Whether you’re surfing the web, typing an email or playing a video game, every task your computer does involves processing data. The faster this info is accessible to the CPU, the more smoothly your system runs.
RAM is your computer or laptop’s short-term storage, offering lightning-fast access to data. More RAM means a smoother experience.
What is RAM?
You can think of RAM as your computer’s short-term memory. It holds the data your programs and apps need to do their work right away, which is orders of magnitude faster than accessing data on storage devices.
The rest of your computer’s memory is long-term storage, which is what hard drives and solid state drives store. If your computer has too many open apps or files, they’ll eat up so much RAM that they start to slow down. If that happens, your hard drive takes over the tasks until your RAM can reclaim the space.
RAM comes in sticks, also known as memory modules, that snap into slots on your motherboard. The type and frequency of your RAM is important because it affects how fast you can run your apps and games. Modern PCs use DDR4 RAM, which operates at speeds up to 2,400MHz. The speed of your RAM can be further boosted by using software optimization tools.
Why do I need RAM?
Essentially, if you want your computer to do something—opening an app, saving a file, playing a video game—your CPU has to do a lot of work. That’s why it’s important that you have enough RAM to get the job done.
Think of RAM as your computer’s short-term memory. Your computer uses it to store the data that’s currently being used, which is why the more you have, the faster and smoother your computer will run.
RAM acts as a buffer between your computer’s slow hard drive (HDD or SSD) and the fast processor, making it an essential component for any modern desktop. In fact, if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM, it will spend most of its time shuffling data back and forth between the storage device and processor, which will slow down operations significantly. Luckily, upgrading your computer’s RAM is simple. Most major RAM manufacturers–Crucial, Kingston, and Corsair, among others–offer product finders on their websites that let you check compatibility with your computer.
How much RAM do I need?
Generally speaking, computers with faster processors need more RAM to keep up with them. Unlike solid-state drives, where data is stored permanently, RAM is temporary storage that can be accessed more quickly. This allows programs to run smoothly without constantly running back and forth from the hard drive.
For most everyday tasks, including web browsing, email and word processing, 4GB or 8GB of RAM is adequate. If you plan on doing heavier multitasking or playing games, consider opting for 16GB. This should give you a good gaming experience while also providing enough headroom to stream or group-chat on Discord, for example.
Ultimately, it depends on your computer’s usage patterns and budget. While more RAM doesn’t necessarily make your system faster, it does help ensure that memory-hungry applications can run smoothly, especially as the software you use updates and becomes more demanding. It’s important to balance your requirements with price, as RAM is one of the easiest components to upgrade in a desktop PC — but it may be less affordable than upgrading the CPU or graphics card.
How do I know if I need more RAM?
RAM is the fast, short-term storage that holds applications and files in use while your computer is running. It clears data when your PC shuts down. If you have trouble running multiple programs at once or experience lag when typing, your computer may need more memory.
More RAM can help your computer work faster and smoother. RAM acts as a buffer between the processor and permanent data storage like hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid state drives (SSDs).
You can determine how much RAM you have on your machine by opening the Task Manager on Windows, MacOS or Linux and navigating to the Performance tab. This will show you how much of your physical RAM is currently in use by open applications and the amount of available RAM. The green section is the active RAM and the dark blue is the standby memory. If your machine is frequently running with 3 GB of active RAM and 7.6 GB in the standby, it’s time to consider a RAM upgrade.