Ever heard of short-term memory? I’m not talking about a person’s short-term memory. A computer also has a short-term memory. This is known as the Random Access Memory for computers.

Information stored in the RAM can be accessed almost at random instead of sequentially. Simply means that the data can be found at any location with the same rate of speed. The other storage media like hard drives or CD-Rom will need to wait; while the RAM is spinning at the correct location to access the data.

The RAM is used by computer programs to retrieve and write the information. It also serves as storage for the program code and the data to be used by the program. Having bad memory will make your computer crash and the most difficult to repair.

There is no certain limit as to how much RAM is enough. Just get as much RAM as possible. However, you’ll need to know the type of memory you need to use first.

The type of RAM you get is usually dependent on the chipset of the mother board. The speed of the RAM should also be given a consideration. To speed it up try to get CAS 2 or CAS 3. Getting CAS 2 or 3 also allows higher over clocking speeds.

The Brand of the RAM and the memory board are also important. Both that items that you get of low quality will definitely cause major problems. As stated above, you don’t want to have problems with the memory. These problems tend to be the most complex.

Good chips on bad mother boards will just give the same results. Instead get the memory from the same manufacturer of the mother board to make sure they are compatible and of good quality.

Having a computer with great memory is the best way to maximize the computer’s efficiency. A computer with more memory will be faster. This is because it allows the computer to place more instructions of programs in the memory. Making it rely less on the hard drive.

The base RAM for a computer should be around 512MB. It allows a user to multi task without experiencing any sluggishness. However, there will be some programs that will be hungrier for more memory. So using them all at the same time will eventually cause sluggishness.

If you’re computer seems to slowing down add some RAM. You may also want to defragment your computer first. Defragmenting your computer’s hard drive may cause it to become less stalled.