This document provides basic information on upgrading your computer’s memory.

Can you ever have enough memory in your computer?

The answer, surprisingly, is yes. However, chances are that you probably don’t have enough.

If your hard drive is like your file cabinet, where you store information permanently, then Random Access Memory (RAM) is like the surface of your desk: it’s where your computer stores data that it’s working on right now. You need to have enough RAM in order to run the latest, most complicated application programs, to have several programs open at once, and to work with large graphics files. If your computer does not have enough RAM, it will use space on your hard drive to store "overflow" information; this is known as "virtual memory." However, because reading and writing information to and from your hard drive is much slower than accessing RAM, relying heavily on virtual memory causes your system to run very slowly.

The good news is that upgrading your computer’s RAM is very cheap. In most cases, you should be able to upgrade your machine for less than $75

How Much Memory Do I Have?

First, you need to determine how much memory is in your computer:

• To find out how much memory is in your Macintosh, choose "About Your Macintosh" from the Apple Menu.
• To find how much memory is in a machine running Windows 95, click on the "My Computer" icon with the right mouse button, and select "Properties." Then select the "Performance" tab.
• To find out how much memory is in machine running Windows 3.x or any version of DOS, first exit Windows completely to get to a DOS prompt (c:\>). At the DOS prompt, type: MEM. The amount of memory in your computer. You are interested in the total, which is the figure at the bottom of the first column.

How Much Memory Do I Need?

Running graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop will place additional strain on your RAM.  If you do detailed graphic work we recommend inflating the above estimates.

What Kind of Memory Do I Order?

The best way to find out what kind of memory is in your computer is to consult your manual. Look in the "technical specifications" section.

If you’ve lost your manual, then try calling the manufacturer. If you have a Macintosh, you can consult the Apple Spec Database for complete technical information on all Macintosh products.

Another good way to determine what kind of memory your computer requires is to utilize online memory configurators from a major memory manufacturer such as Kingston Technology.  (You can also telephone them.)  You simply enter your computer's brand and model and the configurator tells you exactly what kind of memory you need and how much it will cost.  It probably pays to shop around, though; memory is a commodity item, and the market is both fast-moving and competitive. Nevertheless, Kingston is an excellent source of information on the often-confusing world of memory.

If all else fails, we suggest that you bring your machine into a computer repair store. Opening the machine and inspecting its RAM should be a quick, painless and relatively inexpensive process.

Where Should I Buy Memory?

Memory is a commodity item; prices change often and competition is fierce. You should be prepared to do some comparison shopping. Luckily, a number of major memory vendors have Web sites with current price and ordering information, and virtually everyone ships next-day air.

Some recommended merchants are:

Mushkin Memory

The Chip Merchant

See Yahoo! for a more detailed list of memory vendors.

How Do I Install Memory?

Although figuring out exactly what kind of RAM you need can be confusing, installing RAM is usually fairly simple--if you are comfortable opening your computer. If you have never opened a computer before, now is probably not the time to start; we suggest that you find someone experienced to help you, or bring your computer in to a repair shop for installation. Many computer stores will do this for free--make a couple of phone calls.

If you are comfortable working inside your computer, The "PC Mechanic" Web site has published a reasonably good guide to installing RAM.

For more information

The Apple Spec Database contains detailed specifications on all the desktop machines Apple's ever made.
http://www.info.apple.com/applespec/applespec.taf

Kingston Technology is a major memory manufacturer, and can help you find the exact kind of memory for your machine.
http://www.kingston.com/  800-337-8410

Mushkin Memory
A preferred memory vendor.
http://www.mushkin.com/  800-569-1868

The Chip Merchant
Another reputable memory vendor.
http://www.thechipmerchant.com/ 800-808-2447

The Yahoo! vendor directory contains an extensive list of memory vendors and can be found at:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Computers/
Business_to_Business/Hardware/Components/Memory/Retailers/

PC Mechanic
Information on installing RAM at  http://www.pcmech.com/installram.htm

� U. S. Health Care Reform. All Rights Reserved.