Are you looking for a way to give your computer a much-needed speed boost that won’t break the bank? Well, one of the first places to start is by adding more RAM (Random Access Memory) to your computer.
Installing new RAM can speed up your computer, and do a pretty good job of it. Upgrading your computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) is one of the quickest and easiest ways to increase your system’s performance without purchasing a new machine, or doing major constructive surgery on your computer.
This article will explore four different benefits of upgrading your computer’s memory.
Let’s discover what these four benefits are.
Improved Multi-Tasking
Improved multitasking can help your computer run faster.
More RAM allows more programs to be open at once, which means, your computer will be able to handle more tasks without slowing down. The reality is that by default, we all tend to have many applications on our computers and smartphones running at any given time.
Here’s what I mean.
While on your computer, you have a web browser open to access the internet. In that browser alone, there could be several tabs open accessing different websites at a time. Additionally, there’s a local application you’re running for your work, or for personal use.
An example here could be Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, and Outlook (there are other applications included but those are the main ones that are used mostly). I personally use MS Outlook daily for my business email, as most professionals do.
Another example could be a locally installed application specific to your work, such as Accounting software if you’re an accountant, or Dental software if you have a dental practice.
All those running applications consume your computer’s RAM and other system resources. With increased memory, this would be a quick fix.
You’ll be able to do more, and your computer will be able to “multi-task” better.
So if your computer has been lagging in performance by you having many applications open, you may want to consider upgrading your system’s memory. Of course, you can close out all unnecessary applications, and even reboot.
But if your system is lacking sufficient installed RAM, you’ll find that you will be closing out programs a lot, and even rebooting more frequently.
Faster Boot Times
It’s the age-old tech battle: you versus your slow booting computer. You power up and reboot your computer, and by the time it’s fully booted, you’ve taken a shower brushed, had breakfast, and moved on to your second cup of coffee.
Of course, I’m embellishing here a bit…sort of. But you get the idea. A slow booting computer can seem to take forever!
No one likes waiting for their desktop or laptop to start up when it takes a long time to do so. Upgrading your computer’s RAM can definitely improve in this area. Research shows that installing RAM with low latency (the speed of the RAM) can increase performance between 1 to 4 percent and shave off about 11 seconds of boot-up time.
So if you’re looking to improve your computer’s boot speed, this is definitely one of the first places to start.
And there are different RAM speeds, as well as different RAM types, so be sure to look for the ones that are specifically for your computer’s make and model. Or if it’s a custom-built computer, then get the motherboard’s make and model.
To find out what specific RAM your computer takes, go to Crucial’s website (one of the largest RAM manufacturers) to determine what RAM type your computer can take.
Enhanced Graphics and Videos
If you’re a gamer like I can sometimes be, then you’ll get this right away.
You know if you don’t have sufficient RAM installed on either your desktop or laptop, most of your games will not run properly. There will be many glitches within the game, or it’ll run very slowly.
The biggest player for graphics is your computer’s video card. But even with a solid video card, you still need that ample amount of RAM supplements your video card.
New RAM can help enhance graphics and video playback on your computer, providing faster access to data so you can have a more enjoyable user experience.
The reason this enhances graphics and video is that new RAM is designed to optimize the way your operating system handles processes like running programs, loading apps, and games, as well as playing videos or music.
So don’t get left behind or have your video-watching or gaming experience suffer because you don’t have sufficient RAM installed.
And by the way, installing RAM is quite easy to do and can be done even if you’re not the most tech-savvy. It’s definitely a great way to learn more about your computer, and it’s less costly. Below is a video that shows how to install your memory on a PC.
Reduced Lag Time and Buffering
This can be a pain when you’re trying to enjoy a video or even listen to music.
I’m sure you have experienced this before, where you’re watching a video, and in the middle of the video, it temporarily stops but you’re still hearing the sound. Then a few seconds later, the video starts to speed up so it can catch up back to the audio during the temporary pause. That’s an example of lag time.
In other instances, the entire video, including audio stops, and you see a circular image moving in…well circles.
That’s what buffering is.
Both can be a pain and reduces your experience with watching a video, playing a game, or even listening to an audio file or music.
Adding more RAM means that your computer has a larger amount of memory available to store information during multitasking activities such as streaming videos or playing games (which we just talked about). This in turn reduces the lag time as well as buffering.
Additionally, increased RAM can reduce the need for large amounts of hard drive space to temporarily store data while running applications.
So if your computer tends to buffer or have some lag while interacting with some form of media, then you may want to consider increasing the RAM. This will help to improve your overall video-watching experience.
Is it Worth the Investment?’
All things considered, I believe increasing your computer RAM is absolutely worth the investment. It’s one of the first places I start when I want to increase the speed of my computer, whether laptop or desktop.
As you can see from this article, there were several things that are improved as a result of increasing your computer’s RAM.
It helps out the computer’s CPU (Central Processing Unit) by improving multitasking. It improves boot times for those computers that take forever to boot up. And from a multimedia standpoint, an increase in RAM will enhance the video/graphics experience and reduce lag times.
The other good news here is that increasing your computer’s RAM is much more affordable than most other components that can be upgraded. Most people who are on a budget and would like to improve their computer’s performance can comfortably afford to purchase new RAM for their computer.
The only thing to consider is the cost of installing it, which in all honesty is pretty simple to do, as you can see from the included video above.
However, if you’re not the most computer-savvy person and would rather get it done by an IT/tech person, most of your cost will be in the labor of getting it installed.
