The One Most Important PC Upgrade
Dec 29 '00
My goal for this opinion is to make you aware of all the basics surrounding memory upgrades. I will cover the reasons behind upgrading, what type of memory you will need and how to perform the installation itself. As a side note, I'm aware that this will be the 47th entry into this category, normally this would dissuade me from writing this opinion, but I believe that by touching all the bases I can make this one of the best reviews in the subject.
Why Should You Upgrade
If you've got an old PC sitting around that just doesn't seem to make the grade anymore, or have a new PC that doesn't seem to meet up to its potential, you might be able to save yourself the trouble (and money) of buying a new one with one of the simplest possible upgrades around. Upgrading the Ram on a system often does more for increasing its speediness than putting in a faster processor, or just about any other upgrade processor. The reason for this is of course the old axiom of computing "Your system is only as fast as its slowest component". And of course your slowest component is your hard drive. So what does that have to do with RAM? Everything. You see, windows uses lots of memory. Before you even run a single program windows is already using up some 40 megs of RAM or so. Netscape or IE when running generally consume about 15 megs each, and other programs will take up a few of their own on top of that. What does this mean to you? Well if you only have 32 megs ram, right off the bat you are out of memory.
Despite not having enough RAM to run any programs on your computer, they run anyways. The secret behind this is something called "swap filing". Essentially, your computer creates a temporary file on your hard drive where it stores all the information that would normally be stored in ran that its not currently using. Only the most important 32 megs are kept loaded and ready to go. Hard drives have access times measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a second), ram in nanoseconds (billionths of a second). That means that your hard drive is, get ready for this, about a million times slower than RAM. Now I know what your thinking, your thinking "Hey, it may be a million times slower, but its still just fractional parts of a second either way". That's true, but it certainly adds up. If your using Internet Explorer to read a website (lets say epinions.com) the files important to it are loaded into your memory being used. But when you switch to MS Word 2000 to type up a paper, suddenly, all that stuff in memory has to be written to your hard drive, and all the stuff ms word needs is read into memory. For you, this means a wait of several seconds on a under-equipped (memory-wise) machine.
What will you need to upgrade?
Assuming you've got a system that you feel needs to be upgraded, there are two things to consider. First of all, what kind of memory will you need, and secondly, how much of it will you need? As for how much of it you will need, a good rule of thumb is that 64 megabytes is the bare minimum. In fact, for over a year practically no brand has shipped a computer with less than 64 megs of ram (with the notable exception of emachines, a practice that caused them to draw fire from me in another one of my reviews http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-215B-292B4452-3A428E30-prod2) probably that knowing it would harm their reputation to do so. However just because 64 is the bare minimum doesn't mean its enough. Every new generation of Windows is more memory hungry than the last as Microsoft insists on adding new "features". I recommend that every running windows 95-98 would be best off with 128 megs of memory. Those running alternative OS's like linux may find 64 to be quite sufficient and those with a version of Windows NT (I.E. Windows 2000) would be better served with 192 or 256 megs.
The following section is a bit wordy. If you'd rather not read it, just take your computer in to a local computer store. They can look at it, determine what kind of ram you need, then do the installation for you. Generally they will also offer some sort of warranty with the installation (usually a ninety day period to get things taken care of if the installation fails or has problems) which might make it also worthwhile.
Now that you know how much you will need, you would be well served to know what type you want. For any modern computer, you will be looking at two basic types of memory. There is 72 pin memory and 168 pin memory. If you plan on doing the installation yourself you might as well open up your computer and give it look (please make sure you take all the proper precautions before doing so). As a general rule, 72-pin memory will usually use silver connectors where it plugs into the motherboard and 168 pin will usually have gold colored connectors. This is a good way to confirm what the proper type to get is and allows you to make sure your computer isn't an exception to the following rule. The easiest way to determine what you need is simply by the processor in your system. The original pentium processor will generally use 72 pin memory as will K-6 processors. Pentium 2's, Pentium 3's, Athlons, K6-2's, K6-3's and celerons will all usually use 168 pin type. Watch our for Cyrix processors as they tend to be oddballs; its best to check with them (now owned by via) or the computer manufacturer to find out what is best for your system. There are two types of each of the previously mentioned two types of memory. Of the 78-pin type, there is EDO and Fastpage. Pentiums Over 100mhz will probably use EDO, and others, including 486's will usually use fastpage. If you are in a bind, Fastpage will always work in any system (however EDO will outperform it and is therefore recommended if possible) as EDO slots are meant to be backwards compatible with FastPage. If you must go 72-pin, you should know that this type of memory must be installed in pairs. Of the 168-pin type, Celerons and Pentium 2's will use 66mhz SDRAM. The others with a few exceptions will use 100mhz SDRAM. The newest of systems use 133mhz SDRAM. Generally found on Athlon and Pentium 3 systems featuring the VIA chipset on their motherboard. As a note, PC100 is supposed to be fully backwards compliant with PC66. So if you wish to just buy all 100mhz ram, you shouldn't have any problems, though it may cost you a bit more.
Installing the Memory
If you have never installed anything inside your computer before, now may not be the best time to start. Again, you may wish to look into having someone else do it for you. As long as you follow all the basic PC installation safety requirements you should be ok. Here are a few quick rules: Do not do your installation on anything other than a anti-static mat, wear anti-static wrist guards (available at lots of computer stores), try not to touch the edge connectors of the ram, do not force the ram when installing it, make sure you unplug your computer and turn it off before starting the installation. Its a good idea to make sure you review the safety precautions listed on the instructions that are included with the memory itself. Its very possible to damage not only the ram, but other hardware on your system by not following the instructions. A little tiny electro-static discharge (shock), even one you can't even see, is enough to damage certain motherboard components. Don't risk it; use the wristband and the anti-static mat.
Ok, enough on safety, here's how it is done. For 168-pin type ram, you will hold the ram at a 90 degree angle with your motherboard and it is installed by pressing straight down into the ram slot on your motherboard (use your manual to locate this if you cannot find it). Often this is about all there is to it, there will probably be some sort of clipping mechanism to secure the ram in place. For 78-pin type memory, you will insert it at a 45 degree angle to the motherboard and then press straight down. Sticking it in at an initial angle makes the installation much simple, but as always, follow the instructions. If the tell you not to do that way, there is probably a good reason. Thats all there is to it, except that you will have to do it twice since you must install in pairs.
When you Shouldn't upgrade
You shouldn't upgrade a system if you feel uncomfortable spending more money on the system than you think its worth that point. This comes into play a lot on older systems where the memory can cost quite a bit. For instance, lets say you have a 486 with only 16 megs of memory and that memory is stored in 4 megabyte simms filling all 4 slots on your motherboard. You, hoping to squeeze a few more years out of this sytem, want to upgrade to 64 megs of ram. You have 4 slots to work with and that leaves two choices. You can ditch all 4 of the 4 meg slots and 4 16 meg simms or you can by 2 32 meg simms and end up with 72 megs of memory. Since fastpage memory is pretty much no longer in production, its cost is quite high and it will probably cost you over 100 dollars per 32 megabyte simm or maybe 50-75 dollars per 16 megabyte dimm. Either way an investment of over 200 dollars is required. For most people, with a computer that old, this simply isn't a good idea any way you look at it. If however you've got a newer computer using SDRAm with 32 or 64 megs of ram, by all means go for it.
Conclusion
Well that just about covers it. I hope i've been able to answer most of your questions and help you make the right decision about upgrading your system. When its cost effective, upgrading RAM is one of the best possible investments you can make, adding alot of time to the life of your computer. Thanks for reading this far, if you've got any other questions please feel free to post a comment. :)
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Epinions.com ID:
Cyberllama
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Member: Ryan
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Reviews written: 35
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