Your computer’s motherboard sports slots into which memory is plugged. What’s important is how those slots are filled with memory; you can’t just plug memory into the motherboard willy-nilly.
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Understand memory slot configuration
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There are several ways that a motherboard with four memory banks can host common amounts of memory: 1GB or 2GB. Because DIMMs come in different memory sizes, memory can be set up in a variety of ways inside any PC. (Note: Not all motherboards have 4 slots. Some have more, some less.)
You may have many reasons for choosing different arrangements of memory in a PC. For instance, a single 2GB DIMM an cost ten times as much as a 256MB DIMM. Conversely, a reason for using, say, two 1GB DIMMs rather than four 512MB DIMMs to get 2GB of memory is expandability. Upgrading memory is easier later, when memory slots are available.
Some PCs have a pairing requirement. The memory slots are organized in pairs, and every pair must have the same DIMM size. For example, you can have 3GB of memory in a PC with four memory banks. That’s two 1GB DIMMs in two slots and two 512MB DIMMs in the other two slots.
Yes, you may end up throwing away memory to upgrade. If your PC is configured with 1GB of memory using 4 256 MB DIMMs and you want 2GB of memory total, you have to throw away all the 256MB DIMMs and replace them with a combination of DIMMs.
Get the right DIMM
Not all DIMMs are alike. You must know the memory type, memory chip’s speed, and number of connectors, or pins.
There are several common types. Your computer uses only one memory type, and you must pick a DIMM that matches the type.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| DRAM | The official name of a RAM (Random Access Memory) chip: Dynamic Random Access Memory |
| DDR | A Double Data Rate RAM chip, also known as DDRRAM, which is an improvement on SDRAM |
| DDR2 | Another implementation of the DDR type of SDRAM chip |
| DDR3 | Yet another implementation of the DDR type of SDRAM chip |
| EDO | The Extended Data Out RAM chip |
| FPM | The Fast Page Mode type of DRAM chip |
| SDRAM | A type of DRAM chip, Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory |
| In addition to getting the right type, you also have to ensure that you buy the correct memory speed. And, finally, you have to get the right number of pins. Some DIMMs are 100-pin, some are 184-pin, and others are 200-pin. |
The easiest way to know what kind of memory you need is to use a computer program to determine how much memory is installed in your computer and how best to update. Computer programs can figure out this stuff without the need to open the computer case.
One program that works well for this purpose can be found at www.crucial.com, which also, coincidentally, sells computer memory. Visit the web-site. Use the Crucial system scanner tool; follow the directions on the web page. Eventually, it tells you exactly how to upgrade your PC’s memory.
When a user wants to add or upgrade memory (RAM) in a computer, they need to know how many memory slots are available. The following section will help you to determine the number of memory slots in your computer, as well as how many are currently being used.
Windows Task Manager
The easiest solution for Windows users is to open the Windows Task Manager.
- Press the Windows key, type Task Manager, and then press Enter.
- In the window that appears, click the Performance tab (A), then select Memory (B).
- In the lower-right corner, the number of slots is displayed in the Slots used: section (C).
- As you can see, this computer has a total of four memory slots, although only two are currently being utilized.
Use the CPU-Z utility
Another way to get information about memory slots and details about the RAM currently installed on your computer, is to use the free CPU-Z third-party utility.
- Open an Internet browser and visit the CPUID website.
- On the left side of the screen, select your operating system.
- On the next page, select your preferred language.
- On the next screen, click the DOWNLOAD NOW! button.
- Once the download has finished, install it from your browser and open the program.
- Click the SPD tab at the top of the screen, and then click the down arrow in the Memory Slot Selection section.
- As you can see in the image above, all of the memory slots (in this case, four) are listed in the drop-down menu.
If you select a different slot from the drop-down menu, CPU-Z will tell you additional information about the RAM that is installed, or nothing if the slot is unoccupied.
Examine the motherboard
Sometimes the best way to determine the available memory slots is to open the computer and examine the motherboard. Opening the computer is the best option if were unable to get the Windows Task Manager or CPU-Z to work.
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Looking inside the case, the motherboard is the primary large circuit board. On most motherboards, the memory slots are located on either side of the CPU, and resemble what is shown below.
Most computer motherboards have two, three, or four memory slots. Some higher-end motherboards have as many as eight. The motherboard in the picture above has no memory modules installed in any of its three slots.
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If your computer has no memory slots available and you want to upgrade, you must remove and replace some of the existing memory.
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Additional information
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- See our memory definition for further information and related links.