Did you know your computer is like an office? The hard drive is your filing cabinet, the RAM is your desk and the bigger your desk is the more papers you can spread out at once.
RAM works in the same way because the more RAM you have in your phone or computer the more files and applications you can use at once. In this article I will be talking all about RAM and why it matters.
By the end of this guide you’ll know what RAM is, how it works and how much you really need. You’ll have all the information you need to know to choose the right amount of RAM for you.
What Is RAM?
RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of memory found in phones, computers and other technology devices. It stores data temporarily which disappears when you turn your device or computer off.
RAM is an essential component in all technology devices as it gives applications, games and the operating system quick access to important data and information.
If you are having speed or performance issues it may be the rAM but you can try some other fixes first which you can learn about if you Read my Article about how to speed up your computer here and you can get your own RAM by clicking here
RAM & Storage
RAM and storage are two terms that are heard a lot when talking about computers and other technology devices. But they are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably.
RAM is used for storing data temporarily while the device is running and sends important information to the CPU so you can use your device.
Whereas storage refers to the hard disk drive or solid state drive in your phone, computer or other technology device. This is used for storing data and files permenantly such as any music, photos or documents you store on your phone or computer.
Another difference is that RAM is made up of chips and storage is a bigger drive in your device such as a HDD or SSD.
Temporary Vs Permanent Memory
You may have heard the terms temporary memory and permenant memory and they refer to the concepts I discussed above.
Temporary memory is data that is stored for a short time on your device such as RAM and cache which is lost when you close applications and turn off your device.
Permenant memory is data that is stored long term on your device such as the HDD or SSD, USB drives and memory cards. This type of data is not lost when you close applications or turn off your device.
How RAM Works
When you open a file or application on your phone or computer it is loaded from your permenant storage and into the RAM for quick access by the CPU.
This improves the performance of your device and allows it to run more efficiently. The data in the RAM is stored until it is not needed anymore or the device is turned off.
RAM also conttributes to the speed and performance of your devices as well as how many tasks you can do at once on your device. The more RAM you have the more files and applications you can have open at once.
But devices with a low amount of RAM won’t be able to handle many files or applications open at once.
So that’s why it’s important that you choose a phone or computer with the right amount of RAM for what you are going to be doing on your device.
Why RAM Matters For Everyday Use
RAM is crucial for your device’s speed and performance as well as how well it does with multitasking.
If you don’t have enough RAM your phone or computer will freeze, crash and run slowly frequently.
I want you to imagine you were asked to gather a heap of apples but there more apples than you could carry.
Once your hands were full you would be juggling them around trying to find a way to carry them or and this would become a problem.
Well RAM works in a very simillar way and without enough RAM your device will struggle to do tasks effeciently.
So that’s why RAM matters and it’s very important you ensure you have enough RAM in your phone and computer.
Benefits Of More RAM
Increasing the RAM in your computer will enhance it’s speed and performance meaning if you have a slow computer you could need more RAM.
Adding more RAM will also help if you experience a lot of lag, freezes and system crashes.
Here is a list of benefits of more RAM
- Faster speeds
- Better performance
- Improved multitasking
- Less lag, freezes and system crashes
- Better web browsing and streaming
- Better gaming performance
It’s also worth noting that the more RAM you have in your computer the more programs and apps you can have open at once without your system freezing and crashing.
So having more RAM is usually a good thing and will fix many common issues related to the speed and performance of your computer.
How Much RAM Do You Actually Need?
The amount of RAM you need depends on what you are going to be doing on your device. The more heavy tasks and multitasking you are going to be doing the more RAM you are going to need.
Things like video editing and gaming use more RAM than lighter tasks like browsing the web or creating documents. So you should always consider what you are going to be doing on your device to make sure you get the right amount of RAM you need.
Phones
Phones are a bit different to computers when it comes to RAM because you cannot upgrade the RAM in your phone.
The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard in your phone and cannot be replaced or upgraded by users. So you need to make sure you get a phone with the right amount of RAM you need so you don’t have issues later.
Most phones come with between 3GB and 12GB RAM so I recommend between 4GB and 8GB RAM for average users.
For light users that want use their phone for basic tasks like calls, texts and browsing the web 4GB RAM is usually enough.
For medium users that want to use their phone for more tasks like watching vidoes and browsing the web a lot 6GB to 8GB RAM is best.
For heavy users that wantto use their phone for heavy tasks like watching HD videos and playing demanding games 8GB to 12GB RAM will be needed.
Whichever amount of RAM you choose will be an important factor in what you can do on your phone without any performance issues.
Laptops
Laptop RAM varies between different models of laptops because some laptops allow you to upgrade the RAM and some don’t.
This is because some laptops have the RAM soldered to the motherboard so you need to make sure you check if the RAM is upgradeable when you’re purhasing a laptop.
Most laptops come with between 4GB and 32GB RAM so I recommen between 8GB RAM and 16GB RAM for average users.
For light users that want to do basic tasks like browsing the web, office work and basic video editing 4GB to 8GB RAM is usually enough.
For medium user users that want to do more tasks like watching HD videos, playing games and basic video editing 8GB to 16GB RAM is best.
For heavy users that want to do heavy tasks like heavy video editing and playing demanding games 32GB RAM or more will be needed.
Just like with phones the amount of RAM you have will determine what tasks you can do on your laptop without any performance issues.
Desktops
Desktop computers are the easiest to manage RAM in because you can easily upgrade the RAM in desktop computers.
That being said it’s still a good idea to get a computer with reasonable amount of RAM for your needs at the time of purchase so you don’t have to rush to upgeade the RAM after you get it home.
Most desktop computers come with between 4GB and 32GB RAM so I recommend between 8GB RAM and 16GB RAM for average users.
For light users that want to do basic tasks like browsing the web, office work and basic video editing 4GB to 8GB RAM is usually enough.
For medium user users that want to do more tasks like watching HD videos, playing games and basic video editing 8GB to 16GB RAM is best.
For heavy users that want to do heavy tasks like heavy video editing and playing demanding games 32GB RAM or more will be needed.
For professional users and enterprises you may need 64GB RAM or more to be able to handle heavy workloads.
Remember just like with phones and laptops the amount of RAM you have will determine what tasks you can do on your desktop computer without any performance issues.
How To Determine How Much RAM You Need
The easiest and best way to determine how much RAM you need in your device is to base it around the things you are going to be doing on your device.
The more heavier things you are going to be doing the more RAM you will need so always keep this mind and and think about it carefully when you’re shopping for new technology devices.
If you end up with a bit more RAM than you need that’s fine because you may need it one day and it won’t harm your device in any way.
Upgrading RAM- Is It Worth It?
If you are having issues with the speed and performance with your device a RAM upgrade may be needed.
It is definetly worth upgrading the RAM if you find yourself using it all and needing more available.
It’s quite cheap to get good quality RAM and it’s usally quick and easy to install in your device.
Therefore upgrading the RAM is definetly worth and will solve a lot of speed and performance related issues on your device.
Signs You Need A RAM Upgrade
If you thinking you might need more RAM in your device but you are not sure what to look out for there are a few signs you need a RAM upgrade.
Lag, freezing and system crashes are all telltale signs that you need more RAM.
Here are a few signs you need a RAM upgrade
- Lag and freezing
- System crashes
- High memory usage
- Device is slow to start up
- Programs and apps take a while to open
- It’s hard or impossible to multitask
- Videos and games lag or freeze
- Working with large files takes a long time
If you have any of these issues with your device it is probably time for a RAM upgrade which should fix these issues.
If your RAM is old it may be fault so make sure to replace it after it’s had a lot of use or if you keep having problems after adding new RAM.
How To Upgrade The RAM In Your Device
The RAM upgrade process will vary between different devices but it is usually quite qucick and easy to do.
For phones it’s not possible to upgrade the RAM due to it being soldered onto the motherboard.
For laptops it depends on the device and model because some laptops cannot have the RAM upgraded due to it being soldered onto the motherboard.
For laptops that can have the RAM upgraded it is as simple as removing the cover underneath the laptop where the RAM is loacted and inserting more RAM.
For desktop computer all you need to do is remove the side pannel, locate the RAM slots and insert more RAM.
Upgrading the RAM is not a complicated process but always be careful with your device. Always turn off the power and unplug your device before you do any upgrades.
One other important thing you need to do is make sure you know how much RAM your device can support so you don’t insert too much and always ask questions and do your research to make sure you purchase the right RAM that is compatible with your device.
If you are having speed or performance issues it may be the rAM but you can try some other fixes first which you can learn about if you Read My Article about how to speed up your computer here and you can get your own RAM by clicking here
Common Myths About RAM
There are many myths and misconceptions regarding RAM that many people still believe to this day.
Many of them are simply not true and were made up by people that did not understand how RAM actually works.
It’s very important for you to be aware of myths like this so you can avoid falling for them and getting impacted by them.
Myth #1 RAM Always Makes Everything Faster
Most of the time adding more RAM will make your device faster but that’s not always the case because all of your device’s hardware matters.
If your Hardrive, processor or another componeent is old or not functioning properly you need to upgrade that instead of the RAM.
If you are having speed or performance issues make sure you check if anything else could be causing the issue instead of assuimg it’s the RAM.
Myth #2 All RAM Is The Same
All RAM is not the same because there are different types of RAM such as DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5.
There are also different speeds that will effect your device’s performane in different ways.
So this means that not all RAM is compatible with all motherboards so it will not work in all systems.
That’s why you should always check to see what RAM you need for your device before you purchase any.
Myth #3 You Have To Have An Even Number Of RAM Sticks
A computer can run on 1 stick of RAM or any number of sitcks you like as long as there are enough RAM slots to fit all the RAM you want to use.
It doesn’t matter if you have 1 stick or 3 sitcks of RAM or if it’s an even or odd number the computer will work fine as it only needs 1 stick to work.
So don’t worry about how many sticks of RAM you have in your computer it will be fine as long as they are all compatible with your computer’s motherboard.
Myth #4 Only Gamers Need A Lot Of RAM
Gamers typically have a lot of RAM and it’s pretty common to see modern games requiring 16GB to 32GB RAM to run.
But gamers are not the only ones that need a lot of RAM because other common computer tasks use a lot of RAM to.
People that edit a lot of videos or work as tech professionals need a lot of RAM to handle their heavy workloads and can often require even more RAM than gamers.
Myth #5 RAM And Storage Are The Same Thing
RAM and storage are not the same thing but many people often confuse the terms and think they are the same thing but that is not the case at all.
RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is the memory that stores temporary data which disappears when your computer is turned off.
Storage refers to your Hardrive or Solid State Drive which stores all your permanant data like files, folders, software, games and much more which does not disappear when your computer is turned off.
It’s very important to understand these terms correct so you don’t confuse the two terms and end up dissatisfied with the amount of RAM or storage on your computer.
Conclusion
In conclusion RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of memory found in phones, computers and other technology devices. It stores data temporarily which disappears when you turn your device or compuuter off.
RAM is crucial for your device’s speed and performance as well as how well it does with multitasking. If you don’t have enough RAM your phone or computer will freeze, crash and run slowly frequently.
Upgrading the RAM is worth it if you are having performance issues especially when multitasking or doing heavy tasks. It’s very important for you have a good understanding of RAM as it’s a crucial component in all technology devices.
Always make sure you understand what RAM your device uses that you can make sure you get the right RAM for your needs that is also the correct one for your device.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you enjoyed this article about RAM and why it matters. If you have any questions or if you need any help let me know in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are having speed or performance issues it may be the rAM but you can try some other fixes first which you can learn about if you Read My Article about how to speed up your computer here and you can get your own RAM by clicking here