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Ramming Speed
By Kathy Maynard
CN Staff Writer
We folks in the computer industry commonly use the term “memory” to refer to RAM (Random Access Memory). As your processor turns on your application, it uses RAM to store some of the data needed to make your program work. While all forms of memory work together, RAM is considered the main memory since most data, regardless of its source, is stored in RAM before it is registered in any other storage device. Consequently, RAM is used millions of times every second.
A computer uses Ram to hold temporary instructions and data needed to complete tasks. This enables the computer’s CPU (Central Processing Unit), to access instructions and data stored in memory very quickly.
To normal humans, this means that RAM is the fuel that makes your computer go. These days, I consider computers as necessary tools of modern living, like cell phones and microwave ovens. I can remember life without them, but like most people, I take technological improvements for granted once incorporated into my daily routine. Typically, I expect to turn on my computer and use it to do what I need, without having to understand much about how it works.
Ignorance is bliss, until something goes wrong, of course. My most recent problem came in the form of an error message saying the computer was “out of resources” and I needed to close some programs and try again. I did that, but the error message kept popping up and I had no idea what “resources” were.
So I called my son, Scott, a computer engineering graduate and Information Systems Specialist who builds, installs, configures and supports everything related to computers, networks and databases at Christensen Shipyards, Ltd. in Vancouver, Washington. I expected him to lead me through an involved series of diagnostic procedures and maybe even tell me I needed to replace something.
Instead, he just told me to restart the computer. After I did, everything was back to normal.
“Out of resources means your computer is using all of its memory, or RAM,” he explained. “I’m guessing you’ve been opening and closing several different programs without turning off your computer in the last few days. Powering off empties your RAM so you can start over with a clean slate.”
 I vaguely remembered learning the terms “RAM” and “ROM” when I first started using computers, as well as the frustration of “swapping” 800K disks on my first little Macintosh 512 that didn’t have a hard drive. But things have changed since 1987, and now I just think of “memory” as the “chips” that Scott has used to upgrade the assorted computers we’ve owned over the years. But insisting that anyone who depends on computers as much as I do should have a better understanding of what I’m using (while undoubtedly hoping to reduce the number of times I call him for advice) Scott patiently explained about computer memory in terms his English major mother could grasp.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the main memory used to run programs and access data on a personal computer. The amount of memory on a computer affects how many programs can be open at once and how quickly it can access that information. Random access means the computer can call up or store information “randomly” in any order, without having to read through all the data ahead of it, as is necessary when accessing information physically recorded on tape and disk drives.
Located on integrated circuit memory chips, RAM holds data by constantly turning tiny switches on or off by electrical impulses, enabling it to store and change data exponentially faster than possible in a hard drive. It is “read/write RAM” because the data it holds can be changed rapidly and often, and considered “volatile” memory because all the switches go off when the computer is powered off, and all information they hold is lost.
To give you an analogy, think of RAM as your mind while solving a bunch of math problems.You juggle numbers around in your head as you are working out the problems on paper. But once you finish a particular problem and write down, you don’t need to remember the information anymore, so you move on and forget it. RAM works like your mind’s short term memory.”
Then, if I asked you to remember a set of random numbers and then started listing them off, you would only be able to remember so many -- probably six or seven of them. When you got to that eighth or ninth number, you would pretty much find your own memory was “out of resources” and could no longer hold anymore information. The difference, however, is that a human mind would probably forget the first numbers and remember the most recent ones, while a computer would retain the first numbers and not accept anymore.
By contrast, if asked for your home address, you wouldn’t need to calculate that information because you know it by heart and will not forget it as soon as something else catches your attention. Think of this kind of memory in your head as the equivalent of “disk space” on your computer’s hard drive. It’s a permanent memory that won’t fade away.
There are some tricks
your computer does to compensate for lack of resources,
like saving some of the RAM’s data to the hard drive
in a file that is referred to as your computer’s ‘virtual
memory.’ "But this can only help so much,” Scott
explained. “So that message saying you are out of resources
means that all of your RAM is pretty much full, and
your computer can no longer compensate by writing things
to disk. This can happen
when you open a program that requires more memory than
is available on your computer, or if a program is poorly
written and the longer it’s open, the more memory it
uses. Also, sometimes programs don’t close completely
when they are supposed to, and they remain open in the
background, using memory that should be available for
other applications.
Another, new and growing
problem is spyware (internet jargon for the programs
which secretly gather information about computer users
and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties)
that runs in the background and wastes resources. (See
our Cookie story, in October's issue for more on this
subject). Even Windows itself will become bloated and
waste resources if left running for very long periods
of time with multiple applications opened and closed.
Aside from the spyware issue, it is best to restart
your computer when you experience a problem from lack
of resources. A reboot turns the power off, so it wipes
your memory clean and gives you a clean slate to start
from.
So how can you tell if you need more RAM? If you don’t have enough, your computer will run slow and seem sluggish, especially when opening applications. You can never have too much, but once you have enough, the performance of your computer will not increase significantly if you keep adding more.
These days, many computers
may get by with 256 MB of RAM, but 512 MB is better.
With this much memory, you can be sure you have plenty
for applications like Microsoft Office, and Scott believes
that 512 MB should be the standard with Windows 2000
or XP. If the computer is used for gaming or other CPU
and memory-intensive applications like rendering, however,
it should have 1GB of RAM or more. Older computers that
are still running with Windows 98, NT or ME that came
preinstalled on them can get by with less RAM because
they were built for those operating systems.
Computers have physical limitations when adding RAM. Typically, there are two or three slots to insert sticks of RAM and older computers may only support certain sizes of RAM modules. Consult the manual that came with your computer or motherboard, or check out the manufacturer’s site to determine what to buy. Many places that sell RAM also have charts where you can look up the size and type of memory needed for your particular model of computer.
If your computer still
seems too slow after adding RAM, you can try to reformat
the hard drive, which erases everything on it and requires
the operating system to be reinstalled. IT Professionals
have found that over time, Windows always gets too bloated
and bogged down and periodically needs to be reinstalled
from scratch to bring back performance. Windows 2000
and XP installs do not need to be reformatted as often
as Windows 95, 98 and ME, but if the reformat and additional
RAM do not help performance enough to suit your needs,
it may be time to start thinking about buying a new
computer.
Note: Read the program’s recommendations to how much ram you need. Double this, and you have got enough power to push you through.
For more information, contact Kath Maynard at
kmaynard@connectednow.com
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