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Installing Computer Memory
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An Install Guide On How To Add Or Upgrade Desktop Computer Memory
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Adding more memory to your computer
is one of the best investments in improving overall
system performance. Adding computer memory or upgrading
computer memory is one of the easiest computer upgrades
you can do. Don't worry, adding or replacing system
memory will not void your warranty! |
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What is Computer Memory (RAM)? |
| Random Access Memory (RAM) provides space for your computer to read and write data to be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit). When people refer to a computer's memory, they usually mean its RAM. If you add more RAM to your computer, you reduce the number of times your CPU must read data from your hard disk. This usually allows your computer to work considerably faster, as RAM is many times faster than a hard disk. |
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| How much memory (RAM) does my computer need? |
| Next to the CPU itself, RAM is the most important factor in computer performance. If your system responds slowly or accesses the hard drive constantly, then you
might need to add more RAM. A simple but effective way to quickly ascertain how much memory you are using
is to look at your usage in the windows task manager. |
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In Windows 7, press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys simultaneously. On the screen that appears, click on "Start Task Manager". Next, click on the "Performance" tab, it should look similar to the picture on the left.
Here you can see your CPU usage and physical memory usage. It would be best to look at your memory usage when you are actively using your computer (multiple programs open). In the example image on the left, there were 9 programs currently open - Internet Explorer, Adobe Photoshop, Windows Messenger, Filezilla, Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Dreamweaver, Skype, Microsoft Outlook as well as Microsoft Security Essentials.
As you can see, only 3.56GB of memory is being used out of 12GB installed. Looking at the lower right corner of the the windows task manager image shows physical memory usage at 29%. We would not recommend adding system memory until you are seeing memory usage of at least 80% to 90%. In this particular example adding additional memory would be unnecessary and would not increase system performance in any noticeable way. |
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| What kind of memory should I install? |
| There are many
different "brands" of memory on the market, some popular
brands are G.Skill, Corsair, Kingston, Patriot and Crucial.
At Blue Aura PC, we use both G.Skill and Corsair brands,
we've found these brands to have the best chipset compatibility and
lowest failure rates. If you are adding additional memory to
your system, the best approach would be to remove a stick
from your system and look at the model # of the memory you
are using, the model # should be printed on the memory
stick. For optimal performance and compatibility we
recommend using memory identical to what you already have
installed in your computer system. System memory is
typically sold in kits - a "Dual Channel" kit is 2 matched
sticks and a "Triple Channel" kit is 3 matched memory
sticks. |
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| The image above is an
example of a G.Skill Ripjaws memory stick and a Corsair XMS3
memory stick. Notice that each stick has a notch slightly off center -
this notch is called a "Key". A key notch prevents RAM from
being installed in the wrong direction or wrong slot type.
For example, it would be physically be impossible to install
a DDR2 memory module in a DDR3 memory slot on a motherboard,
the key notch would not line up. |
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| Memory Installation Preparation |
| First, turn the computer off. Disconnect all of the cables connected to the computer, especially the power cable. It's important that nothing external to the computer be connected before you start the upgrade so that nothing outside of the computer can provide any kind of electrical current to the computer while you are working on it. If
the power cable is not unplugged then electrical current
might come in and discharge into the memory. It's not uncommon for a computer to draw a little bit of electrical current while it is plugged in, even when it has been powered off, so that's why it's especially important to unplug the power connector. |
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Next you will need to locate
the memory slots on the motherboard. If you are
adding or replacing memory in your computer then
there will already be memory sticks installed.
The memory slots will always be located in the
upper-right of the motherboard, the slots will
be vertical and have 2 different colors. In the
example image on the left, there are 4 memory
slots, 2 black and 2 blue.
In this
example, a dual channel kit (2 sticks of memory)
can be installed in either the 2 black slots or
the 2 blue slots. When installing only 2 sticks,
some motherboards are more picky and might
require you to install the memory in certain
slots, you will need to consult the motherboard
manual that came with your system. In this
particular motherboard (ASUS P8P67 LE) the
manual suggests installing 2 sticks into slots
A2 and B2 (the blue slots) for best
compatibility. If you are installing memory into
all 4 slots, one kit will be installed in the
blue slots and one kit in the black slots.
If your motherboard has 6 memory slots the
installation is the same. The slots will be 2
different colors, 3 slots one color and 3 slots
another. Again, consult your motherboard manual
to determine which 3 slots are the primary
slots. Motherboards with 6 memory slots will use
triple channel memory kits (3 sticks of memory
in one kit).
Your motherboard manual
might refer to a memory stick as a DIMM (dual
inline memory module). |
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Before installing the memory in your computer,
it's important to put on an antistatic wrist
strap or a pair of antistatic gloves. In the
image on the left you'll notice antistatic gloves are being used. If you are using an antistatic wrist strap the alligator clip should be attached to a non-painted metal surface on the case.
Antistatic wrist straps and antistatic gloves prevent static electricity from being discharged from your body into
sensitive RAM modules. They can be electronically
destroyed by a charge of static electricity. As an extra precaution, it's a good idea not to move around too much while working inside the computer case. If you need to change position then let go of any electronic component, change your position, get comfortable again, then touch the non-painted metal surface of the case with your hand before touching anything else. Touching the non-painted metal surface of the case with your hand is
a way to harmlessly release any static buildup. But this is an extra precautionary step - you should still always wear an antistatic wrist strap or antistatic gloves while working inside the case. |
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| Installing the Memory Stick Into the Motherboard DIMM Slot |
It's not possible to insert the memory module in backwards thanks to the notches which "key" it with the slot. First, make sure the retaining clips are moved outward in the "open" unlocked position. On most motherboards there is a white retaining clip at each end of the slot, but on some models of ASUS motherboards there is only one retaining clip at the top of each slot. Next, slide the memory module into the slot. The memory module is at the entrance of the memory slot, ready for pressure to be applied to complete the insertion.
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| Firm pressure should be applied straight down to insert the memory module into the memory slot. Try to place the pressure uniformly across the memory module, typically one side of the memory will slide into the slot first. After the memory has been fully inserted, the retaining clip(s) should click down into the "closed" locked position. |
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