Adding Memory (RAM) when all slots are full

ImNoExpert

As my PC is starting to run quite slow, I'm thinking an initial starting point is to add some more RAM.

My PC currently has 4GB of RAM, spanning two slots, with 2GB in each slot (https://www.crucial.com/scanview/FD38D47931D926C3).

It can handle up to 8GB apparently, and so initially I was just going to buy two new 4GB RAM modules and replace the old RAM, but I just wanted to check if there are any more modern alternatives these days, such as adding memory via a PCIE board on a free slot? I've seen there appear to be SSD modules that can slot in to a free PCIEx1, but are these more alternatives to hard drive storage, as opposed to RAM memory?

I used to be a very PC literate person, but these days, it all seems to be going over my head.

debitcardmayhem

Replace with  2x4 GB Ram and add an SSD if there is a spare slot, doesn't need to be huge (if price is a concern) . But what is the PC running now W10?. Everybody says my pc is getting slow, but they don't quantify in which way. e.g. my pc is slow loading MSE , Google, Netflix etc, but guess what they are accressing the net using a 56kbps modem. More info will always help.

arciere

The model of the motherboard would help, if it says it can only support up to 8GB, BIOS updates*could* increase that.

That being said, I agree with debitcardmayhem, you need to tell in what way the computer is slow, for many people 8GB of memory is more than enough.

Cisco001

Sata ssd is what you need.
If your MB support up to 8GB, remove existing 2 stick and buy 2x4gb

ImNoExpert

Thanks for the quick replies, sorry for missing some of the basic info.

Using the Crucial tool, it listed the motherboard as "Medion Akoya P4210 D (MD 8370)" and on the board itself (and listed by CPU-Z) I can see printed "MS-7800", running Windows 10, with BT Fibre using WiFi.

I only really use the PC for browsing these days, using Chrome or Edge, and the occasional bit of video trimming in Movie Maker. The PC generally boots up quite quickly, and when using it to begin with is fine, but after 20 minutes or so with Chrome or Edge open (Chrome especially), the computer will become slower to react, slower to render and won't scroll the browsing screen - I'm sure me opening 5 or 6 tabs doesn't help.

When this occurs, using the Windows Task Manager shows Memory usage is pretty much maxed out, while CPU usage remains low and HDD access usually low also. In fact, just typing out this reply the memory usage is at 88%, which is why I'm thinking 4GB of RAM is probably quite low for today's standards, and a simple RAM boot is hopefully all I'll need.

Neil_Jones

Medions you usually find in Aldi with more ports and connections than you know what to do with, and they tend to be rebranded MSI boards.  That particular one dates from 2012.

As a general rule if the board can only support 8Gb, two lots of 4Gb, that's all it can take.  To change this would require a replacement chipset, which is not possible, so its unlikely that upgrading the BIOS will increase the available memory if the physical chipset can only see a certain amount in the first place.  You can't add memory to anything other than the slots you've circled.

TheRightOne

ImNoExpert said:

As my PC is starting to run quite slow, I'm thinking an initial starting point is to add some more RAM.

My PC currently has 4GB of RAM, spanning two slots, with 2GB in each slot (https://www.crucial.com/scanview/FD38D47931D926C3).

It can handle up to 8GB apparently, and so initially I was just going to buy two new 4GB RAM modules and replace the old RAM, but I just wanted to check if there are any more modern alternatives these days, such as adding memory via a PCIE board on a free slot? I've seen there appear to be SSD modules that can slot in to a free PCIEx1, but are these more alternatives to hard drive storage, as opposed to RAM memory?

I used to be a very PC literate person, but these days, it all seems to be going over my head.

Forget about adding more RAM for the moment, spend the money on a Solid State Drive and install Windows 10 to that. Your old HDD can stay attached as extra storage.
It may involve reinstalling programs to the new SSD, but don't allow that to stop you from moving forward.

SSD will bring far greater performance benefits than adding RAM.

TheRightOne

Once you have fitted the SSD, you can choose to add more RAM if you wish; https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=smem9qai As little as £12 for 2 x 4 GB. But you won't need it.

Boohoo

You say you have Windows 10 installed on the pc.
Do you know if it's 32bit or 64bit ?
I am fairly sure that you will need 64 bit Windows 10 for the OS to see memory over 4gb as 32bit will only use a maximum of 4gb so if your pc has 32bit OS and 8gb of memory the OS will only see/use 4gb of it.

Neil_Jones

Boohoo said:

You say you have Windows 10 installed on the pc.
Do you know if it's 32bit or 64bit ?
I am fairly sure that you will need 64 bit Windows 10 for the OS to see memory over 4gb as 32bit will only use a maximum of 4gb so if your pc has 32bit OS and 8gb of memory the OS will only see/use 4gb of it.

Almost certainly going to be 64-bit if the board supports 8Gb.  64-bit has been the standard ever since 7 came out, 32-bit is available but realistically all the hardware's been 64-bit capable since the days of Vista.

There are ways and means of utilising the extra memory above 4Gb that a 32-bit operating system cannot see anyway.

GunJack

...and stop using chrome...