How To Do Your Own pc or notebook Memory Upgrade

Upgrading the memory in your pc or notebook is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of improving your pc's performance. Still many pc owners shy away from any memory upgrade for a number of reasons: lack of knowledge, warranty issues, fear of ruining their pcs, compatibility concerns, or just an innate feeling that the inside of their pc is just some alien territory they must never venture.

Like a lot of things in life, a pc memory upgrade seems more complicated than it actually is. Most of the apprehension comes from a lack of knowledge. Let's face it, the average pc user may only have a vague idea about RAM, Motherboards, Graphics Cards and the like.

They know their pc works when they turn it on and that's all that really matters to them. However, what most people don't realize is that with a little investment of time and a few dollars, they can make their pc work better and faster. It's an investment that will quickly pay for itself; not only will you save time when doing your daily pc chores, but the overall enjoyment of your pc or notebook will greatly increase.

It's best to tackle this problem or task with some good information concerning all the factors involved in the upgrading of your pc's memory. Let's start with the basics and work from there.

(*Shortcut! Don't have the time or desire to read all the 'ins and outs' of a RAM or memory upgrade but still want to upgrade your system. Go to the author's resource box below and click the link. It will take you to a page where you can find a Memory Advisor tool which can scan your system and tell you which memory upgrades are possible with your particular pc or notebook.)

First Step - Know Your RAM

RAM or random access memory. This is what the pc uses to run applications and data on your pc. You need it to run your pc's OS operating system, your need it for handling graphics, files, web-browsing, e-mail and multi-tasking. RAM is vital to the operation of your pc. As a general rule, the higher the amount of RAM you have - the faster your pc will work or run.

To complicate things somewhat, there are many types of RAM. The type of RAM in your pc or notebook may depend on the year it was made.

From mid-2004 a lot of the pcs have DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM). Before that time many pcs had DDR (double data rate, first generation) SDRAM. Most older systems use SDR (single data rate) SDRAM, fast page mode (FPM), or extended data out (EDO).

To complicate things even further, most of the types of RAM comes in different speeds!

DDR2 SDRAM - is a new standard that can boost conventional SDRAM memory up to speeds well over 200MHz and beyond. For example, the new IBM ThinkPad T43, thanks to the Sonoma Chipset or platform has 533MHz DDR 2 SDRAM.

This is much better than standard SDRAM which tops out around 150-166MHz and DDR SDRAM which starts at 200MHz and goes up to around 400MHz.

Keep in mind, DRAM means Dynamic Random Access Memory and SDRAM means Synchronous Dynamic RAM.

And to really confuse you, having a faster RAM speed does not (by itself) make your pc go faster, you must upgrade or increase the AMOUNT of RAM in your pc system to increase performance. Also keep in mind your pc was made to accept a specific memory speed and there's no benefit from going beyond that limit.

It's usually recommended that you get the fastest speeds for your system, this will permit for better compatibility and make it easier for future upgrades.

Second Step - Know Your Machine

Without a doubt, compatibility is the most important factor in buying a memory upgrade for your notebook or pc. It's essential that any upgrade be compatible with your pc or machine, i.e. otherwise it just won't work.

Therefore, you have to know the amount and kind of RAM you have in your pc or notebook. The best way to find this is to check your owner's manual. It should tell you the type of RAM your system is using, it should also tell you the maximum amount of RAM your system can take.

Obviously, an easy way to make sure you don't exceed the maximum memory on your pc, just subtract your current memory from the allowed limit listed in your system specifications. For instance, if your pc takes a maximum of 512MB of RAM and you have 256MB installed - then you can upgrade to an additional 256MB of RAM (512MB - 256MB = 256MB).

You should also be aware that DDR is not backward/forward-compatible, which means that if you're upgrading a pc that doesn't have DDR technology, it won't take a DDR upgrade.

Likewise, DDR2 is not backward-compatible, which means if your system doesn't have DDR2 technology, it won't accept a DDR2 upgrade.

So check your system very carefully and see what kind of RAM it has and the maximum amount of RAM it will take. You must also check to see if your pc's warranty will be null and void if you install the RAM yourself! Some manufacturers actually seal your pc case and you must have an authorized technician to install your RAM.

Third Step - How Much RAM Do You Need?

It's generally agreed that you need at least 256MB for Windows XP and Mac OS X. You will only need 128MB for other operating systems in Windows or Mac. Most general office work and heavy multi-tasking may need 512MB of RAM. Gamers or Professional Graphic workers usually need the most RAM - up to 2GB or more of RAM.
installing a faster speed RAM (as noted earlier) will not increase the speed of your pc or notebook. The only way to increase the speed of your pc is to increase the AMOUNT of RAM you have in your system. Going from 256MB of RAM to 512MB of RAM will speed up your pc. Going to 2GB of RAM will make it go even faster. Benchmark testing has shown that you can get from 28% up to 43% increase in performance, depending on the amount of RAM increase.

However, there's always a spoiler, other parts of your pc must be able to handle this increase. Your pc will only go as fast as your slowest link. In other words, you may have to upgrade other elements in your pc to receive the benefits of a memory upgrade. Make sure you check this factor first before your make your memory upgrade. Otherwise, you may just be wasting your time and money.

Another consideration is the Memory of your Video or Graphics Card in your system. The amount of VRAM is the major factor in your display's resolution and color depth. A faster and more powerful upgrade in your Graphics Card will give you increased performance especially for handling graphics and videos, as in 3D Gaming.

Fourth Step - Ordering Your RAM

There are over 110,000 different memory upgrades you can choose from!

There are many places to order your RAM, from your local pc store to online sites. If you're ordering online, one the most highly rated sites is Crucial.com - these people are memory experts and know their memory! They are a part of Micron, one of the largest DRAM makers in the world.

Perhaps, what's more important, Crucial has very high consumer satisfaction ratings from other third party rating sites. This gives you an unbiased recommendation or indication that the service and product is top-notch. Even more important, they have the Crucial Memory Advisor? tool which will scan your pc system and tell you what memory upgrades are available. They also back up their products with a lifetime warranty.

Some other thing to keep in mind when ordering your RAM. Many desktop systems or pcs use what's called "non-parity" memory which means it does not need ECC (error correction code) or "parity" modules.

Registered, buffered, and unbuffered are other terms that will come up - they refer to how a certain memory module processes signals. Usually, most PC systems take unbuffered RAM and rely on the motherboard controller to help process memory. Registered RAM is used mostly in servers.

Fifth Step - Installing Your New Memory or RAM

If you order your RAM online, you will receive your RAM module in an anti-static bag, along with detailed instructions on how to install your RAM. On modern system boards, RAM is installed on SIMM or DIMM modules (SODIMM in notebooks).

One of the most important things to do when installing RAM or working with your pc is to 'Ground Yourself' to make sure you don't 'Shock' your pc with static electricity. You can take some simple precautions to prevent this from happening. If you have wrist straps designed to prevent shocks, you need to wear them.

If you don't have wrist straps, here's a simple way to ground yourself:

You should turn off your pc, monitor, plus all accessories (speakers, printer, scanner). Unplug your pc and any accessories. Then quickly touch an unpainted part of your pc case and keep your feet planted in one position while installing your RAM. If you walk around, repeat the process above before you touch any internal parts of your notebook or pc.

Open up the back of your pc or notebook. Depending on your model, you may need a screwdriver. If you have a notebook or notebook, the memory slots are sometimes located under the keyboards. Most times, it's in the back of your notebook - check your manual for the location of your notebook's memory.

Depending on your upgrade, you may have to replace your RAM module with the New one, in other cases, you will be adding any extra module or two. Follow the specific directions that come with your RAM upgrade - installing the RAM is only a matter of a Push and a snap! Your RAM upgrade will snap into their memory slots without too much difficulty.

Before you close the case, turn your pc or notebook on to see if your new RAM is installed. You will see it on the startup screens or you can easily check it by going into 'My pc' under properties - if you're using Windows.

Basically, this is how to do your own pc or notebook memory upgrade. There may be other elements or aspects you might want to check out before installing your new RAM but follow the guidelines above and the detailed instructions that come with your RAM module or modules and you should be OK.