Is adding RAM to computer the key?

[justleesa]

I have taken a few pictures with my new camera and notice that my computer is deadly slow in opening them. I haven't worked on them yet but I am sure that my PSE will tell me that they are too big to create panoramas. I am guessing that the solution would be more RAM, right?
If so, are all brands compatible with all computers? Can I just add or do I need to replace?
Help would be much appreciated.

 

[The Kraken]

I'm not quite as sharp as I used to be in constructing computers, buy it may be that all you need to add is some more video memory.

the K

 

[justleesa]

I'm not quite as sharp as I used to be in constructing computers, but it may be that all you need to add is some more video memory.

the K

As I know nothing about building them ...I haven't heard of that yet, is it something different than regular memory?

 

[The Kraken]

Yeah, it's dedicated to the monitor display.
Unfortunately that's about the extent of my knowledge on that subject, but when I began running AutoCad files at home I had to upgrade my video memory because it was taking so long to load the images.

the K

 

[justleesa]

Ok, sounds right Thanks

 

[Jamdiver]

Justleesa what are the specs of your pc? You can right click on the my computer icon on your desktop for that information.

Generally programs such as Photoshop are massive memory hogs and tend to run better with more RAM. I'd say 512MB is probably the minimum for a decent computing experience.

Video memory is the memory on your video card, I don't think that's why the files are opening slowly unless you have a really really old pc .

Most brands of memory will work on most pc's without complications, what you have to look out for is matching the type of RAM(memory) with your computer.

Try http://www.kingston.com there is an interactive menu there that should help you figure what kind of RAM would work with your PC.

Hope i've been of some help!

EDIT - This should help better explain the mysteries of computer RAM http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ram.htm

As devolution alluded to it really isn't difficult to add RAM to your pc, however if you're not sure exactly what you're doing it's probably best to get a tech savvy friend or carry it to a store and have them do it.

 

[devolution365]

Unless you have a high-end video card you usually can't add video memory without replacing the video card, and that gets expensive. Luckily, that's not really what you need anyway...

RAM will help. There's not one brand that's compatible with all computers because there's many different kinds of RAM. Here's a couple things you can do to find out what type you have. 1.) If you have a brand-name computer, go to www.crucial.com and see if they can tell you what kind of memory your computer takes based on make/model. 2.) Open your computer, pull out a RAM chip and compare it to these here. If you can't identify the RAM chips in your computer yourself, take a chip to your local computer store to get the right kind. Be careful transporting it, though. It's best to put it in anti-static bag if you have one (they're usually made of silvery material).

RAM chips sit perpandicular to the motherboard. There should be two small clips on either side of it holding them in. Here's a pic to help you identify it (it can be anywhere on the board, but it should look like this.

 

[justleesa]

Thanks a bunch ...our 'puter is 3 years old and has 244 RAM, what kind of # is that anyway??? I'll see what I can do and get a friend to help!

 

[cobaltbabe]

Hey Leesa,
Before you go getting more memory and things you need to find out some questions. It may not be your memory. First off, what operating system are you running. Windows 2000 & NT are extremely slow to start with but if you are running XP or 98 there are things you can shut off in the background of your computer that will allow you to free up some resources and will allow the OS to run a little smoother. You also need to find out if you have emptied you Temp files, both internet and non internet. Once that is done you can empty your recycle bin. Without knowing what OS you have I can't tell you want to turn off in the background but if you go to start and then run and in the open window type in %temp% it will bring up a window with all your temp files in it. Click on edit, select all and tap delete on your keyboard. These are the temp files that are saved on your computer. Now for the internet temp files you go to internet explorer and click on tools and then internet options. On the general tab go to temporary internet files and click on delete files. It will ask you if you want to delete the files and you say yes. Once again empty your recycle bin. Before you change memory on your computer try this. If you still need memory then you need to find out what kind of memory your motherboard will support. If you need anything else you can drop me a line and I will help you as best I can.

 

[diversteve]

Thanks a bunch ...our 'puter is 3 years old and has 244 RAM, what kind of # is that anyway??? I'll see what I can do and get a friend to help!

Your computer has shared video memory. It actually has 256MB of RAM installed and 12 is dedicated to the video processor. It also means that your video processor is part of your motherboard so there's no video memory upgrade possible. Should you want to upgrade your video card, you could change a jumper on the motherboard to turn it off and add one.

You probably have (2)x 128MB RAM modules installed. Depending on how the motherboard is configured, you probably have at least 2 open RAM slots left. If you have two, you'll most likely have to buy two more as that generally means your board accepts them in pairs, although this is not always the case, especially if it takes different types of memory modules also.(long explanation I won't go into here unless necessary)

I would take the previous posters advice and start with a memory upgrade. If you can't determine what you currently have installed in your computer, post the make/model and I might be able to find the specs for the memory that would work in your computer, then you could just remove the old one(s) and replace them. Or just add the extras if you have available slots. Memory is relatively cheap, especially if you have a small computer dealer nearby. Best Buy or CompUsa aren't overly high-priced either. Or crucial.com is another good source.

Photoshop just loves memory, it's one of the few programs that will use all you give it. At a bare minimum, professional photo editors start with 1GB of RAM in their machines.

Cobaltbabe's suggestion is a good one if your PS scratch disk is set to the same drive as your program files are on, otherwise it will have no effect.