How to Upgrade Your Computer RAM

If your computer runs too slowly for you, it probably needs more RAM. Regular computer maintenance will help speed up your machine, but it will rarely help more than a RAM upgrade.

RAM, or simply "memory," stores open programs and information that hasn't been saved to the hard drive yet. The RAM we talk about is dynamic RAM, which needs continuous electricity to hold its information -- that's why your unsaved paper is gone if you turn the power off.

There are two common types of memory in most PCs. DDR RAM is found in fairly modern machines, while SDRAM is used on older computers.

To tell if your machine uses SDRAM or DDR RAM, look at the memory itself. You can find it on the motherboard; there will be two or three "sticks" about an inch tall and six long plugged into the motherboard next to each other. Take out the RAM by pressing down on the white clamps on both sides of the sticks. The memory should pop up, and you can remove it for inspection.

SDRAM has three clusters of gold "fingers" at the bottom of the stick. DDR RAM has two clusters. Once you've determined which type of RAM you have, put the stick back in the motherboard, making sure the notches between the clusters line up with the slots. Press firmly until the clamps snap onto the stick.

So now you know what type of memory your computer uses. But how much of it do you have, exactly? If you're not sure, and you use Windows XP, right-click on My Computer, then click Properties, then System Properties. It will tell you, in megabytes, how much RAM your PC has.

Before you go out and buy more memory for your computer, it's important to consider one overlooked aspect of RAM -- speed. If you have a stick of RAM that's faster than the others, it's okay, but if you add memory that is slower than the rest, it will reduce your computer's performance. To be on the safe side, buy the fastest RAM you can find.

From here, installing RAM is easy. Just take out the old stick, as you did to find out whether it was DDR or SDRAM, and put in the new one. If your machine has only one stick of RAM, but two slots, you won't even need to remove the original RAM.

If you were curious, SDRAM stands for Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. It transfers information as quickly as the system timer -- a small piece of quartz that functions like the quartz in a watch -- ticks. The "DDR" in DDR RAM stands for Double Data Rate. It sends information twice as fast as the system timer ticks. In music terms, SDRAM sends data on quarter notes, while DDR RAM sends on eighth notes.

It's normal to be intimidated by installing RAM, especially if you're not a techno-geek, but it's easier than you might think. More importantly, it's an instant boost to your computer's performance.