In my last post, I discussed the possibility that overheating can be a cause of slow computer performance. While overheating of the processor can and does happen, (and it can be catastrophic when it does occur), it’s not the most likely cause of poor performance. I wouldn’t consider it among my chief suspects when trying to diagnose a slow computer.

Memory Can Cause Slow Computer Performance

A more likely hardware-based cause of slowness is memory. Computers come with a certain amount of memory installed and often, computer owners find it desirable to upgrade the computer’s complement of memory. Lack of memory is much more likely to be a cause of slow computer performance than overheating is, and it is one of my chief suspects when troubleshooting poor performance. Lack of available memory can be a temporary problem – as when there are simply too many applications open simultaneously or when something is consuming more memory than it should. Memory problems can also be “structural.” That is, the computer simply doesn’t have enough memory to run the operating system and the applications the user needs.

In this case, the computer tries to compensate for lack of RAM by using disk space to “swap” information in and out of memory. It amounts to a juggling act and the computer’s performance can slow measurably when swapping or “paging” occurs. The performance is especially poor when the computer is asked to run memory-intensive programs or facilitate real-time functions like online gaming.

Whatever version of Windows you have loaded will come with a recommendation that the computer have a minimum amount of RAM installed. Most computer users don’t understand that this “minimum” is absent any RAM for the applications! In other words, Microsoft’s recommendations for memory apply just to its operating system. Additional memory will be needed for the applications.

When it comes to poor performance, users often find relief when they “max out” the amount of installed memory. Each computer has a limit as to how much memory it can work with. The manufacturer’s recommendation for maximum memory should not be exceeded. The computer can’t use more than its maximum memory, so exceeding the manufacturer’s recommendations on RAM is simply throwing good money away.

Second, it’s important to stick with the type of memory the manufacturer recommends. Some computers are more tolerant of memory that doesn’t meet the manufacturer’s recommendations, but some computers simply can’t deal with a mismatch. In this case, the computer performance will suffer – if the computer works at all.

My recommendation: upgrade your memory according to the manufacturer’s specs and put in as much RAM as you can afford.

Photo Credit: bitterjug.com

Tags: RegCure, slow computer, slow computer performance