by Nausherwan Korai

Created on: October 18, 2009   Last Updated: October 24, 2009

Computers are probably the most widespread technology on the face of the planet earth at this very moment. Almost every home that can afford one has one, and every age group is seen to be using one, from children who have barely learned to walk, to the most elderly people on the block. So, its safe to assume that almost all computer users have once in their life wanted to ask "how do I make my computer faster?". The most common answer by technophiles is always to add more RAM. But how exactly does adding more RAM help a computer?

To understand how adding more RAM makes a computer faster, we must understand how RAM works and what its job really is. RAM or Random Access Memory, is the memory to which a computer loads its programs, akin to the idea of a multitaking brain. When a program is first launched, it is launched onto the RAM, and for the remainder of the session that the program is used, its "utilities" - the things it uses to run itself in other words - are kept on the RAM. Now once we shut down our computer, the RAM is wiped clean, thus if our PC freezes, and we restart our system, it seems to be running much faster.

Adding more RAM essentially means giving your computer more "thinking space", as it is able to a lot more programs to slots in the RAM. Some programs require a large amount of RAM to work, such as most detailed games, and even if you do not use any of these programs, adding more RAM makes your PC faster, as your programs are given slots of their own and do not have to share memory with another program. Utility and graphic heavy Windows Vista, requires more RAM then its predecessor, and thus, more needs to be added to ones PC to make Vista work effecientley on it.

Adding RAM means to add more RAM cards to ones PC, and these are usually available from all PC hardware stores. They are available in many sizes, but in this era of technology, it is better to have at least 1 Gigabyte (GB) of RAM, and if that is not possible, then to have at least 512 Megabytes (MB) of RAM. Also be sure to have a professional install the RAM cards, as you do not want to damage the card or its port on the motherboard.

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