Manhattan Computer Services

Computer memory, like all computer components, is significantly upgraded in its capability nearly every year. Ten years ago, an acceptable amount of memory was a small fraction of what is expected today. When computers took off in a huge way in the late 1990's, 128 to 256Mb of memory was fairly standard in most machines. Today, machines oftentimes have over 4GB of memory installed, even larger than the hard drives included in the computers of the last decade. When one's memory isn't up to the task, there are some tell-tale signs that indicate that an upgrade is in order.

Most often, the computer will slow down in most of its tasks when the memory has become insufficient to run current programs. This may be exhibited as slow switching between programs, slow opening and closing of programs and lock-ups on certain programs. The symptoms will be most market when one is performing a task such as scrolling down a page with a great deal of information or programming, such as on the web, or when one is manipulating a large file, especially in programs such as photo editors or spreadsheets.

When this becomes the case, the situation oftentimes gets rapidly worse. Upgrades and updates to programs tend to be released in large groups and, as one's operating system and programs are updated, there will be more demands on the memory. Replacing one's memory at the same time that one is making a major upgrade, such as to their operating system, is highly recommended. Most often, a computer will need at least one memory upgrade during its service life to remain useful. Always purchase motherboards that can handle large sizes of RAM to make sure that one has adequate space when it's time to upgrade.

When memory goes bad, the symptoms are usually so catastrophic that it's impossible to not replace the memory immediately. Oftentimes, the computer will just fail to start if some part of the memory goes bad. Computer memory for PC's must be purchased in like sizes for every board on the computer, so be sure to see what size memory is installed before ordering a replacement for a ruined part. The parts can be tested by simply removing each one in turn and attempting to start the computer. If its starts with a particular piece of memory removed, the cause is obvious.