RAM or random access memory ( Random Access Memory ) is a vital hardware component of any PC because it allows you to save data that software can quickly access, speeding up processes and operations.
The characteristics of the RAM that distinguish it from the memory of a file storage unit (such as the hard disk) are temporariness, in the sense that it empties and is erased when the computer is turned off, and speed, in the sense that the accessing RAM data is much faster than accessing data saved on disk.
Essentially, the more RAM you have, the faster your computer performs multiple operations together, even if this is up to a certain limit.
However, you cannot think of adding Giga of RAM to your computer to make it faster because up to a certain limit it also becomes useless.
The amount of RAM you need for your PC depends on what you want to do: the game, for example, requires a good amount of RAM, while surfing the internet may require less, unless you are used to opening dozens of cards together.
So let's see how to understand how much RAM the PC needs to run Windows 10 and the programs used, depending on what you do.
READ ALSO: Types of computer RAM: DDR, shape and speed
How much RAM do you really need on a Windows 10 "PC> virtual reality devices such as HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, the canonical 8GB of RAM on the computer should still suffice, which still remain the optimal and acceptable amount for almost any job, which is not a game of the latest generation.
Ram required for video and photo editing
The 8 GB of RAM may instead not be sufficient for HD video editing and compression software which may require at least 16 GB or more.
Those who work with photos, however, can feel comfortable even with 8 GB.
How to check the current amount of RAM on your PC
To know how much RAM is currently installed on the PC in Windows 10 just press the right mouse button on the Start button, go to System and in the screen on the right check the row of installed RAM .
To know the maximum amount of RAM that can be added to the PC and get advice on which RAM to buy, the automatic tool provided by Crucial is very good.
Accept the terms and conditions to then be able to press the Scan button which will download a tool to be run only to obtain precise hardware information on the maximum amount of RAM supported and the RAM compatible with your PC.
The results will tell if the PC supports DDR3 RAM or the latest DDR4, which uses a different pin configuration to adapt to the motherboard.
For this reason, DDR3 RAM cannot fit into a motherboard designed for DDR4 and vice versa.
Also, the "SODIMM" (small outline dual inline memory module) RAM that is used on laptops does not fit into a standard RAM slot because it is too small.
These are all things to keep in mind when buying new RAM.
To buy RAM you can then go to Amazon and look for the compatible one reported by the Crucial tool.
READ ALSO: How to install RAM in your desktop or laptop PC
Adding RAM to your computer is not a process that magically makes everything faster, but it helps the PC in multitasking activities and in carrying out heavy tasks such as gaming and multimedia editing.
Therefore, more RAM does not make the computer run faster, but makes sure that it does not slow down.
On an old PC, adding RAM could make a difference and give it new life.
Find out how Windows and programs use your computer's RAM currently
On Windows, to understand how much RAM is used by open programs, you can open the task manager .
Then press the CTRL-Shift-ESC keys together or in Windows 10 press the right mouse button on the Start button to open the Task Manager .
By listing the processes for the Memory column, you will find the measure of how much RAM is occupied by all active programs and the total percentage of RAM occupied on the system.
An even more precise program is RamMap, a small tool provided by Microsoft that can be used, in Windows 10, as a task manager specialized in mapping memory-resident files .
The tool, which does not require installation, is excellent for knowing which programs would be best to close to make the computer go fast when it seems to slow down and to understand how much RAM it would take to add to the PC to never slow it down.
RamMap not only tells us which programs are using the most memory, but also where their files are located .
You can be amazed at how many files reside in memory despite not using the related program.
For example, you might find drivers taking up too much memory or too heavy fonts.
READ ALSO: Optimize RAM memory on Windows PC
The characteristics of the RAM that distinguish it from the memory of a file storage unit (such as the hard disk) are temporariness, in the sense that it empties and is erased when the computer is turned off, and speed, in the sense that the accessing RAM data is much faster than accessing data saved on disk.
Essentially, the more RAM you have, the faster your computer performs multiple operations together, even if this is up to a certain limit.
However, you cannot think of adding Giga of RAM to your computer to make it faster because up to a certain limit it also becomes useless.
The amount of RAM you need for your PC depends on what you want to do: the game, for example, requires a good amount of RAM, while surfing the internet may require less, unless you are used to opening dozens of cards together.
So let's see how to understand how much RAM the PC needs to run Windows 10 and the programs used, depending on what you do.
READ ALSO: Types of computer RAM: DDR, shape and speed
How much RAM do you really need on a Windows 10 "PC> virtual reality devices such as HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, the canonical 8GB of RAM on the computer should still suffice, which still remain the optimal and acceptable amount for almost any job, which is not a game of the latest generation.
Ram required for video and photo editing
The 8 GB of RAM may instead not be sufficient for HD video editing and compression software which may require at least 16 GB or more.
Those who work with photos, however, can feel comfortable even with 8 GB.
How to check the current amount of RAM on your PC
To know how much RAM is currently installed on the PC in Windows 10 just press the right mouse button on the Start button, go to System and in the screen on the right check the row of installed RAM .
To know the maximum amount of RAM that can be added to the PC and get advice on which RAM to buy, the automatic tool provided by Crucial is very good.
Accept the terms and conditions to then be able to press the Scan button which will download a tool to be run only to obtain precise hardware information on the maximum amount of RAM supported and the RAM compatible with your PC.
The results will tell if the PC supports DDR3 RAM or the latest DDR4, which uses a different pin configuration to adapt to the motherboard.
For this reason, DDR3 RAM cannot fit into a motherboard designed for DDR4 and vice versa.
Also, the "SODIMM" (small outline dual inline memory module) RAM that is used on laptops does not fit into a standard RAM slot because it is too small.
These are all things to keep in mind when buying new RAM.
To buy RAM you can then go to Amazon and look for the compatible one reported by the Crucial tool.
READ ALSO: How to install RAM in your desktop or laptop PC
Adding RAM to your computer is not a process that magically makes everything faster, but it helps the PC in multitasking activities and in carrying out heavy tasks such as gaming and multimedia editing.
Therefore, more RAM does not make the computer run faster, but makes sure that it does not slow down.
On an old PC, adding RAM could make a difference and give it new life.
Find out how Windows and programs use your computer's RAM currently
On Windows, to understand how much RAM is used by open programs, you can open the task manager .
Then press the CTRL-Shift-ESC keys together or in Windows 10 press the right mouse button on the Start button to open the Task Manager .
By listing the processes for the Memory column, you will find the measure of how much RAM is occupied by all active programs and the total percentage of RAM occupied on the system.
An even more precise program is RamMap, a small tool provided by Microsoft that can be used, in Windows 10, as a task manager specialized in mapping memory-resident files .
The tool, which does not require installation, is excellent for knowing which programs would be best to close to make the computer go fast when it seems to slow down and to understand how much RAM it would take to add to the PC to never slow it down.
RamMap not only tells us which programs are using the most memory, but also where their files are located .
You can be amazed at how many files reside in memory despite not using the related program.
For example, you might find drivers taking up too much memory or too heavy fonts.
READ ALSO: Optimize RAM memory on Windows PC
