Francisco Chamorro
Darren Chiang Schultheiss
English 1 M-W 8 to 9:30
April 19, 1997

The problem that occurs with many old computers is their inability to keep up with today's software programs, such as "Windows 95" or "OS/2." This problem occurs when software demands more than the computer can handle such as more memory. A computer is arranged by a number of components; a mother board, a hard disk, expansion slots, sound cards, etc. Here I will only be talking about three of them. While installing a new program many of us have seen the unpleasant message the computer gives us, "Out of memory."  This can become very frustrating, but can be solved very easily. In this paper I will show you how to add more memory to your computer.

A computer's performance lies within three main components: Random Access Memory (RAM), the speed of the hard drive and the Central Processing Unit (CPU). RAM is a temporary holding area for information waiting to be carried out. It is measured in megabytes; a byte is one character to the computer, such as the letter "A" on the keyboard. One megabyte is one million bytes, so the higher the number of the RAM chip, the better. The speed of the hard drive refers to the access time it takes to read a program, usually 0.8 seconds. The hard drive is a disk inside the computer that physically stores all your programs and applications; it is not the same as RAM. The last component is the CPU; this is the "brain" of the computer. This component directs and coordinates the operations of the entire computer system.

The main distinction between these items is their price. A new CPU can cost any where from $200 to $600; a faster hard drive can cost from $250 to$400 dollars. On the other hand, a RAM chip will vary from 39 to 100 dollars. Many older computers such as 386 or 486 computers have only 4 to 8 megabytes of RAM. By simply adding 8 or 16 megabytes of RAM to your computer, you will be able to boost its performance by about 30 percent.

RAM chips come in many sizes: 4, 8, 16 or 32 megabytes. These chips can be bought at any local computer store or electronics shop. Before beginning the upgrade process, one must become static free; this can be achieved by touching an unpainted metal surface. Before opening the computer, make sure the power is turned off and all connections to the wall outlet are unplugged. Remove all necessary screws from the computer and remove the cover. Inside the computer, a series of wires and chips will abound; do not be discouraged by this. Your primary and only search will be to find series of two or four white empty slots located on the main board (usually called "mother board"). The slots are about 5 to 6 inches long; they will have an opening similar to an electrical outlet on the wall. Once you have found the slot you can insert your RAM chip. The chips are distinguished by theirs shape. The top side of the chip will have a smooth flat surface, while the bottom side will have small metal pins that connect into the RAM slots.

To install a chip into one of the sockets, slide the chip into the socket in a slanted position, of about 45 degrees. Then straighten the chip and snap it into place; a small clamp at each end of the sockets will secure the chip into place. Do not attempt to install the chip in an upright position or perpendicular to the slots for this may damage both your system and the RAM chips. Repeat the procedure as necessary, depending on how many RAM chips you are installing.

The next step is to verify whether the installation was successful. Without replacing the cover, connect the computer and monitor cord to the wall outlet and turn the power of your computer on. When the computers begins its start up process, you will see a series of numbers on the top left side of the screen. This numbers refer to the amount of RAM in the computer. When the numbers stop, they should display an amount measured in the thousands with the extension "K OK" at the end ("K" stands for "kilobyte"). You only need to be concerned with the first two numbers. If before the installation you had eight megabytes of RAM, and you installed eight more, the display should be similar to "16034K OK."

If the installation was unsuccessful, the numbers will display only eight megabytes or "807K OK." If this occurs, turn the computer back off and unplug the computer's power cord. This will prevent you from becoming electrocuted. Re-check if the RAM chips are installed correctly, or are properly placed. Make sure the chips are not loose or out of place. After this, turn the computer's power back on (without replacing the cover), and see if the display at the top right of the screen reads 16 megabytes. If the display is correct, turn the power back off, and unplug all power cords from the computer. Return the cover and all the screws back on to the computer. Next, plug in all the computer's connection and turn the power back on. Once the computer has finished loading, begin opening programs and you should be able to see a difference in the speed with which they open, and run. Note that the memory upgrade will only reflect the speed at which programs run, not the speed of the computer as a whole.