Is more RAM better?
Note: This article is written assuming you know whether your cpu or other component is the problem.
This question comes up a lot, and often people seem to think that jsut adding ram will make your computer faster. Does it? The short answer; sometimes. It really does depend on your system, what programs you use, and your habits. This article will help you decide whether adding more ram will benefit you, and how to change habits you may have to free up your existing ram.
Ram is an acronym which stands for random access memory. Understanding what it is and what it does will help you later on. There are actually several types of ram, but we will be focusing on DRAM, which is what most people refer to when they say ram. If your system is noticeably slow, and it isn't the cpu or hard drive that is slow, it may be the ram. There are a couple common problems, this will help you identify them, and fix them.
An example of a bad habit is you could be opening too many tabs in your web browser, which can easily be remedied by using fewer tabs. If you have few or no applications open, but still see very high ram usage, you may have a virus. I reccommend seeking professional help even after running virus scans. You could also just have too many background processes, check this by opening the task manager, and clicking processes. Try identifying any extra processes, closing them, and uninstalling them. Make sure not to close any processes with labels including "Windows", "Intel", "AMD" etc. and if you are not sure what a process is, just search its name on your search engine of choice. Lastly, if you still have high ram usage, it may be time for an upgrade. See my Helpful Resources page here for reccommended retailers to buy your ram.
An example of a bad habit is you could be opening too many tabs in your web browser, which can easily be remedied by using fewer tabs. If you have few or no applications open, but still see very high ram usage, you may have a virus. I reccommend seeking professional help even after running virus scans. You could also just have too many background processes, check this by opening the task manager, and clicking processes. Try identifying any extra processes, closing them, and uninstalling them. Make sure not to close any processes with labels including "Windows", "Intel", "AMD" etc. and if you are not sure what a process is, just search its name on your search engine of choice. Lastly, if you still have high ram usage, it may be time for an upgrade. See my Helpful Resources page here for reccommended retailers to buy your ram.