Computer RAM - how to increase the volume correctly - ddr2 and ddr3. Is it possible to increase the RAM without buying
Why might you need to increase the amount of RAM on your computer?
Unfortunately, many developers of operating systems and software (programs for work and games) do not think about optimization at all, do not remember that many users do not have the opportunity to constantly buy the most modern hardware, so their creations can “slow down” . To partially solve this problem, you may need to increase the amount of RAM on your computer.
How to buy a suitable bar of RAM?
When purchasing a RAM stick, you need to remember that different types of RAM are not suitable for every motherboard. To select the correct memory bar, you need to look in the documentation for the exact model name of the installed motherboard. Look at the description of this motherboard model on the manufacturer's website, which should indicate what type of memory is suitable for work, as well as the maximum possible amount of memory that this motherboard “sees”. Also from the description you can find out the number of slots for installing RAM.
Determine the amount of RAM available on your computer. To do this, turn on the computer, right-click on the "My Computer" icon, then select "Properties", in the "General" tab, and you can find the total amount of installed RAM.
From the data obtained, your task is to calculate the amount of the bar that you will purchase (if at least one slot for RAM on the motherboard is free, then you just need to subtract the amount of installed RAM from the maximum possible amount of RAM, otherwise you will need to pull out one of the bars, smaller volume, and in its place set a new bar, the volume of which is also calculated).
After purchasing a new memory stick, remove the case cover (depending on the case model, it can be removed entirely or it is possible to remove only the side cover). Carefully look at how the existing memory bar (s) is installed. Parallel to them, position the new bar and insert it into the free slot. The memory bar must enter the slot tightly so that the contacts are not visible and the latch must work, which additionally holds the bar in the slot.
The diagram below shows an example of changing a DDR2 memory bar, but it is not at all necessary that you also have this type of memory, however, the appearance of the RAM connectors and the memory bars themselves is similar, and you also need to take into account the location of the notches on the boards.
If done correctly, the aforementioned tab will show more memory than before.
With the active use of the device on the Android OS and downloading various software, the owner of the device may encounter an insufficient amount of memory provided by the manufacturer. The overcrowding of the information storage leads to a decrease in the performance of the phone or tablet and causes its periodic freezes. Yes, and downloading new content becomes almost impossible. Therefore, consider how to increase memory on Android.
There are two ways to expand the memory of your Android phone or tablet:
- Physical. Assumes the installation of an external micro sd memory card;
- Software. In this case, unnecessary applications and files are removed from the device, as well as other manipulations are performed, leading to an increase in free space.
It is necessary to understand that for most gadgets running the Android OS, there are three types of memory:
- Operational (RAM or RAM);
- internal;
- External.
The first type is for temporary storage of data that is used by running applications and services. If you can increase the RAM on a PC by installing an additional RAM bar, then this will not work on mobile devices. On a tablet or phone, you can only clean the RAM from garbage, thereby improving the performance of the device. You can see how much Android RAM is available in the device settings.
Internal memory is used to store various information on the gadget. Here it can be physically expanded in many phones by installing an external sd card. 
Manufacturers of modern smartphones are less and less equipping their products with a micro sd card slot. If your device does not have such a connector, you will have to be content with the volume provided by the developers.
If the physical increase in Android memory due to micro sd should not cause any difficulties, then with a software extension it is not so simple. Therefore, we will consider how to increase the internal memory of Android programmatically.
Expanding internal storage with built-in Android features
The easiest way to increase memory on Android is to clear it of unnecessary data. To do this, just find the files that you will not need in the future, and click "Delete". If there are many such files, it is better to perform this procedure through the explorer:
You can also expand free space by uninstalling unnecessary software:
You can use these steps to increase your Android storage for installing apps. Not all software available on the gadget can be erased. Many standard applications provided by the Android system can only be uninstalled if you have root rights.
Another standard method that allows you to expand the built-in memory is to transfer user-installed programs to a micro sd card. To do this, you need to enter the properties of an application and tap the corresponding button. 
Increasing free space with additional software
Considering how to increase the internal memory of an Android device, the Clean Master cleaner app should be noted. Its main function is to speed up the performance of Android devices by closing unused programs running in the background, as well as clearing the cache and deleting residual files from system folders.
To expand free space on your phone using Clean Master, do the following:
Built-in memory expansion with external sd card
All programs that are downloaded to a phone or tablet are installed by default in the internal storage of the device. And even the presence of a micro sd card does not actually increase the space for applications. Starting with Android 2.2, the system has the ability to select memory for installing software. 
Random access memory (RAM) or random access memory is a component of a personal computer or laptop that stores information (machine code, program) necessary for immediate execution. Due to the small amount of this memory, the computer's performance may drop significantly, in which case users have a reasonable question - how to increase the RAM on a computer with Windows 7, 8 or 10.
RAM can be added in two ways: install an additional bar or use a Flash drive. It should be said right away that the second option does not significantly improve the performance of the computer, since the transfer speed over the USB port is not high enough, but it is still a simple and good way to increase the amount of RAM.
Method 1: Installing new RAM modules
To begin with, let's deal with installing RAM strips in a computer, since this method is the most effective and frequently used.
Determine the type of RAM
First you need to decide on the type of your RAM, since their different versions are incompatible with each other. Currently there are only four types:
- DDR2;
- DDR3;
- DDR4.
The first one is practically not used anymore, as it is considered obsolete, so if you bought a computer relatively recently, then you may have DDR2, but most likely DDR3 or DDR4. You can find out for sure in three ways: by the form factor, by reading the specification, or by using a special program.
Each type of RAM has its own design feature. This is necessary so that it is impossible to use, for example, DDR2 RAM in computers with DDR3. This fact will help us determine the type. The picture below shows four types of RAM schematically, but it’s worth saying right away that this method is applicable only for personal computers; in laptops, the chips have a different design.
As you can see, there is a gap at the bottom of the board, and in each it is in a different place. The table shows the distance from the left edge to the gap.
| RAM type | Gap distance, cm |
|---|---|
| DDR | 7,25 |
| DDR2 | 7 |
| DDR3 | 5,5 |
| DDR4 | 7,1 |
If you don’t have a ruler at hand or you can’t exactly determine the difference between DDR, DDR2 and DDR4, since they have a small difference, it will be much easier to find out the type from the specification sticker located on the RAM chip itself. There are two options: it will directly indicate the type of device itself or the value of the peak bandwidth. In the first case, everything is simple. The image below shows an example of such a specification.
If you did not find such a designation on your sticker, then pay attention to the bandwidth value. It also comes in four different types:
As you might guess, they fully comply with DDR. So, if you saw the inscription PC3, this means that the type of your RAM is DDR3, and if PC2, then DDR2. An example is shown in the image below.
Both of these methods involve disassembling the system unit or laptop and, in some cases, pulling out the RAM from the slots. If you do not want to do this or are afraid, then you can find out the type of RAM using the program. By the way, this method is recommended for laptop users, since parsing it is much more difficult than a personal computer. So, download the application on your computer and follow these steps:
After that, the type of your RAM will be indicated in the field located to the right of the drop-down list. By the way, it is the same for each slot, so it doesn't matter which one you choose.
Choosing RAM
If you decide to replace your RAM completely, then you need to understand its choice, since there are now a huge number of manufacturers on the market that offer various versions of RAM. All of them differ in many ways: frequency, time between operations, multi-channel, the presence of additional elements, and so on. Now let's talk about everything separately
With the frequency of RAM, everything is simple - the more, the better. But there are also nuances. The fact is that the maximum mark will not be reached if the bandwidth of the motherboard is less than that of the RAM. Therefore, before purchasing RAM, pay attention to this indicator. The same applies to memory sticks with a frequency above 2400 MHz. Such a large value is achieved due to the eXtreme Memory Profile technology, but if the motherboard does not support it, then the RAM will not produce the specified value. By the way, the time between operations is directly proportional to the frequency, so when choosing, focus on one thing.
Multichannel is the parameter that is responsible for the possibility of connecting several memory sticks at the same time. This will not only increase the total amount of RAM, but also speed up data processing, since the information will go to two devices at once. But it is necessary to take into account several nuances:
The heat exchanger can only be found in the memory of the latest generations, which have a high frequency, in other cases it is only an element of decor, so be careful when buying if you do not want to overpay.
If you do not completely replace the RAM, but only want to expand it by inserting additional brackets into the free slots, then it is highly advisable to buy RAM of the same model that you have installed.
Installing RAM in slots
After you have decided on the type of RAM and bought it, you can proceed directly to the installation. Owners of a personal computer need to do the following:
After that, the installation of RAM can be considered completed. By the way, you can find out its amount in the operating system, on our website there is an article devoted to this topic.
If you have a laptop, then you cannot offer a universal way to install RAM, since different models have quite different design features from each other. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that some models do not support the possibility of expanding the RAM. In general, it is highly undesirable to disassemble the laptop yourself, without any experience, it is better to entrust this matter to a qualified specialist in a service center.
Method 2: Ready Boost
ReadyBoost is a special technology that allows you to convert a Flash drive into RAM. This process is quite simple to implement, but keep in mind that the bandwidth of a flash drive is an order of magnitude lower than RAM, so do not count on a significant improvement in computer performance.
Using a flash drive is recommended only as a last resort, when you need to increase the amount of memory for a short time. The fact is that any flash drive has a limit on the number of records performed, and if the limit is exhausted, it will simply fail.
Conclusion
As a result, we have two ways to increase the computer's RAM. Undoubtedly, it is better to purchase additional memory sticks, as this guarantees a huge performance boost, but if you want to temporarily increase this parameter, you can use the ReadyBoost technology.
In this article, we will talk about how to expand RAM due to the hard drive, since the answer to this question is of interest to many users of computer devices. It often happens that such manipulation becomes a necessity and helps in cases where the computer starts to slow down and freeze, does not respond to commands, or crashes completely.
System disk and RAM
RAM, or, as the people say, RAM, is the random access memory of a computer device. In fact, the RAM is a volatile component of the entire computer memory system, where commands and various data are stored for a certain period of time - those that the processor needs to be able to perform all kinds of operations.
It should be understood that system disk and RAM are different things. To increase the RAM, you need to have enough free space on the disk, at least 10 or 15 GB. If there is not enough free space on the hard drive, the RAM, along with its commands and files, does not “fit” on the disk, and the processor stops working efficiently. To correct the situation, it is required to provide the required space for the RAM by “clearing” the hard drive and thereby expanding the memory and increasing the speed of the computer.
How to expand RAM with hard drive
To expand RAM with HDD, the following steps are required:
- Find the My Computer icon on your desktop and right-click on it.
- A context menu will appear in front of you, from which select the “Properties” item and click on it.
- After clicking on "Properties", a window with the name "System Properties" will open. Here you will see a lot of different tabs, but don't let their abundance scare you, because you only need one - "Additional". Click on it with the mouse once.
- You will see several additional items, from which you need to select the "Performance" option, and in it - the "Settings" item.
- In the "Parameters" a new window will open with the name "Performance Options", in which you will be asked to choose your next actions. Here you also need to select the "Advanced" item.
- Take a look at what the tab has to offer you. You will see three items, from which select the line "Virtual memory" - and click on the "Change" button.
- After that, a new (third in a row) window with the name "Virtual Memory" will open again in front of you.
Disk memory expansion
Further, it is recommended to proceed with extreme caution. You will see a list of disks of a computer device, due to which you will expand the RAM. You need to determine how much free space is on each of the drives. Usually, RAM expansion is carried out at the expense of drives C: or D: - let's say that you are interested in the latter option.
In the "Virtual memory" window, click on the D: drive, then select the "Custom size" item and enter this very original size: say, 2000 (the maximum possible size is 4000). You can set the same values for both the minimum and maximum, and this value can be made approximately three times larger than the amount of your "physical" RAM.
Nothing else needs to be changed, just click on the affirmative "OK" button. Then in the "Performance Options" window, also click on "OK" and in the "System Properties" window - also click on "OK".
After you have done all the above steps, you will only have to restart your computer device. That's all - the RAM has been successfully increased due to the disk you have chosen. You can enjoy the speed of your computer.
Disk Cleanup
However, do not forget that a lot of different “garbage” gradually accumulates on the system disk. These are temporary programs, applications, files that need to be deleted periodically, since all this “junk” takes up space on the hard drive and slows down the system. To clean hard drive You don't need to have any special knowledge. It is enough to use the capabilities of a special utility that will clean and defragment the disk quickly and efficiently. There are many such programs, and they are all effective.
Install the program on your computer and run it by clicking on the "Search" button. The utility will begin to analyze the system of your computer, and then offer to tick the files and programs to be deleted. You will be surprised, but there are quite a lot of them, and they can be deleted without any consequences for further work on the computer. A list of recommended removal items can be found online. Check these items and click on the "Clear" button. You will immediately be informed how much disk space will be freed up after deletion.
While analyzing the system, removing "garbage" and defragmenting, you can continue to work on a computer device. If the computer slows down at the same time, do not be alarmed: after cleaning, its performance will significantly accelerate.
Don't forget to clean the disk from time to time so that garbage doesn't accumulate, as its quantity will sooner or later turn into "quality" - and it will take you a long time to free the disk. Enjoy your work!
