Slow Computer? Maybe You Need More RAM
It is true that spyware, viruses, and the software gunk that came bundled with your computer can bring it to a crawl, but insufficient RAM is usually your root problem.
Inexpensive computers usually come out of the box with an insufficient amount of RAM, so your computer runs fast until you begin loading your favorite software. In other cases as your computer ages, software and OS updates become more bloated and impact your computers performance.
Where Should I Purchase RAM?
When I worked in the field I always sent people to Crucial.com, because they have reliable, name brand RAM at good prices, and they have a tool that makes it easy to determine what type of RAM your computer needs, and how much it can hold.
I never consider buying RAM on eBay, because they mention all of the quality brands in the ad information, but often send you generic RAM that could make your computer crash and lockup. Micron and Crucial RAM has been my choice for ages.
How Much RAM do I Need?
When buying RAM keep in mind that Windows XP runs smoothly with 2GB of RAM, while Windows Vista and Windows 7 needs 4GB of RAM to not seem slow. However, the most smoothest computer experience I ever had was with a Windows 7 computer running 12GB of RAM, it was like the computer was performing the tasks I wanted it to perform before I asked.
As a side note Mac OS X and Linux computers manage RAM more efficiently than Windows based PC’s, which is why people keep them for long periods of time, which results in higher resell values of Macintosh computers. Keep that in mind when you buy your next PC. I have a nine year old Mac that runs OS X and all my Adobe CS4 design applications smoothly.
There are some software tweaks you could perform to speed a slow computer, but it takes knowledge and time, which are the two things most people are short on. For about $30 and five minutes you could have a computer three times faster than before. RAM is probably the simplest upgrade you can perform on a computer, and with most computers you won’t even need a screw driver. Yet a RAM upgrade has the most impact of any upgrade you could do to a computer.
