD Drive, RAM, Processor or CPU and any custom modifications you’ve made to your machine. You can pretty quickly distinguish which of these components actually provide importance in the functionality of your computers speed. The hard drive provides space for you to store your files, the CD drive allows you to insert disks that will operate on the computer, and the processor and RAM work together to improve the functionality of running programs and opening files. Typically, if you have a slow processor or not enough RAM installed in your computer then it will suffer from unrecoverable slow speeds. There’s no software on the market that can improve upon the speed of your computer if the hardware is what’s at fault. If your processor is not dual core, it’s recommended that you upgrade to a dual core processor with at least 2.0 GHZ. Secondly, if you don’t have a minimum of 1GB of RAM then you should consider upgrading. Even with 1GB of RAM your computer might still suffer from operation issues and you could try installing up to 2.0GB for better performance.