To determine the maximum amount of RAM your computer can handle as well as the speed, consult your PC’s owner’s manual, which should show you the number of slots (the place where you insert the RAM), how much each can take, and the maximum your system can use.

Contact the manufacturer or use an online memory advisor, such as the one from Crucial Technology or Kingston Technology, that will tell you which products work with your system.

To find out what kind of module you will need, you can also open up your computer.

• First, turn off the computer, but leave it plugged in, because then it’s automatically grounded, explains Ritchie. (Computers that should not remain plugged in will be clearly marked.)
• Place the computer on a clean workspace and remove the cover carefully (you may need to use a screwdriver).
• Touch the case to ground yourself. “If you’ve got a static charge then you won’t once you’ve touched the case,” says Ritchie. (Although some manuals recommend anti-static wrist straps, Ritchie says that this is not necessary for home users.)
• Locate the RAM modules, which are green with black tubes, on the motherboard.
• Now determine the type of module you have. “It’s all in the look of the slot,” explains Ritchie.
  • RDRAM is paired up (you have to put in two at a time) and has metal casing on one side;
  • DDR SDRAM is the most popular and looks like regular RAM, but has one notch;
  • SDRAM (which is being phased out) has two notches.
• Also note your RAM speed, which is usually written on the side of the existing chip (either 266 or 333).
• If you don’t have a free slot, remove one of the memory cards to check the number of notches on it. You’ll be replacing the smaller of the two RAM modules.

If you still need help, contact one of our experts at CompTech Care at 800-332-6153

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