Memory offers the space for handling data. It is one of the physical components in the computer hardware that can store data. As a volatile form, computer memory or RAM can only store data on a short-term basis. In other words, it holds the data for the current operating system, applications, and programs. It is a temporary form of storage that is used by the CPU for processing. When an input is entered, the CPU transfers the data from the storage or hard drive and puts it into the memory. In order to complete many computing tasks at the same time, it is beneficial to increase memory.
The advantage is that computer memory has exceptional faster processing speed. It can provide the data in an instant manner, thereby allowing the CPU to handle multiple tasks at once. The amount of data that can be stored in RAM or memory is known as capacity.
When you increase the capacity of RAM, you offer more than enough room for adding multiple applications. It makes it easy to perform multi-tasking without running out of capacity. The operating system also consumes a certain portion of computer memory in the background. This can lower the available capacity for running your applications. In order to increase memory, you can perform certain steps. This can clear the space occupied by unnecessary tasks. It is one of the efficient ways to ensure that you have space when it is required.
How can you benefit if you increase memory?
If you have enough RAM on your computer, you can improve performance. You can run all the necessary programs at the optimum level. Without adequate memory; you may observe that it takes more time to load something as basic as a word file. Multi-tasking would be impossible. Also, closing one application and opening another one may take more time than necessary. It can simply create unnecessary complications into your work. It would not allow you to use the true potential of your processor.
Due to inadequate memory, the CPU may approach a part of the storage drive called page file. It acts as pretend RAM. The major disadvantage is that the pretend RAM cannot match the speed of the actual RAM. You would run into slower processing and frequent lagging. In order to ensure smooth functioning of your computer, it is essential to increase memory. Besides faster processing and improved capability, you can take advantage of excellent productivity.
10 ways to increase memory
1. Restart your computer
When you restart your computer, it can clear all the processes for a fresh start. Restarting would not increase the total capacity of your memory, but it can increase available capacity. It can remove any background applications that were consuming space without any benefit. A restart can act as a clean slate for the RAM and allow you to load the applications, once again.
2. Update the software
It is always necessary to use the latest version of software or operating system on your computer. The software updates contain any fixes or patches that can improve the functioning. If you use an outdated version, it can also consume more memory and make it difficult to load the programs. You may experience slow behavior while accessing the programs. By using the latest software, you can ensure that the applications are loaded instantly. It can help you to increase memory for better user experience. The operating system sends notifications whenever there are any updates available. If you have missed, you can check if there are any pending updates in the ‘settings’ section.
3. Use a different browser to increase memory
The amount of memory consumed depends on the type of applications. It can also depend on the type of browser. You can check if there is any benefit by switching to a different browser. Some browsers may end up losing more data in background processes. You can use Firefox or Chrome as they offer better memory management as compared to Internet Explorer. It can also increase memory for handling multiple applications.
4. Clear your cache
Another useful step that can increase memory is clearing cache on a regular basis. Cache consumes memory for all its processes. Cache saves some information that can be used to reload the page. Rather than downloading the pages again and again, cache can reload it based on the previous memory. Due to this storage, it may consume a significant portion of RAM. You can increase memory by deleting all the cache as much as possible. It can free your available memory and give you more processing capability.
5. Remove any browser extensions
Browser extensions can make your work easier. It can make it easy to perform your home computer operations and many daily activities. But browser extensions can also consume memory. You may also be able to increase memory by clearing these extensions.
6. Track the memory usage
You can also track the memory usage to check how much memory is consumed by the current applications. It can give you an idea about what programs are using more space. On Windows, you can find this information under Task Manager. The section of ‘memory’ under the category ‘Processes’ can give you a list of all the applications. You can also evaluate if there are any unused programs.
On macOS, you can go to the Activity monitor. Here, you can see all the applications and programs. If you find any unused application that consumes too much data, you can delete and clear it for more space.
7. Install a RAM/memory cleaner
There are many memory cleaner apps that can organize your computer. After you install the cleaner app, it can erase unused apps, remove any browser extensions, and manage the startup programs. It can increase memory by organizing the RAM with respect to your usage.
8. Scan viruses and malware
When you install any application, it may unknowingly install malware into your system. The malware can create issues in your system and also consume memory. It is necessary to use an anti-virus program and eliminate the viruses.
9. Free the disk space
Besides clearing the RAM, you can also clear the disk space to ensure there is adequate capacity in case if required. You can clear the page file in Windows and virtual memory in macOS. Both these features offer extra space in the hard drive if the RAM is fully occupied.
10. Install more RAM to increase memory
If you are unable to meet the increasing demand for memory capacity, you can also install more RAM. Depending on the compatibility of the motherboard, you can also add more memory modules. If you do not have available slots, you can trade your used memory for a newer module.