When Should You Purchase Additional Computer RAM Memory?

By Abbey Dale

Although the common way of thinking is that you can never have too much computer RAM memory, the fact is that you do not really need any more RAM than what you use for your everyday computer work tasks. If you purchase more RAM than you really need, it will not actually help your computer operate any better, and it will not be a good value for you. Instead, you should carefully assess your computer system to determine if it could benefit from a computer RAM upgrade.

One common reason for needing additional computer RAM memory is operating system upgrades. For example, you will find that Vista requires more RAM than XP did, just as XP required more RAM than Windows 2000. As operating systems become more sophisticated, they require more memory to do their job. This takes away from the amount of computer RAM memory that is available to your other computer applications. Whenever you upgrade your operating system, it is time to assess your computer RAM memory needs.

Another reason why you might need to add more computer RAM memory to your computer is your business software. If you have recently upgraded to a new version of the software that you use, it is likely that the computer RAM requirements are now higher than they were with the previous version. This is why it is recommended to look at your computer RAM memory whenever you upgrade your software.

If you add a new computer peripheral to your computer system, you should check your overall computer RAM memory requirements. These types of devices sometimes can use a great deal of memory, especially when performing certain actions. For instance, if you are printing a large file, such as a high-resolution photograph, your printer will need to use some of your computer's RAM while printing. In addition, if you have a scanner, it will also need to utilize your overall computer RAM memory while performing the scan. If you are scanning photographs or other types of documents at a high resolution, it could require a large amount of RAM to perform the scan.

The addition of a new multimedia card is another reason to reassess your computer RAM memory needs. Multimedia cards often depend on your computer's overall RAM, and if there is not enough memory available, performance of the card will suffer. Make sure you understand the memory requirements of a multimedia card when you add one to your computer system, and add more computers RAM memory if needed.

In addition to specific situations like those described above, there are times when you just need a computer RAM upgrade because of a combination of needs. If you realize that your computer RAM memory is not adequate for your everyday needs, it is time to add more memory. If your computer seems to be taking a long time to complete tasks, or if you can hear your hard drive churning while it works, these are signs that your computer might need a computer RAM memory upgrade. - 31403

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