Another PC running sluggish hit my desk looking for a little more pep in its step.

As a tech lover getting my hands into a PC help me understand technology much more.

One of the easiest upgrades any person can do to make your computer feel snappier is to upgrade your memory. You may not realize that programs like Photoshop, Premiere and others are notorious for their memory usage. If you have an older PC you can forget about anything working when trying to run these types of software. Not sure your experiencing memory sluggishness? If your computer takes forever to do a simple task then good chances your in need of more RAM.

Older computers have less RAM than current computers. Why? Simple, software has become more complex as technology is required to cram in more fun, depth, levels, options, interactivity and the list goes on. Just think of the video games days of Atari (or NES, or SNES depending on your age bracket) to now where the skin textures are beyond measure sometimes making it hard to tell the difference between CGI & reality. All of that creates memory usage, specifically your RAM or RandomAccessMemory. That is why we don’t call it RAM memory, it is just RAM.

The Different Types of RAM – One size does not fit all.

There are different types of RAM, most common is DDR3. Older types of RAM are still available DDR2 and, gasp DDR but as new generations are made the older ones are phased out. DDR4 is even in a few high performance PC’s. If you are not sure the type of RAM you have, check out the steps below to learn how to remove your RAM safely so that you can learn which type fits your computer.

Removing + Installing your RAM

First, shut down your computer and disconnect all the cables connected to it. Remove the side of the computer case so you can access the motherboard. There are small screws everywhere, be patient and keep track of what went were. Taking pictures along the way is a great way to keep thing organized.

Before you touch anything inside your computer, DISCHARGE STATIC ELECTRICITY from yourself. Static electricity can fry sensitive computer parts. I keep a metal screw driver or my keys in my lap touching frequently to assure I have not built up static electricity.

On the motherboard, the RAM slots are adjacent to the CPU socket. The slots will be about 4 inches long and thin, usually 4 slots next to each other or 2 depending on your system.

Retention clips hold in the RAM. Toggle these plastic clips at either end of the memory slots to pull the ram out slowly without force. Technology is amazing and delicate.

Now is the time if you do not not the type of RAM you have, there should be information on the side with the type compatible with your computer. When purchasing get more RAM than you had before. There is a super tech ratio for optimum performance but a good rule of thumb is to just get more than you had before.

Vacuuming your PC is a good idea, it is open and right there. Removing the dust gently from your PC is never a bad idea. Now it is time to do what you just did but in reverse, with the new RAM. You will notice the RAM can only go in one way, do not force it. With the RAM seating in place, the plastic retention clips should toggle to the closed position when in place. Now close up your computer, connect the cables and enjoy that extra pep.

There will likely be a restart required after you turn it on the first time. Don’t worry the computer automatically configures the new RAM settings. After a restart everything should be back to a better normal.

#pascalemedia #web #media #ITSUPPORT #design #graphics #graphicdesign #socialmediamarketing #tech #technology #desktopsupport #photo #photography #video #videography #web #webdesign #developer #coder #apps #mobileapp #pc #pcbuilder #projectmanager

We welcome you along on this journey through tech with us. Also, our site includes amazing stock images available from Pixabay.com & Pexels.com free for commercial use under the CC0 License.

We celebrate the community and working together to create something great. It all starts with a open internet, learn more about Net Neutrality. One more thing we love, Mozilla Firefox.