/ How much RAM do I have and how can I get more?

How much RAM do I have and how can I get more?

Kate Dubensky

RAM, or random access memory, is a unique part of your computer’ memory. Unlike physical storage devices like CDs or DVDs, RAM does not rely on the movement of information from one site to another. Instead, as a network of integrated circuits, RAM memory is accessible by different programs, at different times, determined by need rather than by sequence. The ‘randomness’ of RAM means that the data stored within can be randomly drawn upon, as it is needed, no matter where it is actually stored on your computer, and without relation to the information accessed before or after it.

To check how much Ram your computer has on a PC, click on your My Computer icon, then select Properties and you will see a number followed by MB, for megabytes, this is how much RAM is built in to your computer. If you have a Mac, click on the apple in your top left hand corner and click on About this Mac, and you will see a similar number followed by MB.

The amount of RAM you need will depend, to some degree, on the programs that you are running. For example, you generally need at least 128 MB of RAM to run recent versions of Windows operating systems. If you use Photoshop a lot, then the amount of RAM necessary for ideal use could really increase. And, of course, if you are using multiple programs at the same time and playing intense graphic games, then there really is no limit to the amount of RAM you can utilize.

Another neat feature of RAM is that it is temporary, when you turn off your computer, all the data that has been accessed by your computer and stored in RAM memory is wiped clean. For this reason, if you have been using your computer and several programs for a length of time and are noticing its functions are slowing down, powering down and then back up again might help restore the speed to usual. However, if this doesn’t reset your computing speed it might be time to increase your RAM. RAM modules are hardware devices that come in 128, 256, and 512 MB sizes (and above) and are available for purchase and installation at your local computer store.