More Ram ... More Speed !

Computer speed is one of the most sought after features of both desktops and laptops. Whether gaming, surfing the Web, executing code, running financial reports or updating databases, a computer can never be too fast. Will adding more random access memory (RAM) increase computer speed? In some cases it will, but not in all.

If RAM is the only bottleneck in an otherwise fast system, adding RAM will improve computer speed, possibly dramatically. If there are other problems aside from a shortage of RAM, however, adding memory might help, but the other factors will need to be addressed to get the best possible performance boost. In some cases a computer might simply be too old to run newer applications efficiently, if at all.

In Windows™ systems you can check RAM usage several ways. One method is to hold down the keys, Ctrl + Alt + Del to bring up the Task Manager. Click the Performance tab to see a graph of RAM resources. Third party freeware memory managers will also check memory usage for you. Some even monitor memory to free up RAM when necessary, though this is a stopgap measure.

If your system is low on RAM or routinely requires freeing RAM, installing more memory should improve computer speed. Check your motherboard before heading to your favorite retailer, however. The board might be maxed out in terms of the amount of RAM it will support. It can also happen that existing memory might need to be replaced if all ports are occupied by 1-gigabyte sticks, for example, on a motherboard that will support greater sticks.

If you are a gamer or work with video applications a slow graphics card might be a contributor to poor performance. A good graphics card should have its own on-board RAM and graphics processor (GPU), otherwise it will use system RAM and CPU resources. Consult the motherboard manual to see if you can improve performance by upgrading to a better card. If your present card is top notch and RAM seems fine, the central processing unit (CPU) is another upgrade that can drastically improve computer speed.

Maintenance issues also affect performance and might need to be addressed to remove bottlenecks. A lack of sufficient hard disk space will slow performance, as will a fragmented drive. Spyware, adware, keyloggers, root kits, Trojans and viruses can also slow a computer by taking up system resources as they run background processes.

In some cases a computer serves fine except for one specific application. Most software advertises minimum requirements but these recommendations are generally insufficient for good performance. One rule of thumb is to double the requirements for better performance. If your system can only meet minimal requirements this is likely the problem.

Taking the measures outlined should improve computer speed unless the system is already running at peak and the motherboard cannot be upgraded further. If so, the only alternative is to invest in a new computer that supports newer, faster technology. With prices falling all the time it should be easy to find an affordable buy that will reward you each time you boot up.

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