memory Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: How can I find out how much RAM my PC can use?

Posted on August 10, 2022

Question from Gene: Rick, I have a desktop computer I hired a guy to build for me about 3 years ago. It has Windows 10 on it.

It has 4 GB of RAM in it right now and I’d really like to max it out to (hopefully) speed things up a bit.

How can I find out how much memory this computer can use since it doesn’t really have a brand/model to look up? [Read more…]

Speed up your computer by adding more RAM

Posted on July 21, 2022

If you’re thinking about spending a few bucks to upgrade your PC you’re probably wondering what to upgrade in order to get the most bang for the buck.

In most cases, except for adding a solid state drive, adding more RAM will do more to speed up your computer than any other upgrade you can make. [Read more…]

Q&A: Will counterfeit RAM damage my laptop?

Posted on October 20, 2021

Question from Hailey: Rick, I think I’ve gotten myself into a mess and I need your advice.

I recently purchased two RAM modules on Ebay to go in my laptop. They were listed and sold as Kingston brand but I just found out that the seller was busted for selling counterfeit computer parts.

The new RAM seems to be working fine in my laptop, but I was wondering if it might cause problems down the road.

I’d just remove it and reinstall the old memory but I gave it to my nephew in exchange for doing the upgrade for me. It’s already in his computer and I won’t ask for it back.

What do you think I should do? [Read more…]

Q&A: How can a 30GB program run on a PC that only has 8GB of RAM?

Posted on July 5, 2018

Question from Daniel G.: Hi Rick. I just noticed something that has me puzzled and I hope you can help me understand how it works.

Last night I downloaded a game and installed it on my computer, and it runs just fine.

The thing that’s puzzling me is the game was a 30GB download but it runs on my computer even though it only has 8GB of RAM.

What trick are they using to shoehorn 30GB of code into 8GB of RAM? Is it compressed somehow?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it worthwhile to double the RAM when buying a new laptop?

Posted on April 20, 2018

Question from Ashley L: I’m getting ready to buy a new laptop and the model I’m wanting comes with 4GB of DDR4 RAM but I can add 4GB more (for 8GB total) for an extra $75.

I have two questions for you concerning the RAM options:

1 – Do you think doubling the RAM to 8GB is worth it for Windows 10?

2 – Is $75 a reasonable price to pay for an extra 4GB?

Thanks in advance for your advice. It’ll be a big help!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]