How much memory do I need?
Memory selection used to be a simple matter. You decided how much memory to get
when you bought your computer and lived with it as memory upgrades were very expensive.
Initially products such as Microsoft Windows 95 could operate with a modest 32 meg of memory.
Over time newer versions of Windows increased "recommended" memory requirements but
very rarely increased stated minimum requirements as Microsoft did not want people thinking
they would need to add more memory before upgrading. While baseline recommendations may work
for lightly used systems, users today are likely to have many applications and internet
browsers running simultaneously. This type of use dictates more memory than the baseline
recommendation. Usage of multimedia peripherals like CD-Rom drives and scanners also tend
to dictated more memory.
How much memory should I buy?
As long as you don't exceed the maximum memory for your system, more is better.
The maximum memory amount for your system should be detailed in your systems specifications.
Modern systems can often accommodate up to 2GB of memory while older "Pentium" class systems
may be limited to as little as 64MB. For example, if your system maximum is 256MB
and you currently have 64MB installed, you can install up to 192MB of additional memory or RAM.
As a general guideline 128MB should be the minimal amount of memory installed on any
Windows 95/98/ME based system that is used for email, web-browsing, office-automation,
and games. Systems which run multimedia devices and graphic applications should ideally have
at least 256 MB of memory. Windows XP systems should always have a minimum of 256 MB.
Which type of memory should I buy?
There are many types of memory, with each
type being available in various speeds. To guarantee compatibility you should
match the new memory to the speed and type of memory that is already in the
system.
Common types of memory include fast page mode (FPM), extended data out (EDO),
synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM).
Fast page mode and extended data out memory are older technologies (first used in 1987,
and 1995 respectively). Systems built after 1997 are most likely to use some form of
SDRAM memory.
Memory speeds are written in different formats depending on the type of memory your
computer uses. FPM and EDO speeds are written in nanoseconds (ns). SDRAM and DDR speeds
are designated with a megahertz (MHz) or a "PC" rating with common types may be PC100 or PC133.
Here's a rough guide to relative memory speeds. Remember, it's best to match the
memory that is currently in your system.
Do I need to worry about memory banks?
Memory in a computer is usually designed and arranged in memory banks.
A memory bank is a group of sockets or modules that make up one logical unit.
So, memory sockets that are physically arranged in rows may be part of one bank or
divided into different banks. Most computer systems have two or more memory banks -
usually called bank A, bank B, and so on. And each system has rules or conventions on
how memory banks should be filled. For example, some computer systems require all the
sockets in one bank to be filled with the same capacity module. Some computers require
the first bank to house the highest capacity modules. If the configuration rules aren't
followed, the computer may not start up or it may not recognize all the memory in the system.
Getting the right memory for your system?
While this may appear to be confusing, it is relatively easy to determine the needed
memory type by looking at the system memory bank specifications and by examining the
existing installed memory and matching to it . Should you have questions about the type
of memory you need then please call us at 617-332-4391 and we will be glad to help.
Purchasing memory?
We recommend purchasing memory from a mainstream manufacturer like Micron, Texas
Instruments, or NEC. These are the manufacturers who supply the memory to companies
like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and others. This is the best way to guarantee that your
system does not have problems and the cost difference between the name brand memory and
the generic memory is minimal.
Where should you buy memory?
While you can buy computer memory from any of the big retail chains we recommend that you
first call a memory expert to find the right memory for your system. This will help you
avoid having to make multiple trips to the store if you are sold the wrong memory..
While we would be glad to sell you memory (but only if you wanted it installed on-site
in your machine), there are many web based memory companies that can provide you with quality
memory at reasonable prices. Should you have any questions about memory feel free to call
us or email us at info@fastlanecomputer.com and we will try our best to answer them for you.
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