Computer Memory and Virus May be the Reasons Why Your Computer is Running Slow

Many computer owners around the world have come upon the scenario of their computer running slow with no apparent reason. The two main culprits for this could either be a computer virus or a memory problem. Experienced users can quickly determine which of the two are causing the problem. Whether it’s malicious software or an overstuffed hardware, it is extremely important that you are able to recognize the between the two.

Viruses are the first reason that pops up in our minds when we come upon our computer slowing down. When this happens though, there are ample signs that points out a virus problem. First, you will be able to notice new icons on your desktop, computer is acting funky, and there are pop-ups for programs telling you that your computer is infected. However, there is another explanation for the slowing down of your machine that you need to consider.

The other culprit is the system memory or the RAM. RAM is an acronym that stands for Random Memory Access and this is one of the key players inside your computer box. Every machine is using RAM regardless of its operating system. Whenever you save a document or a file it is saved on the computer hard disk known also as the Hard Drive.

When your computer loads a program it is loaded into the systems RAM. Unlike a hard drive which is static memory, a RAM stick is volatile memory. When the power is turned off to your machine the information stored on the hard disk stays stored, whereas what’s loaded into the RAM is erased. RAM is primarily used as a temporary storage medium on your machine to load and execute programs or commands.

Insufficient RAM can lead to your system slowing down, sometimes severely due to the requirements. For example, an older operating system may only need a minimum of 256 megabytes of RAM to function. This is the bare minimum without any noticeable slowdowns, you won’t be doing much, but the machine will work. A newer operating system may require 1 gigabyte of RAM minimum, a gigabyte being 1024 megabytes.

Installing this new operating system on a computer with just 256 megabytes of RAM is not going to work well. What am I talking about? This will not work at all. The reason being is that when operating systems advance there is a bigger amount of volume of programs that need to be loaded to the RAM. When a movie is played on the media player, the movie is loaded into the RAM for easy playback. Inadequate RAM makes the movie playback stutter and lag, which will require you to pause until the system catches up.

When your RAM is insufficient, the system uses what is known as virtual memory. Virtual memory is a section in your hard drive that your operating system designates as temporary RAM. Nothing is kept permanently on this area, but it will still render your computer to run slow, maybe slower. It’s generally a good idea to double the size of RAM that your operating system requires to ensure optimum performance.

Slowdowns from insufficient RAM or system memory can also affect web browsing, gaming, be the cause of errors, and other computer headaches. While it does resemble a virus in some aspects, it can be solved much easier. You simply buy a RAM stick, and plug it into an open slot. Or you buy a higher capacity RAM chip and replace your existing one.

Dorthy Weatherbush realizes just how pertinent her computer is for not just her family but for her business, which is why she uses Crucial Memory. To ensure that her computer has sufficient memory, Dorthy usually upgrades her memory with Crucial Memory every year.