If you’re having trouble with your computer, checking your RAM model and upgrading it if needed can be a great way to improve performance. RAM, or random access memory, is the short-term storage area for data and instructions used by your computer. It helps your computer run faster and smoother by allowing it to access data quickly and efficiently. If your RAM is inadequate or outdated, it can lead to slowdowns, crashes, and freezing. But, don’t worry – with this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to check your RAM model and upgrade it if needed. With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to improve your computer’s performance in no time!
How To Check Ram Model
1. Sleep Of Ram
If you’re a frequent user of your computer, you may experience that when you wake up your computer, it takes a few minutes to boot. This is because your computer needs to read and write information from the RAM to begin.
1. Does Ram Work
RAM (Random Access Memory) is essentially any type of memory chip used by your computer to store data temporarily until it can access the hard drive or memory card attached to it. RAM does not have permanent storage like the hard drive does; rather, the data stored in the RAM is lost after you shut down your computer or remove any type of memory storage device inside, such as a USB flash drive. To access this data again, you must turn on your PC/laptop/smartphone and give it time to reboot before accessing your files again.
3. How Memory Looks Like
This is one of many things that can make identifying what kind of RAM you have an interesting discovery. The easiest way to differentiate between RAM types is in their color. Here is a breakdown of some common RAM colors and what they mean:
- Black – indicates that the RAM module you have is not compatible or the speed of the module
- Silver – indicates the memory module you have does work, but it’s outdated
- Gold – indicates that your computer uses RAM modules below the recommended size for your computer and will cause a slower-than-normal performance.
4. Identify Your Computer’s Ram Model?
All modern computers are capable of using DDR4, which are 4 GB memory modules. However, this does not mean that all computers made since 2008 use DDR4 chips, and all models made since 2002 use DDR3 chips. To figure out which type of RAM you have on your computer, try finding and opening up an old PC/laptop/smartphone that’s still functional to search through its files to see which model it uses.
If you’re still unsure about what type of RAM you have on your computer, look under the power button and see if it says CMOS or BIOS. This will tell you what type of RAM your computer is using.
5. Type Of Memory Do You Need?
Although there are a few different types and speeds of RAM, each RAM module has the same purpose: to store information temporarily until it is needed. To identify which type of RAM to purchase, you should first sit down and determine which tasks are most important to your usage patterns. If you play numerous games on your computer/laptop/smartphone all day long, then it’s likely that a fast-speed RAM module will be able to handle the load more efficiently than a low-speed one would. If you do not need high performance from your PC/laptop/smartphone, a slow-loading module can be perfectly fine for those who only deal with a few files and applications.
- Fast RAM (speed of 3,600 MHz) – best for multitasking and heavily used computers
- Moderate Speed RAM (speed of 2,133 MHz) – good for games, editing video, and photo editing
- Slow RAM (speed of 1,600–3,200 MHz) – best for low-load computers that are rarely used
6. How Much Memory Do You Need
If you want to know how much memory your computer/laptop/smartphone has, there are a couple of ways to tell. You can open your device’s user guide or look on the back of the PC/laptop/smartphone to see if it lists a specs sheet. If you do not see this information listed in any place on your device’s exterior or within its user guide you can use a simple formula to calculate how much memory is needed:
For example, A PC/Laptop made in 2008 uses 128 GB and can only.
How To Check Your Ram Model
- Press AND hold down the power button until you see the CMOS/BIOS screen.
- Look for one of these messages:
Other signs of your computer’s type and model are listed above.
- To determine what method the BIOS uses to save and manage memory, type BIOS in Windows search, then select it from the list.
- Some keyboards have a “del” key at the bottom left corner, while others use the F9 key. Try searching your keyboard’s instructions to find this key or another way to save and manage memory on your motherboard’s BIOS settings menu.
- When you are ready, press F10 or DEL to return to normal mode where you can restart your PC or use a boot manager such as Easy BCD (Belarc Advisor) for recovery purposes if problems arise during this process or if you need help setting up RAM following a new installation of Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista for all of your non-boot devices.
How To Upgrade Your Ram
- Shut down your PC/laptop/smartphone and remove any small hardware devices such as headphones, network cables, etc.
- Locate the memory slots—which may be found either on the motherboard or in the case of a laptop—and remove the original RAM modules that are already installed.
- Make sure you pay attention to what kind of RAM is installed and its size so that you can re-install it correctly. If you make a mistake and install an incompatible type or size, you may need to install additional memory to provide enough space for your operating system and programs. To determine if this is necessary:
- When installing new memory or adding more memory, it is always recommended to get it from an online source like Crucial Technology or Kingston Technology because their products are generally cheaper than those from other manufacturers and carry a longer warranty for added security for your PC/laptop/smartphone’s components and data storage area.
- Push all pins in properly, ensuring they are all seated securely in their slots and not simply pushed into place as you install or remove the RAM.
- It is also recommended to turn off your PC/laptop/smartphone’s power before inserting or ejecting the RAM so that it can be properly installed in its socket.
- After the desired amount of RAM has been installed and the system restarted, make sure that any BIOS settings are automatically restored such as whether ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is enabled for automatic memory management—a setting that may vary depending on your motherboard’s BIOS version.
Tips For Upgrading Your Ram
- When upgrading memory on a laptop, you should first install the new RAM, then copy all of your files/pictures/music/etc. to an external device or another PC for safekeeping.
- If you need more than 4GB of RAM in your PC, you will likely have to upgrade your motherboard to run the extra memory modules. Laptop owners looking to upgrade their RAM can do so by buying a new motherboard and possibly purchasing more laptop memory modules as well.
- When installing memory into an older computer, make sure to look at the motherboard’s documentation (reference manual) and not only in the manual that comes with your current computer’s RAM or motherboard as it may not be compatible with what is currently installed in your system. If there are no user-serviceable parts inside your PC/laptop/smartphone, it may be necessary for you to go into a computer repair shop instead of attempting this upgrade on your own if you’re unsure about your ability to do this upgrade.
- If you are using the capacity on your RAM module or a new one, be sure to take into consideration how many programs and/or applications you currently have running on your system since it only takes a few of them to run at full speed before your system will begin to slow down.
- When upgrading memory, it is always recommended to get it from an online source like Crucial Technology or Kingston Technology because their products are generally cheaper than those from other manufacturers and carry a longer warranty for added security for your PC/laptop/smartphone’s components and data storage area.
Conclusion
Now you know what RAM is, how it affects your computer’s performance, and how to check your RAM model and upgrade it if needed. If you’re having trouble with your computer, checking your RAM model and upgrading it if needed can be a great way to improve performance. Now that you know what RAM is, how it affects your computer’s performance, and how to check your RAM model and upgrade it if needed, you can take steps to improve your computer’s performance.
