Q: If I want to buy more memory for my computer, how could I know what to ask for or what to look for? Does adding memory speed things up? I am new at computers, can anyone give me advice? My computer is Gateway Intel Pentium D Processor 820. Hard Drive is 250GB Sata ll. Memory is 1024 MB DDR2. Memory card is 15 in 1. I've had it 2 years 7 months now but it's running slow and I need to know how to buy ram for it.
A: Ok, I goggled and I found there are different gateway models with that hardware configuration. Let's do this: download sandra:http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html?dir=dload&location=sware_dl_3264&langx=en&a= install it open the program choose tab "hardware" double click on "motherboard" wait until it shows you the data in "system memory controller"(down) you could see: "number of memory slots" In my case I have 2 memory slots "maximum installable memory" in my case I can install 8 Gb ram (2 modules of 4 Gb) "bank 0 ..." (first memory bank occupied") "bank 1 ..." (second mem bank occup") etc. in for example bank 0 ... I have ######...ddr2 1gb @ 400Mhz 400Mhz is the speed but you should read it ddr2 800Mhz 200Mhz is DDR2 400 Mhz 266Mhz is DDR2 533 Mhz 333Mhz is DDR2 666 Mhz 400Mhz is DDR2 800 Mhz In "logical/chipset memory banks" "memory bus speed" is the speed of the memory you already have "maximum memory speed" is the faster speed of memory your computer accepts For example, I had 2 modules of 1gb ddr2 666Mhz totalizing 2gb 666Mhz but my "maximum memory speed" was (800Mhz) so when I updated I bought 2 modules of 2gb ddr2 800Mhz and I putted them where the old ram was. now I have 4gb ram ddr 800Mhz. You could buy the brands corsair or kingston these are the most known and compatible. The cheapeast are: kingston valueram corsair value In conclusion what you have to do is buy 2 modules of the fastest memory your computer accepts and substitute your old memory modules with the new ones. In this photo http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K9N6SGM-V the green/orange slots are where you put the ram here is another photo http://www.hobic.ro/imagini/produse/M2N-SLI-Deluxe.jpg black/yellow are the ram slots ram modules enter only one way, the hole under de ram module (http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1772/ddr2800eccprib3.jpg )must go where the division on the slot(http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9463/ddr2slotzf5.jpg ) P.D. Perfect amount of ram? well that depends on the use you will give to the computer. IN WINDOWS XP: CASE1_Use word, browse internet, etc. = 512mb should be enough CASE2_antivirus, antispyware, firewall, browse internet, p2p, music = 1GB_2GB CASE3_3D games 2GB_3GB CASE4_future 3d games 3gb _ 4gb IN WINDOWS VISTA 1gb more than windows XP.