How Much Memory Do You Need?

For most Americans, a fast computer is an absolute necessity. However, when they are opening so many different applications at one time, the computer is bound to slow down. RAM memory is used every time one opens an application, downloads something, plays a game, or even types a letter into a word processor. One should choose the amount of RAM they get for their computer based on the type and number of applications they will be running at one time. Many popular applications actually take up more RAM than one would think. For example, iTunes and Firefox are actually big RAM consumers.

If one is a novice or basic user, who only uses the computer to send and receive e-mail, work with word processing programs, and surf the web, 64 to 128 MB is all the user needs to keep the computer running at optimal speed. However, this changes if the user is going to be surfing many websites at a time and downloading applications. If one is downloading and using applications, it is recommended that he or she gets 256 MB of RAM.

As a professional or avid computer user it is important to have a lot of RAM to keep all applications running smoothly and efficiently. Running multiple applications at once takes up a lot of hard drive space. In addition, if one plans to play computer games or do light work with graphics, more RAM is definitely beneficial. 512 MB is recommended for users who will open several applications at the same time.

Professionals usually opt for at 1 GB of memory or more. This is because speed is important in a business. One does not have time to wait for applications to load. This can greatly reduce productivity and waste money. If working with high-end graphics, CAD or modeling software, or digital images or video, hard drive space, RAM memory is a must to keep the computer running smoothly.

In today’s market, computer memory has become quite affordable. In addition, computers and laptops with high amounts of both RAM memory and hard disk memory are inexpensive and not very hard to find in any electronics store. Of course there are other factors to look into when buying a computer. For example, the quality of the video card and sound card are important considerations for many computer gamers and graphic design professionals.

Before buying a computer or laptop, one must consider what he or she will be using the system for. This will make it much easier to decide how much RAM memory the new computer needs. Usually, a customer service representative can be very helpful in deciding how much RAM one needs. Whether buying apple memory, laptop memory, or any kind of computer memory, it is always a good idea to consult a professional!