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Home/Blog/What is RAM?
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Technical
23 Aug 2021 · 3 minutes read
· by Mairead Bond

What is RAM?

RAM stands for Random-Access Memory.

RAM is an essential component of all devices, from computers to smartphones to game consoles, as it stores information in a way that allows your system to run faster.

Continue reading to learn more about what RAM is, the benefits of upgrading yours and what Megamac can offer.
RAM Explained.
RAM is essentially a device’s short-term memory. It temporarily stores (remembers) everything that is running on a device, such as your activity on web browsers, image editors, or games.
 
RAM allows data to be read or written in roughly the same amount of time, irrespective of the physical location of the data inside the memory. This is in contrast with other direct-access data storage media (such as hard disks), as the time required to read and write data items varies depending on their physical locations.

RAM doesn’t permanently remember everything. It’s a “volatile” technology, meaning that once your device loses power, it forgets everything. This is because RAM only handles the multitude of temporary high-speed tasks that your device handles each day. This is why storage systems like hard drives and SSDs are required for permanent storage. Unlike RAM, they store information when your device powers off.


How Much Do You Need?
When buying RAM it's very important to consider how much you'll need. A minimum amount is required to run an operating system, and many games and applications also have a minimum requirement to run. These requirements are measured in gigabytes (GB) and are often between 1GB and 8GB, depending on the application’s hardware demands.

However, having more than the minimum amount of RAM can be helpful, since the more RAM you have, the faster your system can perform, and the more multitasking you can do.

The amount of RAM is not the only important factor though. While more gigabytes can help with multitasking, faster memory improves overall speed in certain games and applications. RAM has a base speed, which effectively contributes towards how much data your device can handle per second. RAM’s total speed is referred to as bandwidth and is measured in megabytes per second (MBps), but you’ll usually see memory advertised with speeds in megahertz (MHz).


Megamac RAM Upgrades.
Here at Megamac, we are a proud supplier of OWC. OWC want your Mac to perform faster and last longer. They engineer memory specifically tested and optimized for the Mac. There’s OWC memory for nearly every upgradeable Mac, from the PowerMac G4, to the latest 2020 iMacs. Plus they make it easy to upgrade by yourself with their step-by-step installation videos, and included toolkits. OWC provide you with the easiest and most affordable way to improve your Mac’s performance.
 

 
You can check out our range of OWC memory upgrades for your Mac here:
 

Do you have any more questions about RAM upgrades? Send us your questions on our social media pages below or visit our contact page, we will be happy to help!

Published 23 Aug 2021 by Mairead Bond
Author
Mairead Bond
E-commerce Executive

Since early 2021, Mairead's role includes writing and editing everything to do with the Megamac Blog to provide those tech questions we all need answers to. She is keenly interested in Apple tech, Instagram content and travel.

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