RAM
Understanding computer terms and their definitions can be complex. Nevertheless, explaining random access memory (RAM) can be simple as pie, if you use this analogy. When baking, you place the cookbook, bowl, and all of the ingredients on the countertop. However, when your countertop is small, you’re not able to set out the measuring utensils. Therefore, each time you add an ingredient you must pull it out of the cupboard, measure it, and then put back. Having a small “workspace” slows you down. RAM is the “workspace” on your computer.
See when you have plenty of RAM, (workspace) your computer will run at high-speed no matter how many programs you open simultaneously. Every time you click on something to view, or open a program, it’s loaded into RAM. It will continue to run in RAM until you save and close the program.
Save your work to the hard drive, before you power down your laptop. Turning off your computer clears the memory cache because RAM is strictly a temporary memory file.
Find out how much
RAM is on your computer by going to, “Start-Control Panel-System &
Maintenance and select System”. (See Example) Because it’s easy to upgrade and
cost effective, RAM is located on a green panel inside your computer called the
motherboard.
When Shopping for a new computer, performance is one of the most important things to consider. Windows 7 requires a minimum of 4 gigabytes of random access memory then again, 8 gigabytes would be ideal.
(This article is owned and published by Demand Media. Pamela Vanden Bos was the contributing writer.)
