Your computer has a memory! In this article, we’ll cover what that means.
Memory (RAM) Vs. Storage (Your Hard Drive)
These terms are NOT interchangeable, and they serve two different purposes. RAM only works when your computer is powered on. Storage, on the other hand, is permanent (in a sense), and if you didn’t turn your computer on for a year your files would be exactly as you left them. One important thing to remember is that just about everything in your computer resides permanently in storage on your hard drive. When your computer is actually working, it takes your operating system, programs, and files, and transfers them to RAM. This article is meant to demystify RAM and serve as basic a reference for those who are curious about how it works without diving too deep.
What Does RAM Do?
First, let’s talk about RAM’s purpose. Your operating system, programs, and files all live on your hard drive. When it is time to use them, your computer loads them into RAM and runs the show out of RAM, only reaching back out to the hard drive when it is time to commit information to permanent memory. RAM is short for “random-access memory,” because it can be read and changed by your computer in any order, no matter where the information is physically stored on your RAM. Remember, everything on a computer boils down to a value of 0 or 1 (or many 0’s and many 1’s), the 0’s and 1’s still need a physical place to live, and for RAM, they live in tiny electrical circuits. That’s why RAM is so genius, no matter where 0’s and 1’s are physically located in the memory, your computer knows where to find them because of its Memory Controller Chip (MCC). The MCC’s sole job is taking information from your computer’s processor, putting it into RAM and remembering where it is, and then retrieving that information from RAM when the processor asks for it again.
If the Information Is on My Hard Drive, Why Do I Need RAM?
If all of the information starts and ends in the hard drive, why not just read and write directly from the hard drive and cut out the middle man? The answer is pure, Formula 1, NASCAR on a Sunday, Cheetah giving chase, speed. For many years, the only option that people had for storage (hard drives) were mechanical, and had moving parts. In fact, “hard drive” is actually short for “hard disk drive,” because the information was actually stored on disks called “platters.” There were disks and magnets and a little tiny arm that physically read and wrote information while the disks spun, similar to a record that you would play using a phonograph. Even though the disks spin at thousands of revolutions per minute, this method of reading and writing information is incredibly slow when compared to how fast your computer can manipulate information once it is placed in RAM. Within the past 10 years, a new type of storage has become increasingly common – solid state drives (SSDs). SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives and do not have any moving parts, but are still, as of 2021, no match for the speed of RAM. As in, even cutting-edge SSD technology is still 1,000 times slower than RAM.
How Do I Know If I Don’t Have Enough RAM?
General sluggishness in a computer can be caused by a number of issues. For now, we’re going to assume none of these other issues apply, for example, you have plenty of space available on your hard drive. If your computer loads programs slowly, programs aren’t responsive to your actions, and fails to switch between programs with enthusiasm, there’s a good chance you have reached your RAM’s limits.
How Much RAM Does My Computer Have?
There are few ways to find this information. The easiest way involves two steps.
- Right-Click on the Start Button (Windows Icon).
- Click System
The line you are looking for, logically, is called “Installed RAM.”
How Much RAM Do I Need?
Because this is a 101 article, we are assuming that you are shopping for a new computer that is either a laptop or a desktop, and not a tablet like a Kindle Fire or iPad. Which is to say, we aren’t going to cover how to upgrade your RAM on a current device. Upgrading your current system’s RAM involves choosing the correct RAM for your system, or knowing what RAM upgrades your system will support, and then physically installing the modules, which requires a lengthy discussion.
4 GB – Surfing the Web, Checking Email
As a general rule, in 2021, 4 Gigabytes (GB) is going to be the bare minimum amount of RAM you would want in computer. In fact, Windows 10 requires a minimum 2GB of RAM. A computer with 4 GB of RAM will be fine for surfing the internet, checking emails, and some light productivity tasks like writing a term paper in Microsoft Word. The caveat is that computers slow down over time, and a computer with this amount of RAM will likely turn into a slow, frustrating mess in a couple of years.
8 GB – Heavy Microsoft Office, Photo Editing, Light Duty Gaming
8 GB is the sweet spot that most consumers will fall into. This will allow you to run dense spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, surf the internet for sources, and write your term paper in Microsoft Word. You may be able to throw in some photo editing on the side, but we wouldn’t count on being able to edit video very effectively with 8 GB of RAM. This will also allow you to do some light gaming, as in your computer will be able to run Fortnight or Minecraft on the lowest graphics settings, but you should budget time for those games to load, and once they’ve loaded, expect a fairly choppy visual experience.
16 GB – Video Editing, Medium Duty Gaming, Light Web Development
16 GB is the cost of entry for people who want to have a pleasant time when editing video and gaming. Having a dedicated graphics card in your computer is advisable if you’re going to being doing either of these with regularity and don’t want to wait for videos to render or want a better gaming experience, but in this article, we are assuming all you have is RAM to accomplish these tasks.
32 GB – Heavy Video Editing, Heavy Web Development, Streaming Video Games on Twitch
32 GB is the current gold standard. If you intend to stream video games, edit video, and really expect the most out of your computer, with minimal load times and a buttery smooth experience, save up and keep an eye out for deals.
Can I Have More than 32 GB of RAM?
Sure! Windows 10 supports up to 124 GB of RAM, but I don’t know anybody who has a use-case for more than 64GB in a personal computer. You may want to sit down before you look at how much a pre-built computer that has 64 GB of RAM costs. The cheapest one at Micro Center starts with a 3.
The best part about buying a computer box is that, as you browse for models with more RAM, you’ll notice they get more expensive. This often means that the other components in the computer (processor, storage, etc.) will be more powerful, as well. There are two benefits to this. 1. You’ll get more years of life out of your investment. 2. The upgraded components will work in harmony with one another right out of the box. There is no point in having 32 GB of RAM if your processor isn’t fast enough to take advantage of the additional RAM’s benefits, or your storage space is too small to install large programs and save high resolution videos.
There you have it, Computer Memory 101. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. If you’d like additional content on RAM or have questions, please let us know!
-Admin