Do you feel like your computer is running slower than it used to?
It’s possible that you may need to add more RAM (Random Access Memory) or memory to your computer. Adding RAM increases computer speed in several ways for your computer, and can make a significant difference in its overall performance.
In this article, we will be discussing four ways adding RAM increases computer speed and the different benefits that go with it. We’ll explain how RAM is involved in the functioning of your computer, why it’s important for multitasking, and how it affects load times for applications and games.
So continue reading to learn more.
Benefits of Adding RAM
There are many benefits to adding RAM, but we’re going to be focusing on the ones that have the most impact.
More RAM gives you more leverage for your computer. By increasing the amount of available memory, you’ll be able to run more programs simultaneously without experiencing any lag or slowdowns.
The biggest benefit of adding RAM in my opinion is that it increases your computer’s speed. We all want our computers to run faster, particularly if we’ve had them for a few years. With more memory available, your computer will be able to access and process data much faster than before.
For mundane tasks like opening large files or running demanding software will become a much better experience for you as the end user, because the applications will run quicker and smoother. You’ll also notice an improvement in overall system responsiveness as well as faster boot times (which I’ll talk more about in a sec).
For gamers, this is also a major factor.
You simply need to have a substantial amount of RAM installed on your computer in order to fully enjoy the games you’re playing. And if you notice your games are slowing down, or having some glitches, one of two things is happening. You either need to install more RAM or get a better video card, or you may need to do both.
Another great benefit of adding RAM is improved multitasking capabilities. Let’s talk more about that.
Improves Multitasking
Adding RAM Increases Computer Speed and Improves Multitasking
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the temporary storage space used by your computer’s processor to store and access data quickly. Information will stay stored in RAM while the computer is on. Once the computer is turned off, however, that information gets deleted.
RAM is for short-term storage only.
It operates similarly to how our brain operates. Our conscious mind is for short-term memory, such as what we did today, or two days ago. Anything beyond a few days, and we forget. Our unconscious mind on the other hand, stores memory from years ago that we can still remember to this day.
Long-term memory for computers belongs to the internal hard drive, which is for another article.
When you have more programs running than the available amount of RAM, it slows down the performance of your computer, causing lagging or freezing issues. This is one of the leading causes for computers slowing down, they simply don’t have enough RAM installed.
Adding more RAM to your system will give more space for the processor to work with, allowing it to store more temporary information for different programs in the available spaces that additional RAM allows.
This allows the processor to run faster and smoother.
As I mentioned before, gamers benefit immensely from having additional RAM installed. A similar category to gaming is that of video editing and other multimedia. If you’re in any of these genres, your ability to work faster and play a game with very few glitches improves a great deal.
Faster Boot Times
When you turn on your computer, it has to load all the necessary programs and files into memory before you can start using it. If you don’t have enough RAM, this process can take what feels like forever!
This can be frustrating, believe me, I know.
Your computer loads what is called system files, and they are needed in order for your OS (Operating System) to load and work properly. Adding more RAM will improve your computer load those files much faster, so you can begin working on your computer, instead of sitting there waiting for your computer to boot.
You’ll have more space for these essential files to load quickly.
The boot time for your computer will definitely improve and the overall performance of your computer system. Don’t let slow boot times of your computer be the reason you lose productivity, adding more RAM to your system will significantly make a difference.
Before adding new RAM to your computer, you must first know what type of RAM your specific computer takes. Not all computers use the same form factor RAM, so it’s important to know what type of RAM your computer takes before going out to purchase one.
To figure this out, head over to Crucial’s website.
They’re one of the leading memory manufacturers. Their website can scan your computer and tell you exactly what RAM type your computer can take, and the maximum amount of RAM you can install on your computer.
Once you have that information, you can purchase the RAM right there off of Crucial’s website, or you take down the information and purchase that RAM at a local tech store, or even from Amazon.
Improves Application Performance
We all have many different applications that we have loaded onto our computers. Having too many applications can slow down our computers. So there are two different ways we can improve this area.
We can either remove some of those applications or increase the amount of RAM (and potentially more hard drive space) on our computer. Being that I’m an IT guy, I’d say you out to do both. But let’s focus on the solution of adding more RAM to your since that’s the focus of this article.
Applications are any additional software you have installed on your computer in addition to the OS. Examples would include Microsft Office, Google Chrome, QuickBooks Desktop, etc. These can slow down operation not only for specific programs but also for the overall computer, without sufficient RAM.
Maximize Your Computer Speed with Added RAM
In conclusion, adding RAM to your computer can help you maximize its speed and performance.
It’s a relatively simple and cost-effective upgrade that will give you more power when you need it. Plus, with so many RAM options available, you can find the perfect choice depending on the type of machine you have.
By going to Crucial’s website, you’ll be able to discover the specific RAM form factor that your computer uses.
There are many more reasons to showcase why adding more RAM increases computer speed. However, these 4 that we’ve discussed in this article are among the main reasons that affect all other reasons.
In the event, you’re the DIY type and you would like to venture into installing your RAM once you purchase it, here’s a beginner’s guide on how to install RAM into a PC desktop.