Weekly Tip #4: Having Enough Memory

Hello again,

This week we're going to talk about making sure your computer has enough memory (RAM). Most new computers today use DDR or DDR2 RAM. Older computers tend to use SDRAM. The main difference between the types of RAM being the speed at which they are able to communicate instructions from programs to the CPU.

There is a quick way to check to see if you have enough memory. Restart your computer and let everything finish loading that normally loads before you start using your computer. If you right click on the taskbar (the bar where the Start button is), you will select "Task Manager". Click the performance tab. Here you can see how much memory is being used before you even start running any programs. Look under the heading "Physical Memory". The "Available" value should be at least 25% of the "Total". If it less than that, your computer could definitely use a memory upgrade to speed things along.

Question: Why is that Ben?
The reason that you want at least 25% of your memory free is so that there is room for data to be moved around in memory - stuff no longer needed can exit memory, new programs can be loaded in without "bumping" into each other. It's like a buffer space.

What happens if you are running at near or over your total physical memory, is that Windows uses its virtual memory. Virtual memory acts like memory except that it is on your hard drive. Programs that aren't being used, or don't fit in physical memory get placed in virtual memory. The problem with virtual memory is that it is sloooow. Where physical memory performs functions in NANOseconds, virtual memory takes milliseconds to seconds to the same thing. What you end up with is your virtual memory creates a bottleneck on your performance because it is on a hard drive (much slower!).

For Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, 256MB of RAM is the minimum requirement to have a somewhat enjoyable computing experience. However, if you have an older computer with 256MB of RAM, you should still consider upgrading to 512MB of RAM if you multi-task at all, and to compensate for your slower CPU.

The newest Windows, Windows Vista, has 512MB requirement and 1GB recommended system RAM. For today's new applications, 1GB or RAM is always a good idea if your computer can support that much, regardless of what operating system you are running (with the exception of Win'9x/WinME).

Upgrading the amount of RAM in your system is the surest way to increase the speed of your computer after boot-up. Depending on the type of RAM your system has, Nerds On Site can double your existing RAM usually for between $100 and $175+taxes, including installation).

If you'd like to find out more about upgrading the amount of memory in your computer, and for a free estimate, please call Ben at Nerds On Site at 902-980-0989.

Until next time,
Ben