how system memory works in your computer

Memory, Random Access Memory (RAM), is an integrated circuit that holds information sent from your computer.

As your computer processes tasks, the applications on your machine load the data needed into your systems memory. When the application needs this information, it sends a request to receive it from memory. The more memory you have, the more data can be stored, and the less frequently your machine needs to replace data currently being stored in memory.

A common assumption is the the CPU speed of your computer is the speed of the computer. Many other factors, including system memory define the overall performance of your machine. Since the CPU relies on the memory to access information immediately, by increasing the memory resources available to your CPU (by upgrading RAM), you can dramatically increase the overall performance of your system.

If you notice performance lags when opening applications, opening documents into applications, processing documents, or while enjoying a video game—there is a great likelihood that you will benefit by the upgrade of your RAM memory.

RAM technology changes frequently. It's important to know what type of memory your system uses before purchasing additional RAM for your machine. Using any of the tools found throughout this site, you'll be assured that the memory you need is what you'll get.