Why not speedup your computer by adding more memory, make sure you buy the correct memory.
Buying more memory, also commonly known as RAM (Random Access Memory) for you computer can be the cheapest and easiest way to give your PC a speed improvement. Memory provides a place for the system to store information before writing or reading it from the hard drive and memory is also allocated to allow programs to run.
Unsure what type of memory you need? Use the Memory Advisor Tool [here] Or lookup the type of memory your Motherboard uses in your manual.
Installing Computer Memory Guide
Laptop/Notebook/Netbook Memory
What is the difference between one speed of RAM and another
Jump to DDR DDR2 DDR3 Sections
Online Store Links for Memory:
Crucial USA Link
Crucial US Memory Finder Tool [Go]
Crucial UK Link
Crucial UK Memory Finder Tool [Go]
Crucial UK Apple Mac Memory [Go]
Offtek -
Offtek provide a wide range of products including server and router memory alongside standard memory.
We would suggest 384-512MB to be the minimum for running a typical system running Windows XP and general applications. As a general rule the more memory you can have available the better your system will perform. (Although on 9x systems large amounts of memory can cause your system to slow down without adjustments being made).
For Vista/Windows 7 users at least 1GB for light users, ideally 2GB or more for heavy users and especially users using video and graphics. As these operating systems come with additional services and larger footprints the more the better. Vista/Windows 7 can be sluggish even on dual cpu systems running 1Gb. If this is doubled or tripled the performance increase is dramatically improved.
Below is guidance about the different memory types avilable, to ensure compatability please check your motherboard manual or related website for advice.
DDR Memory (184-pin DIMMS). These were introduced in 2002 to replace the earlier SDRAM format. To use this type of memory you need a 184-pin socket for the module to fit into.
DDR Memory is available in different speeds of PC2100, PC2700, PC3200 (DDR400), and PC4000 (DDR500). The modules can be used singly or how desired however you cannot mix different speeds together.
DDR2 Memory (240-pin DIMMS). This format builds on the technology of DDR. This standard has more pins and its main developments are the ability to run faster whilst consuming less power.
To use DDR2 memory you need a 240-pin socket for the module to slot on your motherboard. DDR2 Memory is available in many different speeds including PC2-3200 (DDR2400), PC2-4200 (DDR2533), and PC2-5300 (DDR-667).
The modules can be used singly or you can install different speeds of DDR2 memory together if your motherboard supports the faster speed however faster modules will perform at the lower speed.
This may be worth considering if you want to run Dual-Channel memory where you must use the same speed and ideally matching pairs to ensure compatibility.
DDR3 Memory (240-pins) is the latest memory standard (2008 onwards) taking over from the previous DDR and DDR2 standards. Although DDR3 comes with 240-pins the same as DDR2 the notch is in a different place so people can not install the wrong type.
DDR3 is not backward compatible with DDR2 in addition to the notch the voltage runs at a lower 1.5V than DDR2 1.8V. DDR3 memory will not fit into a standard DDR2 DIMM socket or an earlier DDR memory socket.
To use DDR3 memory, your system motherboard must have 240-pin DIMM slots and a DDR3-enabled chipset.
Official DDR3 standards:
pc3-6400 = 800mhz
pc3-8500 = 1066mhz
pc3-10600 = 1333mhz
pc3-12800 = 1600mhz
Intel Core i7 cpus only officially support 800/1066mhz ram, though any moboard will allow you to up it to 1333mhz with ease.
Guide to type of memory you are likely to have or need:
What is the significance of the RAM speed?
When buying RAM, one of the most obvious questions is, whats the difference between one speed of RAM and another?
The clock frequency, or the MHz, of the RAM will determine how much data can be transmitted per second. The formula to work this out is:
Memory clock frequency x 2 (for double data rate) x 64 (bits transferred per second) / 8 (to give the result in MB).
So 800MHz DDR2 RAM will be able to transmit:
400 (remember the clock frequency is half that of the effective speed) x 2 x 64 / 8 = 6400MB of data per second.
The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed the 6400MB figure looks familiar. A standard practice is to advertise RAM by the amount of data it can transmit. This is denoted by PCxxxx.
So for example 800MHz DDR2 RAM is also known as PC6400. A simple calculation to convert the PC figure to MHz is divide the PC figure by 8. However for some RAM speeds such as PC8500 (1066MHz) it isn't quite accurate because the actual figure for 1066MHz RAM should be PC8528, but this doesn't look very nice so the manufacturers round it up/down.
RDRAM, and older SDRAM, EDO on next page
Laptop Memory Section
What is Dual-Channel Memory?
What is the significance of the RAM speed?
Installing Computer Memory Guide
Crucial USA Link
Crucial US Memory Finder Tool [Go]
Crucial UK Link
Crucial UK Memory Finder Tool [Go]
Crucial UK Apple Mac Memory [Go]
Offtek -
Offtek provide a wide range of products including server and router memory alongside standard memory.
