Deciding the Best Time to Buy RAM

Is now is a good time to buy RAM? Whether for your laptop or your desktop computer, RAM prices are low right now – and many people who are upgrading to the latest version of Windows Vista find the need to investigate a memory upgrade at the same time. RAM for your computer is both affordable and comes in larger amounts then it ever has been before.  At current you can find 512MB for less than $40, and a gigabyte of memory for less than $70.  At the same time that RAM prices have fallen and quantities have grown, so have the needs of the applications we use.  Even the most critical programs, like Windows Vista, need more and more RAM these days to use without slowdowns or lockups.

Windows Vista recommends a gigabyte of memory to use the higher-end features such as the Aero desktop, and games are beginning to recommend having a gigabyte of memory or more for best performance.  These memory needs are only going to grow, and it makes it critical now that if you don't have this amount of RAM that you pick it up, especially if you are looking towards upgrading your computer to use Windows Vista.

When deciding whether or not to buy RAM it’s best to look at the current performance of the software that you spend the most time using - while programs are on the horizon that require a great deal more RAM, they have just been released and are not the standard, yet. You may have no particular need to upgrade your software right now.

When deciding to buy ram, how much is enough?  That depends on what you want to do with your computer, and what your budget is. On average 1GB of RAM total is a good amount if you’re running windows, use your computer for surfing the web, but don’t use highly intensive software or play modern games.  If you are a gamer, you'll need at least 1.5GB to 2GB of RAM or more to avoid slowdowns.  Many people are taking advantage of the current low prices in the ram market to upgrade to two gigabytes of RAM, as the price is similar to what it cost for 1 gigabyte of ram just a year ago.

If you're worried that your system won't be able to accept more RAM, please take advantage of our online system checker.  If you're surfing our website from the computer you want to upgrade, click the 'Check My Computer' button and it will return the best memory upgrades for your computer, including letting you know how many memory sockets your computer has and what speeds of memory it will take.

If you already know what type of RAM you're looking to buy, click one of the links on the sidebar and check out our RAM selection.  We carry all types of DDR and DDR2 memory, as well as many of the same speeds and types of laptop memory.  Our RAM is produced by some of the best quality RAM manufacturers in the business, including Micron, Infineon and Winbond. Always remember, OEMPCWorld.com offers free shipping, and we buy back your old ram!