#4. How to Add MEMORY to a Computer.

It’s a well-known fact that adding more MEMORY to a computer is the easiest, cheapest and most  bang-for-the-buck upgrade that can be done by anyone who knows how to use a screwdriver and a little common sense.

To Determine what type of memory to buy, boot your PC and press the key that opens  SETUP Or BIOS. Typically this is F1, F2, F10, or DELETE.

Look for the Memory ID LINE:

You need to know the RAM TYPE (DDR or DD2) and you need to know the Speed.

Many computers can use a few different speeds but all the memory sticks in your machine will run at the speed of the slowest stick installed. SO Unless you are replacing all memory, you may want to buy the same speed that's in your machine right now. It will save you some money.

Consult your user-manual for speeds your computer can use if you want to buy something other than what's in your machine now.

If you can not determine the memory-type from the BIOS, consult your motherboard maker to find the memory type and speed.

Want a good price on memory? Visit http://www.tigerdirect.com or http://www.newegg.com

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Note: The terms DIMM, Memory-Stick, and RAM are all the same thing. A small circuit board with memory chips mounted on it. The format of these "sticks " changes over the years and new slang names devolop over the years.

DIMM is a technical acronym for Dual Inline Memory Module

RAM is a technical acronym for Random Access Memory

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Once you have purchased the correct memory for your computer, follow these steps:

How to Install MEMORY:
1. Unplug power and all cables from your computer
2. Look at your case to determine how it opens. (Refer to your user guide if needed)
3. Lay it on its side and remove the side or open the case to expose the motherboard.
4. Locate the memory sockets.  

5. There are locks on each side of the ram-socket that hinge in and out. to lock the MEMORY-Stick.
6. Open the locks on each side for the empty slot .
7. Notice the DIMM (memory-stick) has an off-center notch near the middle.

8. Line up the off-center notch with the bump in the middle of the socket
9. Press firmly in until the lock-arms come up and lock into place. You will hear a distinctive click.
 
Close the cover and plug it all back in. When you 1st boot up, your computer will find the new memory. Some computers might display a message and even a beep-code to let you know the configuration has changed. If you get a message or a beep, read the screen. Odds are it will tell you to press a   key to accept the new configuration. (in most cases it will just boot up without any prompt) . As soon as you hit the key, the PC will continue to boot up.   The 1st boot might take a few seconds longer than normal as windows makes changes for the new memory but all boots after that will be normal. If you increase memory by a lot, boot time could be noticeably shorter than before the upgrade. Also: If you add a lot of memory, the delay before boot begins  might seem  longer as the BIOS tests all that new memory.

TIPS & Summary on Finding the Memory You Need.

How do I know what memory I need?

To buy memory you must know the TYPE and the SPEED.

You can look  in your user-guide, or look it up on the computer maker's website.

Another option is to access the BIOS:
Boot up the PC and look for a note on the screen that says press (???   KEY) to enter SETUP.
This key is commonly F1, F2, F12, or DEL but can be anything.
Once in the BIOS, you can move around and look for the memory configuration.
This will refer to DIMM sockets or MEMORY Configuration.

You need to learn two things:   Memory Speed (expressed in MHz) and Memory Type.
The memory types references are DDR2, DDR, 240-pin, 184-pin.
DDR or 184-pin memory is available in speeds expressed in MHz of 200,266,333, and 400. 200 is no longer available and your PC should support at least 2 different speeds of memory.
DDR2 memory or 240-pin is the current type and comes in speeds expressed in MHz of 400,533,667, and 800.