BUYING RAM
by Ray DeCosta

Here is some information about how to buy additional RAM for your computer.

One of the best and most cost-effective upgrades you can make to your system is to install additional RAM (Random Access Memory). Your Operating System and many of your programs will be faster and more responsive with more RAM. Typically, the minimum useful RAM for an XP system is 1 GB (gigabytes) and 2 GB for Vista. If you are doing extensive photo editing or any video editing, these figures should be doubled. Right now RAM is a very cheap commodity and there will never be a better time to upgrade your system.

What many people don't realize about RAM is that it's not simply a matter of running down to your local store and picking up some additional RAM. Not only is the determination of exactly what kind of RAM to get quite confusing, but different systems can only accommodate certain amounts. Before you do anything, you must find out answers to the following questions:

1) What kind of RAM does my system take? Here, you will run into terms such as DDR2, DDR3, SDRAM, PC1600, PC3200, etc.

2) How much RAM does my computer have at the present time? Usually this will be an amount such as 256 MB (megabytes), 512 MB, 1 GB (gigabytes), etc.

3) How many physical slots to I have for installation of RAM? This number is usually between one and six.

4) What is the maximum amount of RAM that my system will recognize? Again, this will be some number of megabytes or gigabytes.

Usually your computer's manual will have this information, but you may have to dig through a lot of material to find it there. You can also go to the manufacturer's website. While those are good places to look for information, I have found that sometimes they are incorrect or the manufacturer will try to sell you very expensive RAM that is not necessary for your system's proper operation. You can also inspect your bill of sale and system specifications for supporting information.

For the most accurate answers, I suggest that you obtain the make and model of your computer and go to the two primary sources of information for RAM specifications and compatibility. I use the following two sites both to obtain the information and to check current prices. Both of them will allow you to enter your computer's make and model information and will look up the answers for you.

http://www.kingston.com/
http://www.crucial.com/

The Crucial website has a "System Sniffer" which will, with your permission, look at your system and determine the answers to the above questions. You may have to install a small program for it to do this and it is perfectly safe to do so. On their website, look for the Crucial System Scanner tool or a button labeled "Scan My System".

It is important to go to BOTH websites to see if they give you the same results for the type and amount of RAM that your system can utilize. If they agree, you can be pretty sure the information is accurate. If they don't, you should dig around on the manufacturer's website for some clarification. Additionally, you may have to open your computer's case to see what kind and size of RAM is already installed or how many RAM slots you have.

Assuming you have consistent responses regarding the questions above, I just go ahead and order from the website that provides the cheapest suggested RAM modules. The two websites often differ greatly depending on what kind of RAM you need, what they have in stock, etc. Typically, they submit the order to an outside merchant such as TigerDirect, NewEgg, Amazon, etc. When you go through either Kingston or Crucial, you are virtually guaranteed to get RAM that's right for your system. And if it's not, you can send it back. If you go to a merchant on your own, you run a very real risk of ordering the wrong part because of some misunderstanding on your part or theirs. And in that case, it may be a real hassle trying to return the merchandise.

You should be aware that you will likely have to throw away your existing RAM modules. As an example, assume your computer has a total of two slots for installation of RAM modules. If you already have 512 MB of RAM in your computer and this figure is made up of two modules of 256 MB each, that means you have NO additional room to install two new RAM modules of 1 GB each. To free up the two slots and install 2 GB of RAM, you will have to discard the original 256 MB modules.

Also, be aware how the RAM is packaged - either singly or in pairs. Sometimes you will have to install the RAM in matched pairs and both Kingston and Crucial will let you know about this requirement. It also may get confusing as to whether you are buying single modules of RAM or buying them in pairs. You may have to read the specifications very closely to determine exactly what you will be getting.

In spite of the apparent difficulty in determining the proper kind and amount of RAM to purchase, rest assured that your computer will thank you for doing so!