Computer Memory Upgrades [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

Computer Memory Upgrades [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

Upgrading the memory on your desktop or laptop computer is fairly simple and straightforward. Many users chose to give their RAM a boost after purchasing a machine for a variety of reasons. Speed is certainly one factor. Time is money, and the faster your beloved PC or Mac responds, the faster you can get what you need to do accomplished and move on with your life. Another is the ability to run multiple memory heavy applications simultaneously if you need them for research, web design, or programming purposes. In any event, it's not a daunting task and shouldn't frighten off neophytes or those that are less technically inclined. Here we'll go through what you need to know, how to make intelligent buying decisions when it comes to RAM, and how to install it.

RAM upgrades are particularly attractive on Macs. While Apple has a dedicated fan base and has earned deserved praise for it's ease of use, great security, and seamless operating system and software, it all comes at a price.

And it they aren't cheap. There's a reason they have under 10% of the new computer market. Compared to a Windows machine, they are rather expensive, but you get what you pay for. Look it up on Amazon.com, and you'll be surprised at how little memory you get for a $ 1,000 laptop. But you can kick that up a few Gigabytes for a modest price and little hassle. Typically, you can add an extra Gig for as little as $ 40.00, dependent on what kind of machine you have and what form it takes.

When you're picking out your RAM cards, look up the manufacturers specs on the exact make and model of your computer for the recommended type (DDR2 or DDR3), what goes with what processor, and so on.

If that kind of research isn't one of your strengths, you can go to Crucial.com, and they have a program that will quickly scan your computer for you, and recommend a sensible upgrade to your existing system, and even allow you to purchase the memory in question on the site. Keep in mind that new RAM cards are best installed in pairs. So if you're only upgrading your memory by 1 GB, use two 512 MB cards, one in either slot on the motherboard.

Once we've chosen the proper RAM cards, the installation for your memory upgrade is so simple, you'll probably slap yourself on the forehead once you get finished reading this. You'll get an anti-static wristband. Put it on your wrist and secure it as per the instructions that came with your memory cards. Get a screw driver, undo the back panel on your laptop or side panel on your desktop PC. Find the memory slots on your computer's motherboard. They'll be long, black and thin. Slide the new RAM cards into the slots. Everything thing should just "click" into place. Make sure everything is securely fastened. Close the panel and screw everything back in. Boot up your machine and check the System area in Windows or the equivalent if you have a Mac to make sure that your PC is registering the new memory units and that there are no errors or warning signals coming in. And that's pretty much it.

While extra RAM will bump up your computers speed and responsiveness, it won't be an exactly linear increase. For example, going from 2 GB of memory to 4 will probably get you another 60 to 70 percent increase, rather than a true doubling of speed, due to L2 and L3 cache constraints, which more or less adds up to a "memory bottleneck". A lot depends on the processor, clock speed, architecture, memory management, and a host of other issues. But for the money, there's no better way to improve your PC's performance, short of purchasing a new machine. So go out there and invest a little in your home computer, you'll be surprised at the gains you see.

More Computer Memory Upgrades Topics

Question by : computer upgrades? i have a pentuim III computer with 128MB of memory, an 8GB hard disk drive and a 600 mHz processor. is it possible for me to upgrade its processor to a Pentium D, its memory to a 1GB, and its Hard drive to a 160 GB? pls let me know. thanks =) thanks guys for the answers. i will for sure get a laptop instead of upgrading. Best answer for computer upgrades?:

Answer by stowlly123
Maybe you can upgrade the ram and the hard disk,but certaninly not the processor with your current motherboard.However,if you do choose to change the motherboard and the processor as well,i think you might better off with a new pc as the price of upgrading is close to buying a new pc

Answer by Enygma
It may cost you more money to upgrade your current computer, than to buy a new one with everything that you want already installed. If finances are a problem, look for a used one or an Open Box computer at some local retail computer dealers. It may be cheaper than one off the shelf. If you can't find a new one, shop for an affordable used PC online or a new one at a reputable dealer that has been in business for awhile and who won't rip you off.

Answer by ahotman
yes and here's the simplest way... throw away your CPU, motherboard, hard drive and RAM then go down to your local computer store and get a new motherboard with sata, at least 1gig of ddr2 800mhz RAM, Pentium D CPU, 160 gig 10,000 rpm with 8mb cache hard drive and get a good looking case with at least a 450 to 500 watt power supply and your computer will be around 10 to 15 times faster then current :)... it would be a good idea to get a decent 256mb graphics card as well if your into gaming

Answer by hykaz24
YES ITS POSSIBLE, BUT SERIOUSLY, YOU MAY AS WELL BUY A NEW COMPUTER FOR WHAT ITS GOING TO COST U... LOO KING AT ABOUT 500-600 BUCKS, AND FOR WHAT ITS WORTH, YOU'RE LOOKING TO UPGRADE ALL OF THE MAIN COMPONENTRY OF A COMPUTER.. MAY AS WELL BITE THE BULLET AND DO THE WHOLE LOT.. GET A NEW GRAPHICS CARD TOO, AND DECENT SOUND CARD... UPGRADE UR MOTHERBOARD, AND YOUR COMPUTING EXPERIENCE WILL BE MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE ;)

Answer by ConRox
It is as good as a new system. Since you want to upgrade almost everything. Your P III mother board cannot support Pentium D. Older mother board also have limit to how many Gb of HDD you can add. Now adays most mother board comes with built in graphic and sound.So If you are on budget, you don't need to buy dedicated cards if you are not going to use for intense graphic and sound like gaming. Get core 2 Duo instead of Pentium D. Core duo have better performance and lower power consumption. Get 2Gb RAM if you want to run vista.

Answer by John S
Without knowing the specifics of your system, I cannot check its specificat ion sheet, so you need to find the specifications sheet for your motherboard/system to determine the processor(s) it supports, what memory type, speeds, and maximum total memory it will support. As for the hard drive, this is the easiest part, you only need to know if your current system supports SATA drives, it will always use EIDE hard drives and may only support these as they have been a standard connection type hard drive for many years. Be warned, if you are running an operating system before Windows XP without SP2, operating sytems like Windows 98, ME, 2000, or even Windows XP Home prior to SP2 the largest hard drive the operating system will recognize is 127gigs even if the drive is larger than that in total size. The odds that you will be able to upgrade from the Pentium 3 to the Pentium D on the same motherboard is unlikely, the Pentium 3 is a 370 pin processor, the Pentium D is either a 423 or a 775 pin configuration. So to upgrade your processor you will have to replace your motherboard as well. Realistically if you decide to replace the motherboard, I would recommend you consider a Core 2 Duo processor to stay more upto date with the technology standards.

Answer by bobwhome14
All of that would cost alot may not run together and the memory would be way too much for a Pentium D processor. Look into getting a Intel Core2Duo processor(which is 4 times faster than what you have) with1MB of memory.(there is no such thing as 1 gb of memory it is not the same as a harddrive) A 160 GB harddrive would be fine but you can get a 500GB for 140 at newegg.com. If that is too much stick with 160 or 200 at your local best buy or circuit city. Plus youll have to somebody instal l this stuff for you. These are not the only things to a computer, you would need a new motherboard and video and sound cards. All this would get way too expensive. So just buy a new computer, and it will be way cheaper and way easier.

Answer by Marcos
Helllo; you did not mention what brand PC you have, but many in that era did not accept RAM more than 512mb. As for upgrading to a P-D, it's not possible; they're two different processors, that have different architectures, as well as different types of connectors. It would however accept any type of Hard Drive. I'd guess you have Win98SE, unless you've upgraded. Also, depending on the manufacturer, any P3 CPU may be accepted by the motherboard, up to a 1ghz processor; but this also depends upon the mobo (motherboard). A good indicator is to go to the mfg website, and see how fast they sold that model; IE, my old Dell was an 866mhz, but they used the same motherboard for 700 through 1200 mhz systems. I later upgraded mine to a 1Ghz (1000mhz) CPU, and the RAM mine could take was maxed to 512Mb. The best thing you can do for your system, if you choose to upgrade instead of buying new, is increase the RAM and buy a good video card (If your mobo has an AGP (Accellorated Graphics Port), I'd guess that your PC can take a 4x AGP card). If your pc doesn't have an AGP slot, then try buying a PCI video card, not to be confused with PCI-E. All in all, You may be able to find a P3 chip, RAM & video card for fairly cheap... the most expensive would be the video card. This may buy you time to save for a better system... the axiom, "you get what you pay for" absolutely holds true for PCs. When you research this, you may find that it's simply not worth it... it depends upon what your goal is, and what you want to do! Most P3 machines are more than adequate for simple internet browsing, if they have sufficient ram and a decent video card. Some of the cheapest sites for parts include; ebay, www.tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, www.directron.com, & www.pricewatch.com I hope you found this useful! Marcos

Answer by Alireza
the specifications of the Main board is very important please read the document or service manual or etc of your Main board before buying everything for replace or add new hardware to your PC. usually this document has a good information while you want to upgrade your PC.

[computer upgrades]