HelpfulAdvisor | Is it Really Time for a Computer Memory Upgrade?

Is it Really Time for a Computer Memory Upgrade?

April 2nd, 2010

All too many times, the standard answer for a slow PC is to perform a memory upgrade. However, there may be times when a computer memory upgrade may not actually be needed. In this article, I’ll share with you how to find out if it’s really time to upgrade that RAM, or if perhaps your PC just needs some tender loving care.

Is the Standard Answer Always the Right Answer?

In a previous article called “How to Fix a Slow PC”, I wrote about several factors that could be causing your PC to run slowly. One of those factors was that if your PC is running slow, you may be running more applications than you actually have memory available.

However, I’ve seen many rookie or untrained employees at computer retail outlets suggest that the ONLY reason you may be having a slow PC is because you don’t have enough memory on your computer. This isn’t always true, and they could have you spending money on a memory upgrade that you may not really need. Why not be sure?

Before I go any further, I do have to set one thing straight. I hear a lot of people exchange the word “memory” for hard drive space. In other words, someone may say to me, “Jay, I think I’m running out of memory for my computer. It says I don’t have enough free space to install this application.”

Well, the word “memory” has nothing to do with “storage” space or hard drive space. Memory is often times short for RAM, or Random Access Memory. So in this article, I’ll be referring to “memory” as either RAM, or memory.

Now that we have that cleared up, let’s find out how to see if we actually need more RAM in our computer, and what to do about it if we do, and what to do about if we don’t.

A Quick Checklist to Start Off

Although there are many ways to determine if you have enough RAM or not, there’s no way I can discuss all of them here. So, I’ll just share with you the things I do to determine whether or not it’s time for a computer memory upgrade. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my computer slow? If so, you should make sure you have checked for and fixed any file system errors on your hard drive to see if your PC speeds up after that. The step by step instructions are here. File system errors are a huge cause of a PC slowdown, and fixing these could save you time and money.

2. Have I optimized my PC lately? If you’ve checked and either had no file system errors, or found you had some and repaired them, is your PC still slow? Perhaps it’s time to optimize your PC.

Optimization can either be done using several applications to clean out junk files on your PC, defragment your hard drive, and clean your computer’s registry. However, an easier way to do that would be to use a piece of software you can download and use right away called SupportDock. SupportDock has a PC Optimizer built in, along with anti virus, disaster recovery, and other features built right in. You can learn more about it here.

3. How much RAM do I have now? There’s a couple of ways to find this out. First, if you right-click over My Computer, then select Properties, you should see how much RAM is on your computer.

Properties for My Computer showing RAM

Another way is to download a free utility called Speccy and you can see an easy graphical window that’ll tell you how much RAM you have. Speccy is made by the same company that makes CCleaner and Defraggler; two utilities I highly recommend.

4. What version of computer operating system am I running? Are you running Windows XP? Windows Vista? Or perhaps Windows 7? Even though Microsoft has it’s minimum and recommended amounts of RAM for each version, I’ll share with you the real world amounts that I’ve seen work best on each version:

Version of Windows	So-So Performance	Better Performance	Best Performance
Windows XP	512MB	1GB	2GB or More
Windows Vista	1GB	2GB	3GB or More
Windows 7	1GB	2GB	3GB of More

Granted, the chart above does not take into account every individual computer configuration. For as many different people there are in the world, the configurations of each persons’ computer can also differ. However, for as long as I’ve been working with computers, the specifications on the chart above seem to work the best.

If you’ve done steps 1 and 2, and your PC is still sluggish, and the amount of RAM you have falls in the “So-so Performance” category, then it may very well be time for a memory upgrade. You can easily find the type of RAM that fits your computer by using this tool.

One exception that comes to mind would be if you do a lot of professional video or audio editing, or computer generated animations, etc. In those instances, I would install as much RAM as my computer could handle.

5. What are some of the “big” applications I’m running? For example, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office (including Outlook), Adobe Illustrator, etc. Those are very memory intensive applications. If you’re running these applications on your computer, and your computer is slow, it may in fact be time for more RAM.

HelpfulAdvisor Quick Tip: If you’re not the type that likes to work with computers, there’s an easier way to help determine if a computer memory upgrade is right for you. Try the free Crucial Memory Advisor Tool and take the guesswork out of upgrading.

Some Common Limitations

It’s important to note that there are some limitations involved with computer memory. It’s not always possible to just buy a bunch of RAM and have it all work the way it should. The two biggest limitations are:

Your motherboard’s maximum RAM capacity.
Which edition of Windows your PC is running.

Your motherboard’s maximum RAM capacity has to do with how many sticks of RAM it can hold, and what the maximum size of each stick can be. For example, if your PC has two RAM slots, and the maximum RAM your motherboard can handle is 2GB, then each slot can hold a maximum of 1GB each.

Do you have to max out each slot? No, you certainly don’t. However, I would strongly caution against buying different sizes of RAM sticks. I would buy the same size stick for each slot, so that you get the best performance.

When it comes to which edition of Windows you’re running, there’s no need to be alarmed, Helpful Advisor is here to help you make sense of it. Without getting too technical, suffice it to say that Windows XP and newer versions of Windows run in two different editions. The two editions are 32-bit and 64-bit editions.

If your computer is running the 32-bit edition of Windows, then the maximum amount of RAM your computer can accommodate is 4GB. If your computer is running the 64-bit edition of Windows, then the maximum amount of RAM your computer can handle would be practically unlimited, but it would be limited, however, by the maximum amount your motherboard can handle.

For the 32-bit edition, if 4GB is less than what you know your motherboard can handle, the maximum amount of RAM your computer can accommodate is still 4GB.

So, how can you tell which edition of Windows you’re running on your computer? Well, once again, if you right-click over My Computer and select properties, when the window displays what version of Windows you’re running, it will also tell you if it’s 32 or 64-bit. As well, Speccy will tell you also.

The Final Analysis

We covered a lot of ground in just a short time. Now, let’s circle around and really understand if whether or not it’s time for a computer memory upgrade.

1. Did you check and resolve any file system errors on your PC? If not, please do this first. The step-by-step instructions are here.

2. Have you optimized your PC lately? If you already did step 1, and your PC is still slow, I would recommend optimizing your PC. You can either go about doing this yourself, or you can download and use SupportDock for a quick and easy way to do this.

3. Does the amount of RAM you currently have match one of the entries in the Better or Best categories in the chart above? If not, it may be time to consider an upgrade.

If it does have enough RAM according to the chart, and you’re not running any memory-crushing applications while trying to create a 3-D animated movie that rivals “Avatar” on your computer, then there could be something else going on with your PC that may require a closer look. If this is the case, contact me and let me know. I’ll then recommend the best course of action for you.

Would You Like an Easier Way?

For some, it can be daunting to figure out if you need more RAM, or if there’s something else going on that’s causing your PC to be slow. If you don’t have the time or patience to figure this out for yourself, the Crucial Memory Advisor Tool takes the guesswork out of upgrading.

Crucial is the world’s largest RAM supplier, and their Memory Advisor Tool is a great online tool for helping you determine if a computer memory upgrade is going to help you. It can be a real time-saver and reduce the amount of frustration you’d experience if you’re not the type that likes to work with computers.

Categories: Computer Tips