The truth is that there are many different types of RAM, and we have to know to choose the right one for our computer before buying one, but we could get to buy one that was useless.
So let's explore a bit the basic doubts about RAM in the process of optimizing the PC to make it go faster.
How much RAM do I need for my PC?
The amount of RAM you may need is defined by your specific needs.
That is, if you are a designer who works with heavy graphics, or a video editor that moves a lot of heavy video data, we will recommend at least 12GB of RAM, but 16GB would be ideal.
If you are a web application programmer, having 8GB of RAM would be more than enough, although 12GB are ideal for any computer.
For gamers, the recommended would be 16GB of RAM, while the ideal round for 24GB or 32GB, especially if you have many games installed on the PC and you like to play the latest editions of each title.
And if yours is nothing of this, but you are a normal user, who uses the PC or notebook to check the email, surf the web, work with Office and open social networks, 8GB will be more than enough for such things .
So in summary, in all cases, our recommendation is to have a minimum of 8GB of RAM, anything below that will do you good but not properly, and is indifferent to the operating system, this will happen in Linux, Mac and Windows alike.
The point here is that if it is not a new desktop computer or a 0km notebook, the ideal first thing is to figure out just how much RAM we really need. Above we detail the recommended values, but this can vary according to the use that each user gives to his operating system.
Using the Task Manager as well as the Windows, Linux or Mac RAM Diagnostic Activity Monitor, we can determine the use of the current RAM memory to get an idea of whether upgrading to 8GB or 16GB will have a real impact.
How much RAM does my PC support?
This is not a minor detail, first before going to the computer store to buy the RAM, what you need to do is know the maximum amount of RAM supported, because if you buy 16GB extra, but the maximum is 16GB, you will not be able to use all the extra memory you have.
If you are not a technician, you should take your PC to a technician or computer house to have it checked and see the model of the chipset on the motherboard, the type of RAM you support and how much is the maximum, as well as the number of slots of free RAM you have to use.
Our recommendation is always to buy a computer that allows to raise at least up to 16GB of RAM, but ideally up to 32GB.
Types of RAM: How do I identify the one I need?
One of the most basic things that we need to know when we think about expanding the RAM of our PC is the type of RAM that can be installed.
This means that we need to determine what type of specific RAM will work and will be 100% compatible with our motherboard since there are many varieties like DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, etc.
Depending on the RAM we need, the price will vary. Modules of old RAM like DDR2 and DDR3 are more expensive because they are already manufactured very little, while the DDR4 are newer and are found everywhere by the most modern computers.
Something to clarify is that different types of RAM are not compatible between them, ie you can not mix a DDR2 module with a DDR4 and expect it to work, because it will not do so since they use different numbers of contacts, in fact you can not directly insert it into the RAM slot if it is not compatible with your card.
RAM Memory Features
Apart from the RAM being 8GB, 16GB or the capacity we want, there are several more features that it is important to know when choosing to extend the RAM of a computer, let's look at each one of them:
Dissipation
On high performance computers with lots of RAM, it is normal to talk about the so-called "dissipation".
It refers to a cooling mechanism that has built-in and that helps it to cool when it raises a lot of temperature.
This is often seen but especially in gamers and devices with high use of RAM.
Frequency
After we know the type of RAM we are going to need for our old PC or notebook, what remains is to learn a little about a very important factor and that many go unnoticed: the frequency of RAM.
The frequency of RAM is nothing other than its "speed", to call it a way. Like CPUs, the frequency of the RAM runs at a certain number of MHz.
Also as with CPUs, the more frequency, the better the performance (provided that the motherboard supports those maximums).
Latency
It is known as "latency" the time it takes to respond to the memory of any request made by the operating system. Like the frequency, CAS latency is an important factor when it comes to evaluating RAM stick performance.
At lower latency, the higher the performance, contrary to frequency. Latency is measured at levels such as CL7, CL8 and CL9, for example. In this case CL7 latency will be faster than CL9 latency.
Voltage
The flush used by RAM is not something everyone wants to know, but it's never wrong to take it into account.
It is always advisable to be as low as possible, this directly affects more than anything in the consumption of energy and heat that can generate.
conclusion
As we saw, to extend the RAM of your computer you will need to be clear about the maximum capacity that your motherboard can recognize, then you will have to determine the type of RAM it supports, as well as the frequency of it.
Tip when buying RAM: you should make sure that you distribute the modules equally, ie if you buy 16GB of RAM, ideally you do it in 2 slots of 8GB of ram. This way, if one is damaged, you will still have the other 8GB, that is, you reduce by 50% the probability of failure.
Finally, go to an online or physical store and buy the new RAM sticks, disarm your PC, install the RAM in the free slots (or replace the existing one if it is bigger) and turn on your PC, you should already detect the new Ram.
And if you're going to buy a new computer, always make sure you have enough RAM, or allow it to expand to at least 16GB for a good future.
What happens if the bios does not detect the frequency of the new RAM correctly? In that case you may have to make some kind of adjustment or try with some BIOS firmware upgrade, try with that and tell us how it went.
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