Upgrading my RAM (ooer!)

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Sun May 08, 2005 9:26 pm

How hard is it to upgrade the RAM on a PC?
I finally got fed up of the tortoise-like speed on this computer (it's my mother's - it's at my house, but she uses it to email her friends and probably surf for porn. EW!). I checked the specs and it's only got 120MB of RAM (it's ALWAYS been slow since she bought it a few years ago). As the minimum for AOL is 128MB, and the amount recommended is 256MB, no wonder things have been crawling like a zombie with no legs.
I recently decided to get broadband, but the RAM problem will probably screw things up, so now I've got to get me some more memory.
As I already resent having to shell out for what I should already have (the specs for this computer says 128MB even though it obviously isn't), if I can install the memory upgrade myself and save a few quid, then I'm all for it.

So, how hard IS it? What does it involve?
Also, I hear that I'll need a specific type of memory - the sticker on the PC tower says 'SyncDRAM' - is that the shortened term for 'SD' RAM?
I know bugger all about the tech specs of computers, and I don't want to have to register with a PC help website to post a question, so I thought I'd try picking all your brains for information.

Save me from 'Tortoisetron' - the master of the slow crawling PC!

Post by **Kaylee** » Sun May 08, 2005 9:36 pm

I'm not convinced upgrading the memory will speed your computer up especially. If its your downloads and web browsing that are slow it will make no difference whatsoever AFAIK.

Regarding the actual upgrade-

Just open the case and on the motherboard will be several slots, there will probably be at least one memory card in already. They are about 6" long and 1" high. You normally have about 4 of these slots. Positions vary, usually they're near the processor (has a big black fan on it).

Get an appropriate RAM module and slot it into the next available blank space. Everything else should configure automatically. Consult your manual as to the maximum amount of memory and in what combination you can put RAM modules into your motherboard.

Most older boards have a limit of 256-512MB and some have a funky order in which you have to insert the cards. Probably doesn't apply to you but thought I'd mention it all the same.

IronHide · Post by **IronHide** » Sun May 08, 2005 9:50 pm

Just remember don't mix. 768 is a bad number.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Sun May 08, 2005 10:28 pm

Argh! Now I'm even more confused!
All the stuff I've read said that upgrading will increase the speed-performance of the computer, now you say it won't? What WOULD speed the damn thing up? Apart from a rocket on the CD tray?
I could get a brand new PC for £429 - with sparkly super speed, but I'd rather not do that if I can fix the problem.
I think my sister knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows computers - perhaps I can get him to come around and advise me 'cos this all makes my head hurt. Also, I don't like the sound of all the internal jiggery-pokery you mention either.

All I want is a bit more speed.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon May 09, 2005 12:23 am

your CPU is what makes things faster in general.
Ram helps move information around.
RAM is what application run in when you are using them, and depending on what you ask an application t do, is how much of the CPU you will be using.

If AOL is asking for 128MB and you only have 120MB, and you are running windows this doesnt leave much room for things. AOL is a horrid CPU and RAM hog anyhows. I lothe it greatly!

Chuck some more RAM in, plump for a single 512MB simm on your machine.
And a new CPU upgrade. total cost about £100

then AOL will seem faster.

RAM will help to keep your hole system running faster.
As for actually pages opening faster, thats mainly your CPU speed slowing you down here, it essentially cannot think fast enough, is slower then your broardband, and cant draw the page fast enough.

Gekigengar · Post by **Gekigengar** » Mon May 09, 2005 3:00 am

Can you please post the specification/details of your computer.

If it is store bought, give us info of the computer's manufacturer.
-or-
If you custom built it, need to know the mother board manufacturer, and processor speed.

We can help determine what type of ram you would need...

FYI... memory types:
RDRAM - old
SDRAM - old
DDR - current
DDR2 - latest and current

and some even older than those mentioned.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon May 09, 2005 9:38 am

More or less what impy said. The only noticeable effect of a low spec system on broadband would be page rendering timelags, the actual time taken to draw the page on the screen, but even then it should be negligible really; its just someone one accepts when using an older system.

Tip 2- get the [composite word including 'f*ck'] off of AOL!! They are truly an awful ISP.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon May 09, 2005 10:12 am

I may just upgrade to a new PC I think. This one is fairly knackered anyway - apart from being too slow, the CD-RW drive is broken (leaving me only the DVD-ROM one), I think there's some biscuit in the front USB ports (a present from my 2 year old niece), and the monitor display occasionally 'jumps'. Overall, I'm not certain that the thing is worth saving.
I've seen a nice internet-friendly package deal (with printer/scanner/copier, flatscreen monitor, DVD-RW) for £499 which I might invest in. Well, as it's not my PC, I may be able to get my mum to spring for half the cost.
Thanks for all your helps though. Besides confusing me (novice that I apparently am), you've also helped me make up my mind on a new PC.

Also, is AOL really that bad?

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon May 09, 2005 11:06 am

AOL are expensive, slow with awful customer service and an insistance that you install a billion and one dumb-ass applications to use their service (AOL today, AOL content advisor, AIM and so on...)

They're one of the last great monolithic internet providers, back in the days of AOL, Compuserve and The Microsoft Network.

AOL: The Internet Dinosaur. Refusing to rollover and die since 1995.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon May 09, 2005 11:10 am

AOL is one of my pet hates. this is a classic example of a very bad product that they have sold to the world.

Its horribly slow and has some of most stupid security around.

For example, email.
Each use can have his own account? - thats nice, but should any random person be able to switch to an account, not log in, and just press 'read mail' from the drop down list?
U can then read all thier 'private' mail... seems a bit silly to me.

Main problem is the way AOL forces its browser upon you, its a huge convulted mess of windows you cannot close (thus using your RAM) and lots of sounds, and windows, and other memory resident AOL hogs.

It doesnt intergrate with the internet to well, certain pages dontt low, it has problems rendering flash sites etc...

KILL IT!

as for the PC, can we see the £500 spec machine?

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon May 09, 2005 11:54 am

Here it is:
http://www.woolworths.co.uk/wwstore/pro ... op=details
Is that a good or bad deal?

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Mon May 09, 2005 1:32 pm

I personally would like more RAM than 256mb.

I cant say anything about the price though, since we're in completley different countries.
However in Sweden you could get a better computer for that amount of money.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon May 09, 2005 4:23 pm

Obfleur wrote:I personally would like more RAM than 256mb.

Most of the stuff on sale seems to be around this amount - unless you want to be fancy. I reckon 256 would probably do me as I only use this PC for the internet - I have another PC and a laptop for my other work.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:29 pm

Buying a PC from WOOLIES? You're joking, right?

I advise Dell. Most everyone I know who's used them has rated them very high on support, customer service and overall product quality.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:46 pm

Someone else mentioned Dell to me. I'd just rather not have to order stuff - I'm really impatient. I hate buying from the internet, whatever it is I want to buy. And I like to go into a real shop and shout at a real person right in front of me if I need to complain about something.

And just 'cos Woolworths is stocking it, does that make it so bad? It's not like Woolies staff actually ASSEMBLED the PC. At least I hope not.
At least I could take the damn thing home with me there and then.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:57 pm

Woolies stock Time PCs. I'd recommend Dell. I mean you'd only have to wait about 24 hours for it?

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Mon May 09, 2005 9:29 pm

The chances of somewhere like Woolies having a decent range and staff that know anything about the differences between the computers they're selling are pretty low. Personally, if I want to ask about buying new computer hardware, I go to a small independant computer shop where they know what they're talking about and aren't gonna try to pull the wool over your eyes.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon May 09, 2005 10:08 pm

Bouncelot wrote:The chances of somewhere like Woolies having a decent range and staff that know anything about the differences between the computers they're selling are pretty low. Personally, if I want to ask about buying new computer hardware, I go to a small independant computer shop where they know what they're talking about and aren't gonna try to pull the wool over your eyes.

If ever you find one of these shops let me know

Unfortunately I tend to walk into such places and be the most qualified person there...

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon May 09, 2005 10:26 pm

Karl Lynch wrote:Woolies stock Time PCs. I'd recommend Dell. I mean you'd only have to wait about 24 hours for it?

AWOOGA AWOOGA!!!
avoid Time PCs at all costs. They are overpriced and use inadequate parts... even the keyboards and mice feel crappy. My parents bought a PC from Time (without consulting me) once and they regretted it.

Listen to Karl, go with Dell, much nicer all round and they do very good offers.

as for ram, try to get at least 512Mb (Dell often do a "double RAM" offer, keep an eye out for it). XP will gobble up 256Mb as soon as you open an application or two.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue May 10, 2005 12:52 am

like everyone said really.

If you had a monitor I could build you a £500 PC that would be bloody fast.

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Tue May 10, 2005 1:40 am

Karl Lynch wrote:
Bouncelot wrote:The chances of somewhere like Woolies having a decent range and staff that know anything about the differences between the computers they're selling are pretty low. Personally, if I want to ask about buying new computer hardware, I go to a small independant computer shop where they know what they're talking about and aren't gonna try to pull the wool over your eyes.
If ever you find one of these shops let me know

Unfortunately I tend to walk into such places and be the most qualified person there...

They're certainly more like that than places like Woolies, or PC World, though I'd go to one of my many Computer Science graduate friends if I actually wanted advice about hardware. But for those as don't have such friends, places like that aren't that bad.

Gekigengar · Post by **Gekigengar** » Tue May 10, 2005 2:14 am

I too would not recommend that from Woolworth, that right there is a giant paper weight.

If you want to, try custom building one yourself.
-or-
Check this out: http://www.alienware.co.uk/main.aspx

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue May 10, 2005 1:28 pm

I vaguely remember something about Time PCs being rather sh*te, now you mention it (I didn't even bother to check the make on the one I was looking at

).
And like Karl said: even ME, with my very limited PC knowledge, is probably more clued-up on computers than most of the 'um er ah' staff at these so-called 'computer specialist' shops.
Luckily I think I've found an all-round solution to my problem: the boyfriend of one of my sister's pals is a computer tech engineer, and she's going to get him to fully upgrade my stuff. She said he'll only charge me for the parts 'cos she knows me, and he'll do the work for nowt. Hurrah!

If only I'd known all that last week - I could have saved myself a trek around all the computer places here.
Still, I'm extremely glad that I have you people to ask about this kind of thing 'cos I know bugger-all about PCs except that you press buttons, and words and letters and stuff appear onscreen shortly after.
Ta.

IronHide · Post by **IronHide** » Tue May 10, 2005 4:56 pm

Autobloke wrote: Also, is AOL really that bad?

http://www.bash.org/?492947

Bout sums it up.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:34 pm

AOL wasn't my choice - like I said: mum's PC. It's what she wanted (a 'friend' recommended them) and she pays for it even though the PC's at my place (she thinks it will kill her phone + free internet for me!).
That said, I didn't realise the vitriol that AOL had accrued. I'll have to bug her to change to someone else.

Recommendations?

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:01 am

Autobloke wrote:AOL wasn't my choice - like I said: mum's PC. It's what she wanted (a 'friend' recommended them) and she pays for it even though the PC's at my place (she thinks it will kill her phone + free internet for me!).
That said, I didn't realise the vitriol that AOL had accrued. I'll have to bug her to change to someone else.

Recommendations?

Is it dial-up or broadband?

If it's broadband, and as you're in the UK, I recommend checking out www.adslguide.org.uk if it's broadband - basically it's a site with all the details of broadband suppliers. Of course, who's gonna be best depends on what sort of user you're gonna be - what speed you want, whether you'll be OK with download limits, whether you need hardware included in the package, and whether your likely to need half-decent support from your ISP.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed May 11, 2005 1:11 am

I just use NTL

It does my phone, sky TV and my Broardband, which is cheep!