Expanding RAM on a computer. Does more RAM mean better performance? Installation technology or what to pay attention to
Users often find themselves faced with the need to increase the volume random access memory when they start working with more demanding software. “RAM” is responsible for temporary storage of data necessary to perform current processor operations. Read more about how to increase RAM in our material.
The amount of RAM determines how easily and quickly the PC copes with work, performing several tasks at the same time.
The procedure for increasing the amount of RAM may involve purchasing additional memory cards or replacing already installed memory for a larger module. In this case, it is necessary to take into account such characteristics of RAM as type, clock frequency, and, of course, volume.
If you decide to install on your PC additional bar RAM, then it must be of the same type as the one already installed in the device. In addition, you need to find out the maximum amount of RAM that the motherboard and processor supports.
The characteristics of the RAM installed in the PC can be found using special utilities, for example, Speccy or Everest. Or you can remove the cover of your PC case and visual inspection. If only the name of the module is indicated on the RAM stick, then by searching on the Internet you can find all the characteristics you need.
RAM type
Memory differs in speed: newer types of modules can transfer more bits of information at each clock cycle of the memory bus. Also different strips memories differ visually.
Modern PCs use DDR2, DDR3 and DDR4 RAM boards. SDRAM and DDR types are older. And when upgrading a PC, it makes sense not to buy an additional bracket of the same type, but rather replace it with a module of a better quality. new technology. In terms of money, it will not be much more expensive, but in terms of performance, the advantage will be noticeable.
DDR3 is different from DDR2, for example, reduced energy consumption. There is also a variety of DDR3L modules - with even lower power consumption.
Read the specifications carefully motherboard before purchasing new module RAM, since memory different types will not be able to be inserted into the same slot on the motherboard due to the different location of the cutout on the strips. Yes, y SDRAM memory(unlike DDR modules) two cutouts on the bottom edge of the board and 144 pins. The DDR module has 184 pins, DDR2 and DDR3 have 240, DDR4 has 288 pins, but the key is shifted from the center to the left edge of the bar.
Frequency and timing
Frequency. This parameter determines the amount of data that can be transferred per certain time, that is, the speed of RAM. The frequency of the RAM must match that supported by the computer's motherboard.
Another important parameter, which characterizes the speed of RAM, is timing. The delay in processing the operation inside the RAM depends on its value. In the name of the RAM module, it can be written as a sequence of four numbers, for example, 9-9-9-24, or CL and a numerical value - the first digit of a 4-digit sequence, that is, CL9 for the example above. Minimum value timing is good for gaming PCs and computers for video editing. For PCs designed for simple everyday tasks, timing has little effect on performance.
RAM slots
Before purchasing an additional RAM board, you need to find out if there is somewhere to put it. And this depends on the number of free slots in your computer.
If your motherboard supports dual-channel RAM, you can use this to improve performance. To do this, you need to purchase not one larger board, but two modules with identical characteristics. Manufacturers often offer such sets (Kits). For example, not one 8 GB module, but two 4 GB modules operating in dual-channel mode. For users who increase memory to play games or use heavy programs, this is important. If the PC is used to work with office software, a browser and to watch movies, then you can safely buy one stick of RAM.
Also today there are motherboards and RAM kits (Kits) that support three-channel operating mode.
What else to consider
When choosing RAM, you also need to take into account the operating system on which you will work, since the minimum amount of required RAM depends on it. Windows 7 and 8 32-bit requires at least 1 GB of RAM, Windows 7 and 8 64-bit requires at least 2 GB (GB), and Windows XP requires at least 64 MB of RAM.
What else should you pay attention to when choosing RAM? To the manufacturer. It is better to choose boards from trusted manufacturers, for example, Corsair, Kingston, Hynix, Transcend, OCZ.
Installation
After you have opened the case of the switched off PC and removed the static charge from your hands, you can begin installing an additional or new RAM module/modules.
1. If you bought a set of two boards to operate in dual-channel mode, check the specifications of the motherboard in which slots they need to be installed.
2. If you are completely changing the RAM, then remove old board memory: open the slot latches on both sides of the module, carefully holding the module by the side edges, and remove it from the slot.
3. Insert the new module into the desired slot, aligning the cutout on the memory board with the protrusion of the connector. Lightly press the module until the clips secure it into place.
4. Repeat the last operation with the remaining memory modules, if any.
5. Close the PC case.
Many users, after purchasing their first computer, are satisfied with their purchase for a long time, use it and are happy. However, over time, the appetite for operating systems, browsers, games and software grows, and the owner of the system unit is faced with a lack of RAM. A natural question arises - how to increase the computer's RAM. A similar need arises when, during work or play, the user begins to encounter system messages about lack of memory. For example,
How to add RAM
In fact, there is nothing difficult in finding an answer to the question of how to add RAM. This is a simple operation that can be performed by a person who has at least a little knowledge of computer components and has “straight” hands. To add RAM to your computer, you need to find out how much RAM is installed in the system unit. this moment, is it possible to increase the volume?
How to expand RAM on a computer
To find out whether it is possible to expand the RAM on your computer, you need to do certain things. However, it should be remembered that before changing the computer, you must completely turn off the power to the system unit.
RAM is sensitive to static voltage and can fail due to normal discharge of static electricity, so when installing additional RAM on your computer, you should avoid clothing and items that can accumulate static charges.
Find out the current amount of RAM
This can be done by clicking right click mouse over the “My Computer” icon and selecting context menu"Properties". Windows will show the amount of RAM installed in the system. In addition, this window will show which operating system installed - 32 or 64 bit. 32-bit OSes do not see more than 4GB of RAM. Additionally, even if you install 4GB of RAM on a 32-bit Windows user 3.75GB, 3.5GB or 3GB of RAM may be available, since part of the address space is reserved for the operation of the video card and other components with peripherals.
What type of RAM is supported. What RAM is currently installed?
How much RAM does the motherboard support?
The second stage is to find out how much RAM is supported motherboard. Most motherboards over 3 years old support no more than 8GB of RAM. Modern motherboards are designed to install up to 32GB of RAM, which meets modern development trends computer equipment. In addition, on older motherboards there may be a limit on the size of one RAM module - 2 or 4 GB. Detailed information information regarding your motherboard model can be found on the manufacturer’s website or specialized thematic resources.
Detailed information is provided special programs, for example Aida64 and Everest.
What does this information give us? And this is what she gives. We saw that in this computer The motherboard supports DDR2 RAM. The maximum allowed amount of RAM is 8GB. The motherboard has 4 memory modules of 1GB each. All 4GB are available to the user since Windows 7 64-bit is installed. IN in this case To increase the amount of RAM, you need to replace the memory modules from 1GB to 2GB (4 and 8GB modules are not supported by this motherboard model - information from the manufacturer’s website).
If there are free RAM slots (slots for modules) on the motherboard, you need to install the modules in these slots.
How to add RAM to a computer
The procedure is quite simple. Turn off the power to the computer (and unplug the power cord from the outlet). Remove the side cover and put system unit on its side for easier access to the motherboard. Next, open the side latches on the empty RAM slots (by pressing lightly, move them to the side opposite to the connector).
The paging file, also called the swap file, is virtual memory computer. In some cases, its use is necessary. For example, you install a game on your computer that requires 4 gigabytes of RAM, and you have 2 gigabytes of RAM installed. It is when the RAM runs out that the operating system turns to the virtual memory, that is, the paging file.
Experienced users recommend disabling the paging file on your computer and installing additional RAM instead. This is due to the fact that reading virtual memory is not as fast as reading RAM, as a result, the computer will work a little slower.
If you don’t want to go to the store, but there is no RAM at home, then you can increase the RAM using a flash drive. Follow the link and read detailed description, how to do it.
If you have never set parameters for the paging file before, then by default the operating system stores it on the disk where you have the OS installed, and itself determines its optimal size.
To increase the speed of your computer, it is better to place the swap file on the wrong hard section the disk where you have the operating system installed, and on any other one.
Swap file size It is recommended to select based on the installed parameters - minimum size set equal to OP, and the maximum should exceed OP twice. If you have 4 GB of RAM: set the minimum size to 4 GB, the maximum to 8 GB.
If you want to clear the Windows 7 swap file before shutting down your computer, follow the link and read a detailed article about this.
Now let's look at the question - how to increase the size of the paging file in Windows 7.
First you need to find out where the page file is located on your computer. To do this, go to “Start” - "Control Panel".
In the next window, open the “System” section.
Here on the tab "Additionally" In chapter "Performance" Click on the "Options" button.
In the parameters window, go to the tab "Additionally" and in the section "Virtual memory" Click on the “Change” button.
My swap file is located on the C: drive. To move it to drive D:, I mark it with a marker "No swap file" and click “Set”. An information window will appear, click “Yes”.
Then I click on the D: drive and mark the item with a marker "Specify size" and set the initial and maximum size swap file. My RAM is set to 2 gigabytes, respectively, original size 2 GB, maximum 4 GB. If you want, then ask maximum value more, but keep in mind that the available memory on the corresponding partition is also reduced by the same value hard drive. Click "Set". If all options are set, click OK.
An information window will appear in which we click “OK”, and for the changes to take effect, we restart the computer.
That's all. We figured out not only how to enlarge a file Windows swap 7, but also found out where it is and what optimal size It's better to choose for him.
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How to increase the amount of RAM or how to find out what RAM you need to buy for your computer. How to find out what memory is needed and how to increase RAM in a computer - yes different ways obtain information and I will definitely tell you about them.
But first I would like to say a few words about what we are dealing with. Random Access Memory - RAM - random access memory is used for temporary storage of data and commands necessary for the processor to perform computational operations. It is an important computer component that affects PC performance. A small amount of RAM, a lack of memory for processor calculations - a drop in performance, which, as a rule, results in the desire to find out what RAM is installed, how to increase the amount of RAM or what kind of memory to buy.
I would like to increase my RAM, what do I need to know to buy memory correctly?
You should know that the missing volume, the lack of RAM in the computer is filled with a paging file - a dedicated area of the hard drive that works on the principle of RAM (physical memory + paging file (RAM size x 1.5) = virtual system memory). The speed of access and exchange of information on a hard drive is significantly lower than the speed of calculations by the processor, computer performance decreases and our PC, in fact, slows down.
For those who decide to increase RAM, remember - for 32-bit versions Windows maximum The visible amount of RAM is 3.2Gb. So that it doesn’t work out like some people do, I decided to buy memory, and to celebrate, I bought the desired RAM, the total amount of memory was 8 GB, but the system sees and can use only 3.2 GB. For 64-bit Windows borders volume increases are much wider: Home Basic - 8 GB; Home Premium - 16 GB; Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate - 192 GB.
For more fast work RAM should use dual-channel mode - install an even number of RAM modules of equal size (2-4). If there are two RAM modules, they should be installed in slots 1 and 3 from the processor, with the purchase of additional two RAM sticks, we fill slots 2 and 4.
The exception is systems with Intel LGA1366 processors, an increase in the amount of RAM from three to six - 3-channel and the new LGA2011 recommended increase in the amount of RAM from four to eight modules - 4-channel.
If you want to increase RAM, buy additional capacity, you should also take into account - standard DDR memory, DDR2, DDR3 and memory module operating frequency. If you have a DDR2 RAM stick with a frequency of 533 MHz installed, purchasing a module with a higher DDR2 800 MHz frequency will not be justified - your RAM will operate at the frequency of the slowest computer RAM stick - 533 MHz.
While digesting the information, do not forget about such a concept as the real and effective memory frequency. The real frequency of the RAM - Memory Speed is read and indicated by programs as the maximum bus frequency at which it can operate, or operates. The effective memory frequency results from the ability to perform two operations per clock - the bus frequency multiplied by two. It is the effective frequency indicators that are indicated in the name of the RAM and the price lists of stores.
| Memory module | Real memory frequency | Effective memory frequency | Throughput MB/s |
| - DDR2-400 | 200 MHz | 400 MHz | PC2-3200 |
| - DDR2-533 | 266 MHz | 533 MHz | PC2-4200 |
| - DDR2-667 | 333 MHz | 667 MHz | PC2-5300 |
| - DDR2-800 | 400 MHz | 800 MHz | PC2-6400 |
| - DDR2-1066 | 533 MHz | 1066 MHz | PC2-8500 |
| - DDR3-1066 | 533 MHz | 1066 MHz | PC3-8500 |
| - DDR3-1333 | 667 MHz | 1333 MHz | PC3-10600 |
| — DDR3-1600 | 800 MHz | 1600 MHz | PC3-12800 |
| - DDR3-1866 | 933 MHz | 1866 MHz | PC3-14900 |
| - DDR3-2000 | 1000 MHz | 2000 MHz | PC3-16000 |
| - DDR3-2133 | 1066 MHz | 2133 MHz | PC3-17000 |
| — DDR3-2200 | 1100 MHz | 2200 MHz | PC3-17600 |
| — DDR3-2400 | 1200 MHz | 2400 MHz | PC3-19200 |
To buy memory correctly, you should also take into account RAM timings (latency - CAS Latency = CL) - the time delay between data transfer and the read command. With equal module frequencies, the lower the latency, the faster the RAM. For example, DDR2 800MHz CL4 (4-4-4-12) is faster than a module with timings CL5 (5-5-5-15) and the slowest will be CL6 (6-6-6-18). Among the now widespread ones, as an example, we can name the timings of DDR3 1333MHz – CL7 (7-7-7-20), CL8 (8-8-8-21), CL9 (9-9-9-24).
Increasing the amount of RAM, although not, rather, if you want to buy new memory It should be taken into account that the memory controller is located in the processor and it is he who is responsible for the maximum frequency of the RAM. And if you are not going to overclock the processor, buy RAM with more high frequencies does not make any sense, the “extra” frequency will be reset by the processor.
For processors AMD Athlon, Phenom II and Intel Core 2nd generation is DDR3-1333MHz, AMD processors FX – DDR3-1866MHz and without overclocking for Intel processors Core 3rd generation we can buy memory – DDR3-1600MHz. For earlier models with support for DDR2 memory, if there is an urgent desire to increase RAM or increase capacity, we look at the indicators of the available modules. In unfavorable circumstances - it burns out, we look at the declared support of the motherboard, it is recommended to buy memory with the maximum allowable (stated) frequency, do not forget about the timings.
Surely many have encountered this problem: you launch several applications or a browser with 10 open tabs at the same time, after which the system begins to slow down terribly.
There can be many reasons. One of them is a problem with RAM. Usually it's a lack of it. However, this problem is completely solvable. Many people mistakenly think that their RAM is too low productivity and try in every possible way to improve it, including using all kinds of optimizer programs.
It’s worth mentioning right away that increasing performance and optimizing RAM are 2 different things. Productivity can only be increased in two ways:
Changing the frequency and supply voltage of memory modules in the BIOS (if supported);
Replacing memory modules with more efficient ones (frequency + capacity).
Note: When purchasing new RAM, check in advance what type and maximum amount of memory your PC supports. Otherwise, the modules you purchased may not be compatible. You can find out information about this either in the PC documentation or through third-party programs, for example, AIDA64.
Usage third party programs, which “supposedly” free up memory and increase its performance can only aggravate freezes. The principle of these programs is that they simply trick the Windows Memory Manager, forcing it to dump as many running programs as possible into the (slower) page file. Thus, the program will freeze for a long time until it loads itself back into RAM, and the optimizer will again show an alarm about lack of memory. And so on in a circle.
Optimizing RAM
If it is not possible to buy additional memory modules, then you can optimize the current one. Due to shutdown unnecessary functions and programs, you can free up a larger share of RAM, thereby increasing the performance of the computer as a whole. Below we will tell you exactly how best to do this.Disabling hardware components
First, disable any unused hardware components. Let's start with the hardware components, for example, the LPT1 printer port (the average user practically does not use it), the PS/2 port keyboard and mouse (if you use a USB connector to connect them, the RS-232 port, etc. All of them can take up a certain amount of memory memory, even when not in use.To disable them, you need to right-click on the “Computer” icon, and select “Manage”, then “Device Manager”. As you can see your equipment is divided into several different sections. Click on the plus sign next to each section to see which devices are working. Right-click on the hardware you would like to disable and click Disable from the pop-up menu.
Disable software running in the background
Next you should disable software which works in background. Microsoft, as well as other programs that you install on your computer, can run in the background, also consuming a certain amount of RAM. At the same time, some of these programs are most likely simply not used.
To turn off unused services you need to right-click on the “Computer” icon and select “Manage”. look in the right menu, find "services and applications", then click on services. You should now see all the software that is running in the background, including standard services Microsoft.
Spend some time searching detailed description Google each service to get a broad understanding of what each does. You can then stop or disable services that you don't think you're using. To stop or disable a service, right-click on the selected service, click on “properties” in the pop-up menu, click “Disable” in the “startup type” option and click OK.
Removing programs from startup
Another way to optimize memory is to remove programs that boot from Windows. Over time, there can be quite a lot of such programs (for example, utorrent. Messenger, etc.) and you will not even suspect that they take up quite a large amount of memory. Moreover, the more of them you have running, the more memory is used.To manually stop these programs, select Start, then Run, type MSConfig, and press enter. After that, go to the autorun tab. Now you can see running programs. By simply clicking on the checkbox, you can disable the program from autoloading with your computer.
Note: If you are not sure about the purpose of a program, it is best to look for its description on the Internet first to make sure that disabling it will not disrupt the operation of the system.