It is of no doubt that RAM is a very important determining factor of a computer’s performance. This is why a lot of desktop and PC owners automatically turn to RAM upgrades when their machines show signs of slowing down. But before you go down that road, ask yourself whether spending money on adding RAM will really result in added performance.

If you still have a computer with a 1GB of RAM or less, upgrading your memory is a no-brainer. The only exception might be if you only use your computer for very simple tasks, and one at a time. However, if you need to create an Excel file, browse the internet and stream a video you may want to consider a RAM upgrade.

Under 4GB RAM Capacity

Most people however have PCs that have anywhere from 2GB to 4GB RAM capacities. At these memory ranges, you really need to figure out what you are using the PC for and then make a determination on whether an upgrade will help. If you are closer to the 2GB capacity and you perform a ton of multi-tasking, then an upgrade will most likely help. If you only use your PC for browsing the web and some occasional Word processing, you most likely don’t need a memory upgrade. To be sure, you can open up the task manager and see how much memory your PC is currently using.

Over 4GB RAM Capacity

If you have over 4GB of RAM and are an average computer user, it is very unlikely that a RAM upgrade will help you. However, if you run programs and perform tasks that need a ton of memory, than an upgrade may help. For example, if you run Photoshop or video editing software, more RAM will help.

RAM Helps in Multitasking

Many people get confused on how more RAM can benefit a computer. They assume that it increases the operating speeds of individual applications. So you spend between $50 and $100 to upgrade to an 8GB RAM expecting your video games to run smoother and faster or your applications to load quicker.

This is not the case. RAM is essential in enabling multitasking. Let’s say a certain application requires 100MB to run. Even if you have 3 such applications running simultaneously, 2GB or 4GB is plenty enough to handle it. Upgrading to 8GB will have no visible effect on performance.

However, as mentioned above, if you run programs like Photoshop and video editors, you can find yourself running out of memory when you start several applications at once. In this case, upgrading can be of great help. So unless you have memory-demanding applications or run lots of applications at once, it might be helpful to try out other hardware upgrades other than RAM.

A look at your PC’s resource monitor should tell you whether you need to upgrade your memory. But generally, a lot of users do fine with a maximum of 4GB RAM.

Alternative Upgrades to Consider

If you are in the category of computer users who can work with 2, 3 or 4 GB of RAM, you might want to look at other upgrade options that will be more effective at boosting your overall PC performance. Look at some of the options below.

• An SSD upgrade – a hardware or solid state drive (SSD) upgrade can help improve on the amount of time it takes to launch applications or boot up your machine.
• Video card upgrade – this is for video game players. A better video card can help your PC video games run better.

The Bottom line

Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear Yes or No answer to the question. You have to look at your own computer usage and current memory capacity to see if a memory upgrade is worth it for you.