Get That New PC Feeling
The number one complaint we hear all the time is “My computer is so slow“. And while there are a lot of things you can do to help speed up your PC, if it doesn’t have enough RAM it’s never going to be fast.
Why will your computer be slow if it doesn’t have enough RAM?
One reason why insufficient RAM can cause your computer to run slowly and programs to open slowly or freeze, is because of the way Windows is designed. When your computer runs low on RAM (Random Access Memory) it increases available memory by using virtual memory. Virtual memory uses free hard drive space to create additional memory. And even if your PC has an SSD (Solid State Drive) virtual memory is slower than installed RAM. And if your computer has a traditional hard drive (HDD) virtual memory is very much slower than RAM.
A lesson from EB from back in the Windows 95 era is still valid today
I can remember when I first met EB my PC had 16 MB (that’s right MEGABYTES) or RAM it was constantly timing out, crashing, and was just awful to use. EB told me the best thing I could do is add more RAM. She directed me to Crucial.com and told me how to find the right RAM for my PC. I bought 64 MB of RAM (the maximum for that PC). When it came I was so afraid to install it. I had read warnings about static electricity that I read about and I was scared I was going to blow up that computer. Luckily, the RAM came with a “how to install” guide. I held my breath, EB walked me through the installation and when I was done I turned my computer on, and WOW! Amazing! It was so fast it seemed like a new computer.
Ever since then, I (and EB) have been proponents of RAM. Having enough RAM is the best way to ensure your computer is fast. And if you’re one of the many who are contemplating buying a new computer, maybe you save your money and upgrade your computer’s RAM.
I can’t tell you the number of PCs I’ve worked on that had only 4 GB of RAM, but there have been many. And when a computer is slow even after I’ve cleaned and optimized it, then I know – even without looking – that the computer does not have enough RAM.
4GB of RAM is not enough for a Windows PC no matter what anybody tells you
No matter what Microsoft, HP, Dell, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, and all the others say, 4GB is not enough RAM. You should have at least 8GB of RAM. And more is even better. But 8GB is the minimum RAM you should have if you want your computer to be “fast”.
But how do you find out how much RAM your computer can use? We use Crucial’s system scanner to find out and you should too.
Crucial is a well-known manufacturer of computer memory and storage devices. They have a tool called the “Crucial System Scanner” that scans your computer and tells you what kind of RAM you need and the maximum RAM you can install on your computer.
When you visit Crucial.com, you’ll see something like this…
Get that new PC feeling
Does your slow PC need a boost? Millions of customers have trusted the Crucial System Scanner to find memory and storage upgrades. In minutes, learn how much memory and storage your PC or Mac can support, then buy 100% guaranteed compatible upgrades with confidence.
If you have less than 8GB of RAM and want to add RAM to your computer, run the Crucial System Scanner and wait a couple of minutes for the scan results.
After the scan completes, you’ll see the type of RAM you need and the maximum RAM your computer can use.
In my case, the maximum RAM that my computer can handle is 12 GB. But since I have only one RAM slot to use (because 4GB is not removable) I can replace one 4GB RAM chip with an 8 GB RAM chip to bring my total RAM to 12 GB.
Most of the time Cruical will have the RAM you need in stock and ship it to you for free. In this case, Crucial didn’t have the RAM I needed (it was out of stock) so Crucial gave me several alternatives. I chose Newegg because I’ve purchased from them before and I’ve been satisfied.
Surprisingly, the 8GB RAM chip for my eight-year-old ASUS was less than $10 with free shipping! But let’s be honest… RAM normally costs more than that. But you can be sure that you’re going to spend a whole lot less on RAM than you will on a new computer. Most times, RAM for newer computers will cost between $35 and $100 depending on the amount of RAM and the type. And Crucial always gives you free shipping.
Now you’re wondering how hard is it to install. It’s not hard at all. If you can use a screwdriver, you can install RAM.
Here are two videos showing you how to install RAM on a laptop and a desktop.
Laptop first…
Desktop next…
If you’re using a Windows 10 computer, you still have over two years to use Windows 10 before Microsoft ends support for it You don’t need to go out and buy a new computer. And if you have a newer computer with Windows 11 that came with only 4 GB of RAM, do yourself a favor and add at least 4GB of RAM to it. You’ll be glad you did,
You can get that new computer feeling without the new computer cost by adding more RAM.
Just so you know…We are not affiliated with Cruical.com and we do not receive a commission or any compensation from them. We have used them many times and we have been very satisfied with their products and their service.
Thanks for reading!
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How long does the scan take to run? It’s been at it for over a half hour???
Gina, I ‘ve used 3 different browsers in trying to get the results, and all 3 just keep me in suspense. I’m wonderfing if this program works only on certain computers or the process no longer works. I hope you had better luck and that others do, too . (Chase)
Hi Chase, the file downloads to your Downloads folder and opens in your default browser. I ran the scanner yesterday on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 computer with Firefox and Chrome as defaults on the Widnows 10 computers and Edge as the default on Windows 11. And when I got up this morning and saw these comments, I tried the scanner on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Look in your Downloads folder for a file called Crucialscan. Right-click on it and click “Run as administrator” and click Yes when you see the prompt asking if you want to run it. It can take a minute or even longer to open.
Darcy & I have used this scanner to help people find the correct RAM for their computer for many years. I’m not sure what is causing a problem for you or the other folks. There was no problem for me yesterday or today running the scanner.
Crucial has telephone support…
US & Canada
Customer Service & Technical Support
Toll-free: 800-336-8915
Phone: 1-208-363-5790
Hours (MT): Monday – Friday: 7am – 6pm (9am to 8pm Eastern)
Thanks for responding. I didn’t use “Run as administrator” before; so, I tried using that feature to see if it would respond but nope. I have 32 GB of ram; so, I’m sure I won’t need this program but just wanted to check it out. Maybe others won’t have this problem since it works for both Darcy and you. (Chase)
Did you get it to work? When this downloads it shows Crucialscan.exe and I am wondering if that is the problem and Emsisoft is not allowing it to run? I clicked on the scan a few times and each time it had the exe after the name when it showed up in my downloaded files. Clicked on run as administrator and then got the warning if want to allow this to run and clicked yes. Then get this message on top of screen and scanner never runs
It usually takes a minute or two.
I see others were having problems with running this Crucial Scanner. Was not working Sunday night for me either.
Thank you, Annabelle Lee. It was driving me berserk until I finally just gave up completely. (Chase)
I am having the same problem. I downloaded the file, used “Run as administrator” , even tried shutting down Emsisoft to see if that might help. All to no avail. I may trying to call the above referenced phone support.
When I run the exe file it opens a Browser window that says While We are Finding Compatible Upgrades For Your Computer and it never leaves that screen. Same problem as everyone else. The scanner isn’t working. Crucial used to just scan your computer without downloading an exe file. Also, the newer laptops don’t have easy compartments to get into like they used to. You used to have a compartment for the hard drive, one for the RAM, etc. Now you have to take off the whole bottom which isn’t a good idea warranty wise.
The scanner is working; I don’t know why it is not working for you. I tried it again this morning 18 APR 2023.
This is the same message I received….(While We are Finding Compatible Upgrades For Your Computer and it never leaves that screen).
I tried downloading on my laptop a few different times, and each time same message. I uninstalled the download each time before I downloaded it again. Usually don’t have any issues with Cloudeight’s suggestions ?
Darcy and I have been using Crucial without any problems since the days of Windows 95. It’s worked for me on every computer I’ve had since then and every computer Darcy has had since then. I use it all the time when I connect to customers’ computers and find they don’t have enough RAM. I can’t say in 20+ years I’ve never once had a problem with it, but I don’t remember any. We cannot possibly test everything we recommend on everyone’s computer. All we can do is test things with the five PCs we have at our disposal but the people whose computers we’ve worked on who wanted to find out what kind of RAM they needed and how much it would cost. And I can’t remember a time when I had a problem. And I’m sure the Crucial would have removed the scanner if it didn’t work. I’m sorry you had a problem but it’s important for you to know we are careful as we can possibly get when we recommend things but we simply can’t test everything in every possible situation on every possible computer configuration.
I downloaded it for my Desktop and had no problem with it running a scan. I made sure I downloaded the scanner for a Desktop, they had one there for Laptop too. Mine did not have a EXE behind it it just said CrucialScan. Just wanted to pass this on.