What exactly is RAM on a computer??? And how and what does ot do?

Question

Please I want to get the Dance Ejay 6 but I have Only 224mb RAM And it says 256mb RAM!!!

Will this matter if I get it and also please help me by telling me what RAM is thanks turnre04!!

P.S. I am very thank full 2 any answers!

Answer 1

RAM, in computer terms stands for Random Access Memory, it is memory your computer uses to lead programs into, it is different from other memory like your hard drive or cd/other media because it is constantly being dumped and cleared to make room for applications. in other words its like this

When u run a program its
sent to the ram
[hard drive(all your programs and data)]--------------------->[RAM]

when youre done using the program the stuff that needs to be saved is wirtten on to the hard drive or other media

in a way the more ram you have the more programs you can have running at once because you have more room to keep them open
if you have low ram and try to run too many programs the programs with the least inactivity are kept in a special place in your hard drive(but thats a different story)

so bassically the more ram you have and the faster the ram the more programs you can have runing and the faster information cant be sent back and forth from your hard drive to the RAM and the processor

Answer 2

Ram = Random Access Memory.


What ram does is temporally store data from an application so that the computer can quickly access it and re-access it while the application (like a game) is running. It essentially takes the load off the Hard Drive so the Hard Drive does not have to keep re-accessing files(much slower then ram and lowers life of Hard Drive) over and over again. This way, you hard drive can focus on being a storage device, only accessing the information once to transfer it into RAM. Ram also has a direct link to the CPU( Central Processing Unit) and Hard Drive through the DMA Channel (Direct Memory Access), which majorly helps applications to run more efficiently and quicker.


Obviously, the more ram a computer has, the more applications you can run at any given time. Games, especially, use a massive amount of RAM to run, and even more to run smoothly.

Also, Windows uses up a good amount of ram just to run. I believe Windows XP requires 256 Megabytes to run. Older Operating Systems(OS) require less.

Answer 3

hmm... RAM is ur PC memory. when ur PC starts up, it loads data/info into RAM to be able to access that information *faster*. so the more u have the faster u machine will run. Also some programs require u to have a least *some specified amout*.

now, ur RAM is the little memory sticks that are inside ur PC. they are thin and about 4-5 inches long, and fit right on the mother board. If ur not sure i would not attempt to add/remove them as they are easily damaged.

That said, u still need to make sure ur PC can handle more RAM. If ur PC is old (4+ years) chances are ur maxed out. (ur mother board wasnt designed to hold any more RAM), but in any event, u may need to take it to a reputable service tech or a savey PC user that could tell u. from scale (1-10), adding RAM is about a 7. you have to do the following;
- open ur PC case;
- research your mother board (Mobo) - get the numbers from the board and google it.
- look at the Mobo specifications and see how much RAM it can hold and what SPEED (print it out and take it to the dealer)
- Purchase the correct RAM and install.

again, not for the novice, so if in doubt, pay someone to look at it. All in all, if its possible, shouldnt cost u more than $100 for parts/labour

btw, if ur going to add more RAM, add the most u can now, well worth it in the long run!
-o

Answer 4

RAM stands for random access memory and it allows programs to be stored there when they are being run. The more programs you have running, the more RAM you will need to support and prevent your computer from slowing down. 224 is an odd number considering that they usually come in increments of 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and 1,024 (all measured in MegaBytes). Recent computers and programs generally demand about 512 KB. Although, you can probably still get by on 256. If upgrading anytime soon. try and install 1,024. It'll be well worth it. Hope this helps.

P.S. If you do decide to upgrade, consult your owner's manual.

Answer 5

RAM is Random Access Memory, it is a chip that holds in temporary information so the computer can access it again and again without much CPU usage since RAM is very fast. RAM takes the weight off the HD (if you hav low RAM you will know what I mean, it'll kill your drive and CPU when RAM is full) allowing less CPU usage and makes your HD live longer. There are many kinds of RAM SDRAM, DDR, DRAM and others. Upgrading RAM is a must if your computer is lagging or running slow.

Answer 6

RAM is random access memory. What it does is give a computer a working area to do all its calculations. It's like making a pie and needing a table to work on. RAM usually is multiples of 16. ie. 32mb, 64mb, 128mb, 256mb. or any combination of these. You probably have 256MB RAM.

Answer 7

Ram Refers To The Memory...example....if you have 128mb of Ram,and 150 pages open ,it might take 2or 3 seconds to open the control panel.if you have 64mb of Ram,and150 pages open,it might take 10 or 15 seconds for the control panel to open.(just an Example)

Answer 8

"R"andom "A"ccess "M"emory.

Take your CPU to any computer/electronics place if you are not comfortable working on it yourself. Most PC's can be easily upgraded to 512k RAM.