Ram is the cheapest hardware that you can upgrade on your PC. Not only ram modules are affordable but also easier to install as well.
In most cases, adding more ram to your PC will boost its performance. Especially, if you most often interact with applications like Google Chrome, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc you need to have more ram installed on your computer.
Also, if you are more into multi-tasking where you open multiple files at the same time, having more ram will result in less swapping, thus improving system performance. Sandbox games like GTA V, and Fallout 4 swap a lot of data between your hard disk and ram, so having more memory can improve your gaming performance as well.
Things to Consider Before Adding More Ram to your PC
Installing more ram onto your system is the easiest part, however, finding the right module takes patience and homework.
- Make sure the type of ram you choose is compatible with your motherboard. Modern motherboards support DDR4 ram stick only, and you cannot install a DDR3 ram on a DDR4 compatible motherboard. If you have an old motherboard that supports DDR1 or DDDR2 ram, it’s not worth spending on buying a new DDR2 ram. Make sure you buy a new motherboard that supports the latest ram type. DDR4 ram modules are cheaper as compared to older types DDR3, DDR3, and DDR1. See which ram is compatible with your PC in this guide. Also, you can visit Crucial’s website to find the ram module that your computer supports.
- It is important to check out if your PC has extra slots available for a ram upgrade. If you don’t have any extra slot available on your motherboard, then you have to replace your current ram stick with a new one. For example, if your computer had 4GB ram installed and you need to upgrade to 8GB, in this case, you have to throw away or sell your 4GB ram to install the new one. Find out if it’s really worth upgrading from 4GB to 8GB or not.
- Make sure you add ram modules in matching pairs, in this way you will achieve better performance. For instance, you are planning to add two ram modules of 4GB on your computer. Make sure both the ram modules are of the same brand and clock speed. Mixing ram modules with different specs can cause stability issues.
Conclusion
Finally, adding more ram to your computer or laptop is the most affordable way to get high performance. If you are adding ram to boost the performance of a specific application or program, then it’s important to know if that program utilizes the ram or not. If the application or program is dependent on other hardware (CPU or GPU), then it’s not worth upgrading those components, not your ram.
