At Kingston, we’re always thinking about how to improve computer performance. For some people, it may not always be obvious when their computer is having issues that can be resolved or reduced by a RAM or SSD upgrade. Even when you notice and correctly identify a problem, it might seem to be a challenging task to fix it. That’s why we made this article: to give you a step-by-step walkthrough of how a regular computer user can discover and remedy a memory or storage issue with their machine. We hope by the end you will feel more confident identifying when and how to upgrade your computer.
The times you are most likely to experience issues with a computer’s poor performance is when you overextend your computer’s memory’s physical capacity, or use slow spinning hard drives. For example, playing current-gen computer games, or running Photoshop. Slowdown can be caused by several issues which are addressed in the next steps.
If you try all the other common remedies for your system running slowly (or not at all) without luck, a memory upgrade is the most likely solution to your problem. Finding the right memory for your computer and installing it is just a series of small tasks that can be easily accomplished.
Once you have identified that you need more memory for your Dell computer, the next task is determining how much memory will solve the problem. Luckily, Kingston has a chart to help Dell owners assess what memory they have and what they need.
To find compatible RAM for your system, you’ll need to know the model number. Dell has a few ways they name and number their systems. If you or your system administrator don’t know, we have supplied a few ways to figure it out.
Once you have your model name and/or number, go to Kingston’s Configurator and type it into the Search by System/Device box. You should be presented with a list of variations, or the lone model along with the brand name. Click on the pertinent link and you should see the information that will help you learn about how much RAM your Dell computer can accommodate. You will also see Kingston part number listings, and links to one of our e-tail partners.
When you are looking at the results of your Configurator search, you may not initially understand everything on the page. Technical information doesn’t have to be confusing, though.
The memory section details both the standard amount of memory your model has, and if it can be upgraded or expanded. It will also note if (as with some laptops) the model’s factory-configured memory cannot be removed. You will see the memory bank schema, which shows the configuration of memory sockets for your computer.
The Configurator search will also recommend memory that is compatible with your system. Click on the link ‘Compatible Memory Upgrades’, or simply scroll down to find a list of guaranteed compatible memory options with links to purchase. You can buy the recommended memory through one of Kingston’s approved resellers, or in some countries you can purchase directly from the Kingston website.
The Configurator is a powerful tool. Not only does it find memory options that are compatible with any queried system, but it can also do the same for storage. A new SSD can be an excellent complement to a memory upgrade, to really help you get the most out of your system. SSDs also provide a noticeable speed improvement over any spinning hard drives you might be using. Simply click on the link ‘Compatible Storage Upgrades’ to see a list of SSDs that your computer could make good use of. You may be surprised by how little a substantial upgrade could cost.
Installing the memory once it is in your hands can be the most intimidating step, especially if you’ve never done so before. That’s why Kingston has put together a guide to install memory in both desktops and laptops. We also have video guides for both, to make it even easier.
The computer may take longer than usual to boot as it identifies the new memory, and you may receive a message that the amount of memory has changed.
Now you can enjoy the benefits of better memory and storage, like faster performance in gaming and apps, the ability to run apps and games that require more memory, and the ability to run more apps simultaneously in your Dell system. When you see the difference that these simple upgrades can make in a computer’s performance, you may want to update the memory and storage in every system your family owns.
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