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How to Increase RAM

Omkar Phatak
An important parameter that decides a computer's performance speed is the amount of installed RAM (Random Access Memory) that it has. If your computer slows down while running multiple applications, you must consider increasing your RAM.
You are tired of the excruciatingly slow performance of your computer and you have figured it out, that increasing RAM is the only way out of this. However, you may not be sure about how it may be increased. That is where we can help you out.
When things on the computer start moving at a snail's pace, it is time you did something about the RAM on you computer. It is one of the most important parameters, that decides the speed of performance of your computer, other than the chip processing speed.
In case you are buying a new computer or laptop, check out the RAM size and make sure that it is substantially more than you need.
Random access memory is the 'Working Memory' of the computer. It decides how many applications can be handled by the computer, at a time. Hardware wise, it is a different type of memory, than sequential memory that you find in the computer hard disk.
RAM is the kind of memory, which can be accessed directly, by locating memory addresses.
That is why, it is faster than sequential memory. It is installed in the form of a separate integrated circuit on the computer motherboard. The parameters to look out for, in a RAM, are data transfer time, which is usually in nanoseconds and its memory size. Lesser the data transfer time and more the memory size, the better it is for your computer.
If you are looking for a multitasking computer or a computer which will act as a web server, then you need a bigger RAM in both cases. The extra memory makes multitasking very easy.
The standard type, which is installed in most desktop computers nowadays, is DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory).

The Procedure

A straightforward way is to install extra RAM. This will certainly increase the speed of computing and enable you to run more programs, which includes graphic intensive gaming applications.
Generally, most operating systems need a minimum of 1-2 GB (Gigabytes) of RAM. You need to decide how much of an extension you need, after taking into consideration, what kind of operating system you are running on the computer and what are the kinds of applications that you are going to run.
There are extra slots on the motherboard for installation of extra RAM. So, choose how much of extra memory you need and get it installed from the vendor, on your computer.
Another way of increasing RAM, is to cut down on the applications you are running on the computer. However, installing extra memory is a much more long-term option, which you should go for.