Despite what some tech companies might want us to believe, it's not really necessary to buy the latest iPhone every year or invest in a new computer every time a new fashion or new technology improvement is launched. For example, I have had the same PC for 6 years now, it works very well and it was enough to make some changes (replace the hard disk with SSD) and some additions (more RAM memory) to make it become pretty fast, even with Windows 10, perfect for my needs.
Speaking of computers, both fixed and portable, the problem is therefore not to renew it often, but rather to replace, if necessary, the pieces that are about to break before they can break.
On a PC, there are two most delicate hardware parts: disk and RAM memory which, fortunately, are also the easiest parts to replace.
If in another article we wrote what to do what to do if the computer's hard disk is broken or damaged, in this we see how to recognize the first signs of RAM failure, or, in other words, what computer problems are attributable to a defective, damaged or broken RAM .
READ ALSO: 8 signs that the computer is about to break or crash
Since RAM is the short-term memory of the computer (while the disk is long-term memory), its management has a very important impact on system performance, even more than on the CPU.
In simple terms, the number of applications that can be run simultaneously at any given moment depends on the amount of RAM memory.
The causes of a defective RAM, which we remember is nothing more than a volatile memory chip, that is, which stores data only when the computer is turned on and then empties itself immediately when there is no energy and the PC is turned off, are mainly due to three factors: time, any voltage fluctuations, excessive heat.
More or less obvious symptoms that RAM has a problem or is broken are:
1) Collapse of benefits
One of the most telltale signs of bad RAM is the decrease in computer performance, which if up until a few days ago was working well, for some time now it seems slower.
The problem becomes particularly evident when using large and complex programs such as Photoshop, 3D games or the Chrome or Firefox browser by opening many tabs.
Of course, before saying that it is RAM, we can exclude any abnormal behavior caused by system errors, viruses or programs that remain running in the background, that is the main causes of a slow PC.
2) Random crashes, frequent restarts and sudden freezes
In my life, up to now, only once I have had a problem with the RAM on my PC and it had the effect of blocking suddenly, without the possibility of doing anything, with the mouse immobile.
If this kind of problem happened only once, there would be no need to worry, but if it is frequent it is almost certain that there is a problem with the RAM.
A RAM problem can also lead to the appearance of the dreaded blue screen crash of the fatal error of Windows, although it will be investigated because that is always a type of error resulting from a hardware (or driver) problem that can be the RAM or any other piece attached to the computer motherboard.
3) The video card is unable to load
If when you turn on the computer, the video card does not load and, therefore, the resolution of the desktop decreases showing larger icons and less graphic details, there may be a problem with the graphics card or RAM.
4) Corrupted files
If the files that are often accessed, such as work documents, are frequently damaged or repaired or restored or closed with error, there may be a problem with the program that is used to open and modify them or that the RAM of the computer is damaged and not efficient at memorizing them.
At the same time, the installation of new programs often fails.
5) The system detects less RAM
In Windows, just open the Control Panel, go to the System section to see what type of computer you are using and how much RAM memory there is.
On 64-bit PCs all mounted RAM will be displayed while on 32-bit PCs only the usable one, which is always less than 4 GB.
If the numbers detected are less than what you thought you had, perhaps one of the RAM modules has stopped working completely, leaving the computer with half the memory.
To know all about the RAM modules mounted inside the computer and also know the speeds at which they work, you can use the Speccy program.
Speccy also tells us the year of manufacture of each RAM card and lets us know if it is old and deserves to be renewed.
I recently talked about which RAM to choose and how much RAM to buy to improve what is definitely the most important part of the computer.
As seen in another article, you can always check the health and integrity of RAM, using the internal Windows memory diagnostic tool (just search for Memory from the Start menu to find it) or using a program such as Memtest.
Keep in mind that it can also happen that it is the slot on the motherboard to which the RAM is connected that is damaged, so tests will have to be done, even by detaching and reattaching the piece.
I refer to the guide on how to increase RAM and add new memory to the PC for further details on the replacement procedure.
