Increasing RAM is one of the easiest ways to speed up your computer if you have problems with reloading pages in the browser, slow application minimization and expansion, and other symptoms of insufficient RAM. - a simple procedure that can be dealt with without contacting the service.
However, it is required not only to install, but also to choose the right new modules for purchase. RAM differs in type, frequency and volume. Before buying new RAM modules, you need to find out what kind of RAM is installed in your computer, choose the right one and purchase it.
Table of contents:How to choose replacement RAM
Choosing RAM to install in a computer is quite simple. Two cases are possible:
Most often, users just add RAM to the computer, and they need to determine which memory is currently installed.
How to find out what RAM is installed in the computer
There are dozens of ways to determine the main parameters of the RAM installed in a computer. We will not consider all of them, and we will give below the most convenient and simple options for the average user.
Video instruction
visual inspection
The easiest way to find out the main parameters of the RAM installed in the computer is to inspect the module of the already installed RAM. To do this, you must first turn off the computer's power, then remove the cover and pull out the bar (to remove it, you will need to loosen the clamps on both sides). It should have a sticker with key information about the RAM on it.
Advantages of visual inspection:
- No need to turn on the computer and download third-party applications;
- In addition to the basic parameters of RAM, you can find out its exact model.
Cons of visual inspection:
- If the sticker from the RAM has been torn off, you will not be able to find out the information;
- Some modern RAM modules do not have stickers with information due to the presence of a cooling radiator on them;
- This method is not suitable for laptops, since removing the cover from them is a very laborious procedure.
BIOS
Through the BIOS or UEFI environment, you can determine the main parameters of the RAM installed in the computer. To do this, before the operating system starts loading, that is, immediately after turning on the computer, press Del to go to the BIOS settings. Next, you will have to act depending on the BIOS or UEFI version:
Advantages of determining the parameters of RAM using the BIOS:
- You can get data even if Windows is not installed on the computer or is not loaded;
- If you need to check several RAM modules in a row for detection by the system, this method is the fastest.
Cons of obtaining information about RAM using BIOS tools:
- Since there are many BIOS versions, and most often they are not localized, it can be difficult to find information about RAM among the mass of parameters;
- The old BIOS does not always show all the necessary information, and often only the amount of RAM is visible.
Windows Tools
The Windows operating system has built-in utilities that allow you to find out the minimum information about RAM - its used amount. That is, it will not work to determine the type of memory and frequency by the operating system utilities.
There is another important limitation. Windows will only show the amount of memory used, not the total size installed. You should pay attention to this aspect if the computer is running 32-bit Windows, which does not support more than 3 GB of RAM. That is, if more RAM is installed in the computer, this will not be displayed in diagnostic utilities, and the “extra” memory will not be used during operation.
There are several ways to find out the amount of RAM using Windows tools. The easiest way to do this is as follows:
Third Party Applications
There are many diagnostic applications released for Windows, each of which can be used to solve certain problems. Most of them provide the ability to find out information about RAM. Below are examples of such programs that can be downloaded for free from developers' websites to determine information about RAM.
CPU-Z
The RAM information in the CPU-Z application is divided into several tabs:
AIDA64
Another handy application for viewing information about the components installed on your computer is AIDA64. To find out information about RAM through the program, you need to select the SPD item in the "System board" tab. The application determines all the basic parameters of the RAM. 
Random Access Memory, commonly referred to as RAM or RAM, is one of the most important parts of any computer. But how much is needed for the device to work well? Current new PCs and similar devices offer values from 2 GB to 16 GB or more.
The amount of memory required depends on two factors - what you intend to do and how much you are willing to spend.
Introduction to RAM
Memory capacity is often confused with the long-term storage offered by a solid state or mechanical hard drive. Sometimes even manufacturers or retailers confuse the two. To understand how much RAM is needed for the normal operation of the device, you need to figure out what its value is.
A table is a useful analogy to consider the difference between RAM and memory. Think of RAM as the top of the table. The larger its surface, the more papers you can lay out and read at once. Hard drives are more like drawers under your desk, capable of storing documents you don't use.
The more your system has, the more programs it can handle at the same time. RAM is not the only determining factor and you can technically have dozens of programs open at the same time with even very little RAM and it will slow down your system. Now imagine the table again. If it's too small, it gets cluttered and your work will slow down as you try to find whatever paper you need at any given moment. You will often have to dig through the drawers to fit things that won't fit on the desk surface, and to get the papers you need.
A computer with more RAM runs noticeably faster, but only up to a point. Having a large table won't help you if you only have a few articles to read.
Optimal ratio
How much RAM does your device need? Your goal is to have enough RAM for all the apps you use on that particular device. If it is too small - the work slows down. Too much RAM can only mean that you paid a lot of money for something that you will never be able to use.
Difference from other characteristics
Standard RAM should not be confused with video memory, but these terms are closely related to computer graphics cards. High performance 3D games are based on video memory (VRAM), often referred to as GDDR5, while standard memory is referred to as RAM or DDR3. In fact, most manufacturers are very good at identifying VRAM and don't confuse it with other parameters. Therefore, to determine how much RAM is needed for GTA 5, for example, you need to consider both of the above indicators in combination.
Heavy applications
The biggest services on most home computers are the operating system itself and the web browser. You can't make Windows or MacOS use less memory, but more RAM on your computer means you can open more tabs in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. Also, some websites use more RAM memory than others. Simple text news takes up almost no resources, while something like Gmail or Netflix requires a little more power.
Programs are generally used because they increase the complexity of the job. A chat program or game (like Minesweeper) will use almost no RAM, while a gigantic Excel spreadsheet or a huge Photoshop project can use more than one gigabyte. Professional and engineering software is designed to solve very complex projects and tend to consume the most RAM of all programs. Modern 3D games can also use quite a lot of RAM and VRAM. In other words, your need for how much RAM to install depends on the programs you use.
- 2GB RAM: Good for tablets and netbooks only.
- RAM 4 GB: Minimum for budget systems Windows and MacOS.
- 8 GB: Great for Windows and MacOS systems.
- 16 GB: Probably too much; ideal for mid-range workstations.
- 32 GB or more: Enthusiasts and dedicated workstations only.
For tablet
Tablets are not supposed to deal with complex software tasks, so their RAM requirements tend to be quite low. However, as tabbed browsers and more complex software continue to evolve, the needs of tablets are becoming more and more similar to those of laptops. Current spec options typically range from 2GB to 16GB of RAM, with processor speed playing an important role in determining the range.
For example, the iPad Air 2, which has about 2GB of RAM, puts a lot of emphasis on a versatile processor. And a device like the Microsoft Surface Pro can hold up to 16GB of RAM, because users of that device might want to run a lot of professional software as well as a desktop OS.
And it gives you guidelines for choosing RAM - what do you use your tablet for? If you're only browsing one site at a time and aren't using the device for any big projects or work software, then 4GB of RAM will probably be enough. However, if you are also using your tablet as your primary PC, you must equip it with the required RAM. As a rule, this means that you will need 4 to 8 GB.
The choice of RAM for laptops
How Much You Need New laptops have between 2GB and 16GB of RAM, while high-end gaming models offer up to 32GB. As mentioned earlier, the needs for tablets and laptops converge, but most users are comfortable with running more complex programs on laptops, which means that RAM plays a more important role here.
For something like a Chromebook that runs mostly in the cloud and has very little storage space, you won't need a lot of RAM. It's enough to choose 4 GB of RAM, especially since you can use the Google Play Store to download Android apps right on your computer.
How much RAM do you need for Windows 10 and new MacBook models? You should consider increasing this number to the standard 8 GB. Most of the best laptops come with this value for good reason. Of course, if you do a lot of graphics work or want to have multiple tabs open at once, it might be worth considering upgrading the RAM to 16GB. This is especially true for gamers - the question of how much RAM is needed for games always remains relevant.
Desktop computers
RAM in desktops is cheap, so it's fairly easy to find PCs with more memory at lower prices. Also, having more RAM on PCs can be beneficial as people tend to use them longer than tablets or laptops.
How much RAM do you need for a PC? 8 GB is a good value to start with. Upgrading to 16GB is recommended for enthusiasts, hardcore gamers, and the average workstation user. Serious workstation users can upgrade to 32 GB. Even talking about how much RAM you need for games, you can make sure that too significant parameters are not required.
Anything more is the edge of extreme specialties, equipped to process huge amounts of data, huge video files, or niche programs designed for researchers, corporations, or government.
Please note that the amount of RAM and the type and speed supported by your system will depend on your motherboard.
The amount of computer RAM, or random access memory (RAM) is one of its most important characteristics. Even if the computer has a sufficiently powerful processor, but the amount of memory is not enough to run resource-intensive applications, this will immediately affect the performance, which will be significantly reduced. The situation is aggravated by the fact that with each software update, as a rule, the requirements for the used computer resources increase.
Therefore, sooner or later, users have a question - how to find out the RAM of a computer in order to increase its volume if necessary?
The amount of RAM in modern computers is measured in gigabytes (GB). To check the amount of RAM installed in your computer, do the following.
In Windows XP
- Click the "Start" button and the menu that appears, right-click on the "My Computer" item. The same can be done on the desktop if there is a shortcut "My Computer" on it.
- After right-clicking, a context menu will appear, in which select the “Properties” item.
- In the window that opens, go to the "General" tab, which will contain basic information about the computer: information about the processor and the amount of RAM.
In Windows Vista and Windows 7
On Mac OS X
Click the Apple () icon in the upper left corner and select About This Mac from the menu that appears. A window will open where you can get the most important information about this computer, including how much RAM it has.
On Linux
You can find out the total amount of computer RAM in Linux by running the system monitor from the "System" - "Administration" section or by running the following command in the terminal:
cat /proc/meminfo
You can also view RAM data using third-party computer diagnostic utilities such as Everest, CPU-Z, Sandra Sisoft, or by entering the computer BIOS. If the computer does not turn on, then you can determine its RAM only by looking at the inscriptions on the stickers of the memory modules, having accessed them.
Based on data on the current amount of computer RAM, you can outline ways to increase it and improve performance in resource-intensive tasks. When increasing the amount of RAM in 32-bit systems, please note that they cannot address more than 3.0-3.5 Gigabytes of RAM.
Do not know how to see how much RAM is on the computer or laptop? In this article, we'll show you how to do it.
You can see how much RAM is on your computer in different ways. You can open the case and find out not only how much RAM, but also the number of slats. There can be either one or several slats, depending on the motherboard installed in the system unit. For example, there may be slots for three sticks of RAM or two or another number, in each slot you can install bars with different amounts of memory. For example, 1 GB strips can be installed in two slots, as a result, it will turn out that the computer will have 2 GB of RAM. You can remove them and install 2 GB sticks instead of them, then the RAM will be already 4 GB. You can replace the RAM on your computer yourself, the main thing is to know how much maximum volume it supports. The replacement process is not difficult, you need to open the computer, unfasten the bar from the latches on the upper and lower sides and pull it out and install a new one instead. If you have two sticks with a small volume, then you can install one more capacious one, that is, you can choose how much you need on your PC.
You can also see the RAM on a laptop, it is slightly different from a computer one and not everyone can replace it. Since the laptop is assembled more compactly, it is better to contact a specialist for a replacement, at the same time he will tell you whether it supports RAM with a more capacious amount or not. I think you should not post screenshots of how to change the RAM on a computer or laptop, the Internet is full of such information, you can even find a video where this is shown in detail. We'll just tell you how to find out how much RAM is installed on your device.
How to find out how much RAM is on your computer or laptop.
Now let's see how to find out how much RAM is installed in the computer. In our example, we use a laptop with the Windows 8 operating system, everything is the same on the computer. On other versions of Windows, there should be similar steps, below is a way to find out the amount of installed RAM on Windows XP.
We call the menu on the side by directing the mouse pointer to one of the corners of the screen on the right side.
In the menu that opens, select "Settings" in the form of a gear.
Next, select "computer information".
And we see all the basic information about the computer, including the amount of installed RAM. Look at the screenshot attached below, in it I highlighted information about the RAM.
You can also open information about the computer in another way, suitable not only for Windows 7 or 8, but also for Windows XP.
On the desktop, click on the "My Computer" or "This Computer" shortcut, in the window that opens, on an empty space, click on the right mouse button (necessarily on an empty space, and not on any package or something else) and you will see the same information as shown in the picture above and also find out how much RAM is in your computer or laptop.
As you can see, nothing complicated, any user can easily find out how much RAM he has on his PC.
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Before increasing the amount of RAM on a laptop, you should check what type of RAM this PC already has. When installing an inappropriate module, a conflict between the old and new memory strips may occur, as a result of which the portable computer will malfunction, freeze, or even stop turning on. Consider what characteristics you need to pay attention to when choosing a new RAM and how to determine the type of RAM already installed on a laptop.
Basic RAM parameters
The first step is to figure out which parameters are considered decisive for random access memory devices. These characteristics are:
Ways to determine the type of installed memory
There are several ways to find out which model of RAM is on a laptop:
- By visual inspection of the RAM.
- Check with additional software.
Visual inspection of the RAM bar
You can check the amount of RAM by simply accessing the properties of the laptop. To do this, right-click on the “My Computer” shortcut and select “Properties” from the list that opens. The RAM capacity can be viewed in the corresponding line. 
However, the information obtained in this way is not enough, so you need to find out the rest of the RAM parameters. All manufacturers of memory cards put important data directly on the bar. To check them, you need to disassemble the laptop, remove the RAM from it and carefully familiarize yourself with the existing designation.
As an example, consider how to find out the model and characteristics of RAM, the appearance of which is shown in the figure. 
Our RAM is produced by the South Korean company Hynix. Slot capacity - 4 GB. By the abbreviation 1Rx8, you can find out that the bar is one-sided (1R), that is, all microcircuits are placed on one side. Double-sided RAM is marked 2R. The number 8 indicates the number of memory chips.
This model has a bandwidth of PC3-12800. This allows you to find out the type of RAM (DDR3) and the maximum operating speed (12800 Mb / s). To determine what the frequency of the RAM, 12800 should be divided by 8, which will be equal to 1600 MHz. 
Consider another example - RAM for a Kingston laptop, model KHX6400D2LL / 1G: 
- RAM type - DDR2;
- operating speed - 6400 Mb / s;
- frequency - 6400/8 = 800 MHz;
- capacity - 1 GB;
- 2.0V means that the board is powered by a non-standard voltage - 2 V, which must be manually set in the BIOS.
On some storage devices, information is presented in a non-standard form, however, in such cases, you can find out their parameters. For example, Kingston RAM marked KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX has the following properties: 
- frequency - 1600 MHz;
- C9 - delay 9 cycles;
- type - DDR3;
- 8GX - 4 GB capacity.
Programs for determining RAM parameters
If for some reason you do not want to disassemble a portable computer (for example, it is under warranty), but you still need to check what kind of RAM it has, you can use additional software.
One of the most effective programs in this area is AIDA64. It allows you to find out not only the type and parameters of the storage device, but also the characteristics of the rest of the hardware. To check what kind of RAM is on a laptop, you must:
Having dealt with the parameters of the RAM, you can independently increase its volume, thereby improving the performance of the laptop.
