How to Keep Your PC Feeling Responsive
Nobody likes a computer that's always lagging whenever you try to open a program. In a world of high speed multi-core processors there's no reason at all why anyone should ever have to undergo the frustration that comes with interminable waiting for your browser to switch tabs.
What Makes a PC Feel Fast?
When people talk about a computer feeling fast, they are really talking about responsiveness rather than pure processing power. It really doesn't matter how strong the processor is so long as everything feels fluid and responsive, and that involves a lot more than just a few more MHz of CPU speed. Most of it has to do with getting data through the processor and that's where memory comes in. The three components that have the biggest effect on responsiveness are:
- Storage: A fast SSD can make a world of difference to how fast your PC feels in use. Game levels load into memory in a matter of moments; spreadsheets do too.
- Processor: Your CPU does most of the heavy lifting. It manipulates data and runs all your programs. However, that only matters so long as you can keep data flowing into the CPU.
- RAM: Random Access Memory is one of the biggest contributors to high performance. It feeds the processor data, and the more RAM you have, the easier it is to keep the processor working. Many times, what makes a processor feel slow is not that it's having to work too hard, but that the data it needs isn't in memory, so it has to wait.
What Types of RAM are there?
The key to getting the most performance out of your PC is to install not only enough RAM, but also to use the right kind of memory modules for your desktop. ADATA DDR3 memory does not fit in DDR4 memory slots, and to add to the complexity laptops use smaller memory modules called SO-DIMMs, that are incompatible with desktop memory sticks. The two most common types of RAM are DDR3 and DDR4:
- DDR3: DDR3 comes in a 240-pin package and requires 1.5 Volts for normal operation. It offers anywhere from 6.4 to 17.0 GB/sec of bandwidth per channel.
- DDR4: DDR4 comes in a 288-pin package and requires 1.2 Volts for normal operation. It offers anywhere from 12.8 to 25.6 GB/sec of bandwidth per channel.
Choosing RAM for Your PC
The three most important factors to consider when looking for RAM to upgrade your PC are compatibility, speed, and capacity. Compatibility is simply a matter of understanding you can't put 8GB DDR3 in a DDR4 slot, and vice versa. In most cases, the difference between speed ratings are negligible in daily use; they only really come up when pushing a gaming machine to the limit. Memory capacity is another story. Putting an ADATA 8 GB DDR3 module in each memory channel will give a DDR3-based desktop a good balance between speed and capacity. The dual-channel installation effectively doubles the bandwidth over single-channel operation.
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