How Much Is Enough: Is Computer Memory ... - Computers and Technology

Laptops have come a long way since the first Osborne 1 model hit in 1981 with a whopping 64k of memory, today models can hit over 8GBs. The usual mantra regarding system memory has always been ?more is better?. While that is generally true in most circumstances, it is not true for all. In order to fully understand why, you must know what memory effects and also how much memory your applications use.

When a laptop or desktop computer starts up whatever operating system it is running has to load its components into the system memory. Any other software that is mandatory is also loaded as well. The additional software is normally hardware drives or third party software. If your computer does not have enough memory the operating system will utilize system storage if necessary.

Your storage device is noticeably slower than a memory module, this will cause performance to be a bit slower. You will notice programs loading slower, multitasking to be more difficult and overall speed a tad bit slower.

But how much do I need?

To solve the problem noted above you will need more memory. Increasing the total memory your laptop or desktop has will reduce or completely eliminate any slowdown caused by low system memory. But, this begs the question, how much is enough? That answer is subject to two questions. 1. What kind of programs you use and 2. How much memory can your computer hold?

The types of software you use frequently is the most important thing to consider when either purchasing a laptop or when thinking about upgrading memory. If your computer is merely an internet access point for the most part 2GB will surely be plenty of memory for you. However, if you are using memory intensive applications such as video editing or computer graphics, I would recommend maxing out your memory if possible. For gamers I would also recommend picking up as much system memory for your laptop as you can afford.

Figuring out how much memory your computer can have is a little bit harder. You will need to consult your user manual to figure out what memory controller your computer uses. If you don?t have the manual you can normally download a digital copy from most computer manufacturer?s website. If you this information is unavailable you can also take your laptop into any reputable store and ask a knowledgeable sales associate there.

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