What is Computer Memory?

If you're looking to improve your computer's performance, but you can't afford to buy a new computer, then the single best way to squeeze that bit of extra performance out of your existing machine is to upgrade the RAM. It's one of the cheapest and simplest computer upgrades you can do.

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a temporary storage area where programs and data are stored to be retrieved quickly. This is different from disk space, which the permanent storage in your computer. The thing is that it is way faster to retrieve information from RAM than from disk. If you increase the RAM (commonly referred to just as memory) then you increase the amount of short-term storage in your computer and reduce the number of times your computer has to go looking for things on your hard drive.

To make a long story short, the more RAM you have, the faster your computer runs. It also makes multi-tasking much easier. Doubling the RAM can triple the performance of a computer. You can get 512MB of RAM from as little as $50

Now it's easy to get worried about finding and installing the right memory. Well I can tell you that it's actually pretty simple. Installing new memory modules is very easy and finding the correct memory is also pretty straightforward. Below is a tool that can help you find the right RAM for your computer.