M & M Programming, Inc. Tip for September 2000

Help! I need more memory!

Computer telling you it's out of memory? Is your Pentium III chip creeping along at the pace of an old 486? You may need more RAM.

Many times, people get memory and hard drive space confused. If the computer tells you that it's out of disk or hard drive space when installing a program, you need to upgrade your hard drive. The smallest hard drive currently available is a 4.3 GB. (A GigaByte is 1,000,000,000 bytes of information, making this hard drive 4,300,000,000 Bytes or 4,300,000 KiloBytes). These are monstrous compared to the 200 - 500 MB (MegaByte or 1,000,000 bytes) drives that came in old 386 and 486 machines. Most of the time, a new hard drive install is fairly quick and painless. Unless your old drive crashed, you can even transfer the data from your old drive to the new one, using the new hard drive as your main (C: drive) and the old drive as a backup (if your case space permits).

If the computer tells you that there is insufficient memory to complete the task, then it is a RAM issue. RAM, or Random Access Memory, is stored in memory chips which are inserted onto the motherboard, similar to the modem, video card, etc. Your computer uses this memory like short term memory. Any time the computer is shut down or restarted, this memory is cleared. If you right-click the "My Computer" icon on the desktop and select "Properties," you can see how much RAM (the number in front of the MB) you have. While in the Properties, you can click on the "Performance" tab. This also lists the RAM, but also shows the "System Resources". You'll want to keep this number high. Any time the percentage drops below 40%, you should probably restart your system. If not, you'll notice the speed slowing down, as well as lingering boxes, etc. when you try to close windows or programs.

There are two main types of memory chips: SIMMs and DIMMs. SIMM (Single Inline Memory Modules) chips are an older chip, containing either 30 or 72 pins and found in three different types: Parity or True Parity, Non-Parity and EDO. SIMM chips are usually found in either 60 or 70 ns (nanosecond) varieties. DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Modules) are newer chips with 168 pins and found in three speeds, 66 MHz, 100 MHz and the newer 133 MHz. There are subsets of DIMMs, SODIMM (Small-Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), but we'll focus on regular SIMMs and DIMMs for our purposes here.

Because different manufacturers use different motherboards, cases, etc., you need to look at your computer manual to see what type of memory you need. If you don't have your manual and feel confident pulling the case off, you can look at the chips. Most of the time, a motherboard will have 2-4 slots for memory, all bundled together. The shorter memory chips are SIMMs, longer chips are DIMMs. Still, you need to know the specifics, like what type of SIMM or DIMM you have, the clock speed (60 or 70 ns, or 66, 100, or 133 MHz), and if the memory needs to be installed in pairs. Older machines required that memory be installed in sets of 2, i.e. two 4 MB chips in order to get 8 MB, and so on. If you're still unsure of what memory type you need, you can call our office at 270-692-5503. With the Brand name and model number of the machine, we can locate what type of memory you need.

If your computer currently has less than 32 MB and you're running Windows 98, STOP! You need AT LEAST 32 MB to run Windows 98 properly, and most of us are running so many programs at once that 64 MB is too little. People who run Access and other "RAM-eating" programs either must restart often, or install more memory. (When buying new software, always check the system requirements listed on the box to make sure that the program will run properly). Most new computers come with 64 to 128 MB of RAM. Web and Systems servers can have as much as a Gig (1,000 MB) or more of RAM.

The price for RAM fluctuates according to demand. SIMM prices tend to be more volatile as they are older chips, making them more hard to come by. If you need more RAM, please call to get an exact quote.

There are other ways to speed up your computer. Running a defrag and scandisk will always help optimize your machine. Don't forget to empty your Recycle Bin, Internet History and Temporary Internet Folders often.

If you believe that you need RAM or other hardware, please feel free to bring your CPU to M & M Programming, Inc., 110 North Spalding Avenue, Lebanon, KY.

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