RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Your computer is always gathering data to perform the tasks that are requested. Each program that you use requires a certain amount of RAM and will store certain amounts of information in RAM. Depending on what your daily tasks are, RAM can be a vital piece of your computer’s efficiency and productivity. So how much RAM should you have? My philosophy is to have as much as possible.
How do you know if you need RAM? Well the easiest way to find out, is to open your task manager (right-click on the tool bar) on PC or activity monitor on a Mac. These little programs are extremely useful and help you understand what is happening on your computer. When your computer slows down, one of the reasons could be that you have used up all the RAM that is available. When that happens, your hard drive becomes the RAM and consequently, makes your computer much slower. Think you have a RAM issue? Here are some things that you can do:
– Check what programs are using the most RAM by opening up the task manager (PC) or activity monitor (Mac).
– Close any programs you are not using, especially if they are using a lot of RAM.
– Get more RAM. Most modern computers can take up to 8gb-32gb of RAM. You can check by going to www.crucial.com and installing their analyzer. It will tell you if your computer has memory limitations (OS limitations and how many slots you have available).
RAM is a very important aspect of computer’s performance and an upgrade is a fairly low cost.
Have more questions about your RAM usage? Let us know!
