How Much RAM Do I Need

Every computer needs RAM (Random Access Memory). Before, productivity applications like Microsoft Office required very little RAM, however, even that requires a decent amount of RAM. Multimedia editing applications such as Adobe photoshop also require a lot of RAM. And the most power-hungry softwares are the graphic-intensive video games such as Half-Life. More RAM also allows multi-tasking, which means running several programs at the same time. The more RAM you have, the more smoothly your programs will run. If you want to know how much RAM do I need, read on.

Types of Computer Users
We can categorize computer users into three categories.

Casual users want to browse the Internet using Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. They want to check their e-mails using Microsoft Outlook and listen to music using Winamp. Such casual users need about 512 MB (megabytes) to 1 GB (gigabyte) of RAM.

Frequent users want to use word processing applications such as Microsoft Word. They want to edit photos using Microsoft Picture Manager. They like playing online games that uses Adobe Flash and watching videos using QuickTime or Windows Media Player. Such frequent users need about 1 GB to 2 GB of RAM.

Power users wants to use photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. He also wants to use video editing software such as Adobe Premiere. He want to play non-graphics-intensive games such as World of Warcraft. Such a power user needs about 2 GB to 4GB of RAM.

Professional users want to play graphics-intensive games such as Need for Speed. They want to use multimedia editing applications such as Apple Final Cut Pro. They also like watching high-definition video on Blu-ray discs. They need to use 3D modeling programs such as 3ds Max. Such professional users need about 4GB to 8GB of RAM.

Operating System Factor
Different operating systems need different amounts of RAM. The 64-bit version of Windows Vista needs at least 2 GB of RAM. The 32-bit version of Windows Vista needs at least 1 GB of RAM. Windows XP and Mac OS X need only 512 MB of RAM. Older versions such as Windows 95 or 98 can do with even less RAM. A free operating system such as Linux needs very little RAM.

The Programs You Use
The amount of memory you need, also depends on the kind of software you are using. The PDF viewer Adobe Acrobat needs 64 MB of RAM. The Macromedia Studio MX web content creator needs 256 MB of RAM. The video post-production software Adobe After Effects needs 128 MB of RAM. If you want to burn CDs using Nero Express, you need 1 GB of RAM.

Firewall and anti-virus software often run simultaneously in the background, so it is better to have more RAM to help your computer run faster. You may be instant messaging using Yahoo Instant Messenger, and video-conferencing using Skype, so you will need more RAM for that.

CAD (computer-aided design) software such as AutoCAD, made by Autodesk, needs a lot of RAM. A first-person shooter game such as Doom needs at least 512 MB of RAM. If you are running your computer as a server, such as a HTTP or a FTP server, you will also need more RAM. For example, if you are running the MySQL database on your computer, you will need a large amount of RAM.

Data compression using WinRAR and video encoding such as a DivX encoder needs a lot of memory. The more RAM you have, the easier multi-threading is for your computer. You should also check for RAM compatibility, so that you don't have any problems when you are upgrading your RAM. Another factor to consider is how much video RAM you need in your video card. Now you know much RAM I need, so you can buy RAM chips and install them in your computer according to your needs. For more knowledge on computer memory, you can read the following articles.

• What is computer RAM
• How does computer memory work
• Know the importance of computer memory.