by Ms. Marie

Created on: January 02, 2011

If your computer is running slow or freezing up you may need more Random Access Memory, often referred to as RAM, than you have installed.  Although, this is a fairly easy upgrade buying and installing the correct memory modules is important.  There are a few things you need to know before buying or installing memory modules.

1.  What type of RAM is compatible with your computer?  Memory modules are not all the same, you should

learn more about different memory types and their uses if you have no knowledge about RAM at all. 

2.  How many memory module slots or sockets does your motherboard (MOBO) have?  If you do not know what a memory slot looks like on a MOBO take a look at a some memory sockets so you can identify them, and get more information about RAM slots.

3.  How much memory does your computer already have installed, and what is the total amount of RAM your system can take?

With this information, you can easily determine what type of memory you need, how much to buy and whether you have available slots or will need to pull the old memory modules and replace them.  Physically adding memory is easy, but you must do your homework first. 

Here are a few ways to find out your computer's memory type:

The easiest way to learn about your computer's memory type is to read your computer manual, this will usually tell you what is installed, the maximum RAM your system takes, how many slots the PC has and what type of memory is takes (e.g. 2GB 240-pin DIMM DDR2 PC2-530).

Also, you could access the system properties, the fastest way to do this is hold down the "windows" key (located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on your keyboard) and press the "Pause Break" key (upper right side of keyboard); however this will only tell you how much memory is already installed. 

Another way to check for memory information is to click the "Start" button on your computer then go to the "Programs" and look in the list for a folder named after your model; such as HP, Dell, etc. and mouse over it.  Look in the pop-out list for the manual, some systems have a "system info" folder which would also provide details about your computer's memory.  This information may include the amount of installed memory, max capacity, number of memory slots and the memory configuration.

Locate your computer model number, usually located on the sticker on the back of the computer case, and do a search online for its memory type.

If all else fails, you could use the Crucial System Scanner Tool or Crucial Memory Advisor Tool to find out what type of memory your computer takes.

With information about your computer's memory type, you can decide which memory to buy and add or upgrade memory to your computer.

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