When you are using your computer system, all of the programs, data, and instructions must be stored in the system's memory before you computer can actually go ahead and use it. The memory will hold recently used programs, recently accessed data, and recently used instructions, as long as there is room for all of it. This mak

es your computer run much more quickly than it would otherwise, such as if it had to access the hard drives each time it wanted that information. So the more memory you have, the more space you have to store these things, and the faster your computer will run.

You can think of RAM as your computer's version of your own brain's short term memory, since it holds all of the most recent information it has come across for quicker access. As your brain ages, it can't retain that information as well or retrieve it as quickly, and it is similar for your computer's memory, too – bad memory in a computer will cause your system a myriad of different problems. For that reason, it is important to get the best, highest quality and fastest RAM you can to begin with, and keep an eye on things so you can swap any bad sticks of RAM out for good ones, before the ones that have gone bad can cause your system any untoward trouble.

There are many different types of RAM available on the market today. The type of RAM your computer system takes will depend on what kind of system you have and who manufactured it, usually. The most common types of RAM today are DDR, DDR2 and SDRAM. Laptop RAM is much smaller in size than desktop RAM. If you are replacing or upgrading RAM, you must make sure you get the same RAM type or your computer will not function. You should also endeavor to get the best quality RAM that you can, as low quality RAM will not last as long, and you will end up having to replace it and paying more anyway in the long run!