Have you ever wanted to upgrade the
memory in your desktop or laptop? If you have, odds are you found the process of figuring out what kind of RAM would be compatible with your system frustrating. You might have even given up. Well, we understand your frustration, and we figured we'd give you the basics on finding what kind of RAM you need to hopefully save you the headache next time.
RAM Specs Explained in Layman's Terms
- Standard for data transfer: If you've looked for memory before, you probably saw, among other letters and numbers, the designation "DDR," "DDR2," or maybe even "DDR3." Essentially, these designations refer to the standard the memory uses to transfer data. The important thing to remember when upgrading is that the new memory you install should have the same transfer standard as the memory you are replacing.
- Speed: The speed of memory is typically indicated by the letters "PC" followed by some numbers (e.g., PC2700, PC3200, PC3-8500, etc.). Typically, you want to upgrade your current RAM with RAM that has the same speed or faster. If you upgrade with faster memory, just be sure that the stick you are installing actually fits in the slot inside your desktop or laptop.
- Pin Count: On a stick of memory, the pins are the gold contacts at the bottom of the card. If you have matched the data transfer standard and the speed for your replacement, typically all you have to worry about is whether you are purchasing laptop or desktop memory. Laptop memory has fewer pins (because it is physically smaller) than desktop memory of matching specifications.
How do I Know What Kind of RAM I Have?
Perhaps the simplest answer is, "Open up your computer and look." Memory looks like smaller, rectangular circuit boards, typically sticking up perpandicularly or at an angle from the motherboard. If you don't feel comfortable diving into the guts of your computer or don't want to take the time to do so, crucial.com, a website that sells memory, has a couple handy tools to help you find memory upgrades compatible with your system.
On their home page, you will see a search tool that allows you to enter the manufacturer, product line, and model of your computer as well as a downloadable client that will scan your computer and tell you how much and what kind of memory you have installed.
Rules of Thumb for Upgrading Your Memory:
There are a few items to take into account before spending money on memory upgrades, most of which the tool at crucial.com will tell you. You should know:
- How many slots you have available: RAM sticks fit into slots on your computer's motherboard, so the number of sticks you install is limited to the number of slots you have available.
- The maximum amount of memory you can install: Computers will use extra memory only up to a predetermined maximum amount. For instance, 32-bit systems will generally only take up to 4GB of RAM.
- Know how your computer reacts to differing sizes: In most cases, you can install sticks of RAM that differ in size (e.g., one 512MB stick and one 1GB stick). However, some systems respond better to having sticks of matching size installed.
Hopefully, this makes the task of finding the appropriate memory upgrade a little simpler. As always, feel free to contact us if you get stuck or would like help upgrading you computer's memory.