How much RAM, Random Access Memory, should I have?

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This topic is very discussed by all geeks out there. With today's technology advances, software programs using more and more resources and operating systems getting more complex, memory demands are on the rise. There are two different types of storage mediums in your computer, a hard drive with an arm that moves around on a platter storing magnetic "0" and "1", RAM is referred to as solid state medium, meaning it has no moving parts. As you can tell, with a moving part, there are physical limitations as to how fast the arm can move inside the hard drive therefore the hard drive is slower at reading/writing information. RAM is used by your computer to temporarily store information that needs to be accessed quickly. Since RAM is completely solid state, information only has to travel through wires reducing lag. Your computer can run quick if you give it plenty of RAM to store temporary information.

Depending on how you use your computer here is the breakdown:

Internet, Email, and some Word Processing:
You'll need about 512 MB of memory.

Heavy Programs (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc) Heavy Internet, Big Emails:
You'll need about 1 GB of memory.

Video Processing, Multiple Heavy Programs, Programming Compilation, etc:
You'll need about 2GB or more of memory.

Naturally the more RAM you have, the faster, more reliable and more enjoyable your computer experience will be!

You can find LOTS more information as well as the kind of memory your computer needs at Crucial Technology's Website. http://www.crucial.com

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 December 2006 05:08