Upgrade section - Installing memory

Memory can be one of the best upgrades you can do for your system. Before making your purchase though, make sure you know what type of memory you have. There are speed considerations as well as physical characteristics.

Here are two common types of memory today, DDR and DIMM:
Installing memory

Notice the DDR chip has only one slot and the DIMM has two. Before you begin, make a note of how much memory your PC has.

You need to remove any static build up by powering down the PC, removing the case, and touching the grounded chassis. Then unplug the power connector from the computer.

Installing memory

Locate the RAM already in your system and note what type of slots are available. The motherboard in this picture is brand new and has no RAM. It will accept both types of popular RAM. The blue slots are DDR and can be recognized by the fact that there is only one divider for the pins. The DIMM slots (black in this photo) have two, one is toward the center, and the other is near the end.

Align the notches so that they line up with the slot. Try to press the module down evenly and you should hear both ends click.

You might need to help the clip shut by pressing on the chip and pulling up on the clip. Be sure though that you do not force the chip in, it shouldn’t be very hard. Look at the picture above as an example.

That concludes my installing memory article.

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