ITS Guide to Buying More Memory (RAM)

Table of Contents

• Step 1: An Introduction to Memory
• Step 2: Buying your RAM
• Step 3: Installation

Before we begin: System memory and RAM are synonyms, although memory is usually used to refer to the magical space that your computer uses to store things, while RAM is used to refer to the phyiscal hardware responsible for such storage. Also, please note that system memory is very different from hard drive space, a.k.a. permanent storage. A full discussion of the nature of memory and how it differs from permanent storage can be found here.

It has become a distressingly common practice for computer manufacturers to sell machines without sufficient amounts (less than 256MB) of system memory in an attempt to cut costs. These crippled machines perform extremely slowly because of this. If your computer:

• Takes a long time (>60 seconds) to load Windows (i.e. get to the login screen)
• Is unusable for the first few minutes after logging in
• Always turns on your hard drive activity light whenever you open or close a program, and when logging in.

1. Contact the computer's manufacturer and try to get them to upgrade your machine for you
2. Buy the RAM and install it yourself

Option #1 is nice and easy, but your manufacturer may not offer such a service, or it may be prohibitively expensive (~$200 or more). Option #2 is harder, but is frequently much less expensive (~$50). If you dare to choose #2, read on.

Step 1: An Introduction to Memory >>>