If you want to improve your computer’s performance, a high-quality RAM upgrade is one of the best investments you can make. It helps to ensure that all of your favorite applications can run smoothly and efficiently, while future-proofing your machine against more demanding software.
Your computer uses RAM to quickly access data for immediate processing. Then, when you close an app or shut down your PC, the data is moved back to long-term storage on a disk drive (like a traditional hard disk or newer SSD).
What is RAM?
RAM is short-term storage for the operating system and software programs currently in use so they’re quickly available to the CPU (Central Processing Unit). It is much faster than long-term storage, such as a hard drive or SSD.
RAM is volatile, meaning it loses its data when the computer is turned off. To keep up with constant needs, the operating system can “partition” part of the physical RAM into a fast disk-based storage device known as a paging file.
The combination of physical RAM and the paging file make up your computer’s total memory. The faster the RAM is, the more tasks your CPU can handle simultaneously without slowing down. It also allows you to open larger files and use demanding applications, such as video editing software, more smoothly. There are many different types of RAM, such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), with some of them utilizing ECC technology to detect and correct internal data corruption.
How much RAM do I need?
RAM is a high-speed memory that provides short-term storage for your computer. While it’s less space-intensive than a hard disk or SSD, you’ll still need enough RAM to handle demanding applications and large files.
When deciding on how much RAM you need, think about your current usage patterns and future plans. Doing basic tasks like web browsing and email won’t require a lot of RAM, while gaming, video editing, or virtualization may call for more.
If you want a good balance between performance and cost, 16GB is typically recommended for most users. This should be enough to run everyday apps and play modern games, but will also allow for room to grow if your needs change in the future. More RAM will generally improve performance, but it’s important to keep in mind that other factors (like CPU and storage speed) also contribute to overall system performance. A little extra RAM can make a big difference, but don’t spend too much.
How do I know if I have enough RAM?
Modern games require a lot of RAM to run smoothly, as do many advanced software programs. If your laptop lags or slows down while running programs, it may be suffering from a RAM shortage.
Insufficient RAM can also cause random program crashes, especially if the programs are memory-intensive. If your computer runs out of RAM and maxes out the page file, it will start swapping data to the hard drive, which causes a halt in all other processes.
You can check your computer’s current RAM usage with the built-in Windows tools. Start the Task Manager, type “about” into the search box and open the Device Specifications section of the screen to see your installed capacity. You can see the amount of RAM currently being used in green, unused RAM in light blue (called free RAM) and on standby or cached files in dark blue.
How do I know if I’m running out of RAM?
If you’re having trouble opening large files or running multiple programs at once, it may be due to insufficient RAM. RAM acts as a high-speed buffer between your CPU and the much slower hard drive, so when you don’t have enough, your system has to constantly juggle data between memory and the page file on the hard drive, which is excruciatingly slow.
Another telltale sign is that your computer has been crashing left and right, especially with memory-intensive programs like photo or video editing software or games. While bugs or incompatibilities are more common causes of crashes, low RAM can also trigger them.
To check your RAM usage, open Task Manager on Windows, Activity Monitor on Mac or type “vmstat” into Linux. You should see how much of your RAM is being used by various processes, along with the total amount of available RAM. If it is at or above 80 percent, you are probably close to running out of RAM.