Laptop RAM / Memory Upgrade / Replacement

Random Access Memory, or RAM, is a way for your computer to store temporary data, rather than in a cache or permanent storage.Memory problems are less common than other computer problems because memory sticks have no moving parts and thus fewer points of failure. However, due to this many RAM problems go undiagnosed. Memory usually will last longer than other computer components so manufacturers offer longer warranties for it than other parts. If you buy brand name memory it will likely have a lifetime warranty.

A computer’s memory (called RAM) is one of the simpler components to replace or upgrade. Increasing the amount of memory is one of the most cost-effective ways to breathe life into an older system and extend its usefulness.

A computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) is a computer’s short-term memory. RAM is unrelated to the computer’s storage drive (often called a hard drive) where files are kept. A computer uses RAM to store data that programs and the operating system need to access quickly. The more RAM a computer has, the better its performance will be especially when running multiple applications at the same time.

An interesting fact about RAM is that unlike hard drives or flash storage, RAM requires power to store data; once the computer is shut down, all data in RAM is lost. When the computer boots up, certain data is read from the storage drive into the RAM.

However if you experience any of these symptoms, you should check for bad RAM before attempting any other troubleshooting.

RAM Failures

Symptoms:

• Windows doesn’t start showing different error messages each time.
• Windows crashes (blue screen) or freezes frequently.
• Windows crashes as soon as you try to start a program.
• Unexplained random crashes and freezes without error messages.