Upgrade Tips

1. How Much Memory Do I Have?

• To find out how much memory is in a machine running Windows XP, 9x, and Me families, right click on the "My Computer" icon with the right mouse button, and select "Properties." Then select the "Performance" tab.
• To find out how much memory is in a machine running Windows 2000/NT, press Ctrl-Alt-Del, choose Task Manager, and click the Performance tab.
• To find out how much memory is in a machine running Windows 3.x or any version of DOS, first exit Windows completely to get to a DOS prompt (c:\>). At the DOS prompt, type: MEM. You are interested in the total, which is the figure at the bottom of the first column.
• To find out how much memory is in your Macintosh, choose "About Your Macintosh" from the Apple Menu.

2. How Much Memory Do I Need?

Operating System	Required Memory	Recommended Memory	Best with Memory
Windows XP	128MB	256MB	512MB or more
Windows 2000	64MB	128MB	512MB or more
Windows 98,Me	32MB	64MB	128MB or more
Windows 7	1GB	2GB	2GB or more
Windows Vista	512MB	1GB	2GB or more
Windows 95	16MB	64MB	128MB or more
Mac OS 9.x	64MB	128MB	256MB or more
Mac OS 8.x	32MB	64MB	128MB or more
Macintosh OS 7.5.x	16MB	32MB	64MB or more
Linux	48MB to 64MB	128MB	512MB or more

You'll also need enough memory to load all the programs you want to run at any one time. Applications like Microsoft Word or Excel generally use about 32MB each, but you can check the system requirements listed on each application's box to determine the recommended RAM. If you want to run three applications simultaneously (say, Word, Internet Explorer, and Media Player), you'll need to add the RAM requirements for all three to your total. Finally, you'll need RAM for data files—the open Word documents, Excel spread sheets, MPEGs , and so on. More complex work demands more RAM. For example, a simple document may require less than 1MB, but a database file may fill several megabytes, and a high-resolution photo scan or graphic design may demand 50MB

3. What Kind of Memory Do I Order?

The best way to find out what kind of memory is in your computer is to consult your manual. Look in the "Technical Specifications" section or "Upgrading your System" Section. Another good way to determine what kind of memory your computer requires is to utilize Alpha Memory's Online Memory Configurator. You simply enter your computer's brand and model and the configurator tells you exactly what kind of memory you need and how much it will cost (you can also call us at 956.971.8555.

4. How do you install Memory?

• Unplug everything from your PC and put the case on a clean work surface, preferably in a well-lit area. Remove the cover.
• Keep in mind that you're handling sensitive electronic circuitry that can be damaged if handled improperly. The biggest enemy is static electricity, so be sure to touch an unpainted grounded piece of metal before proceeding. The safest way to stay grounded is to leave the power cord plugged into the back of your PC, leave the other end plugged into a power strip, plug the power strip into a wall outlet, and turn the power strip off. This way there is no power going to the PC, but the PC is grounded, and touching an unpainted part of the case will dissipate any static electricity.

Installing DIMMS

Take a look at the modules. You will notice that they have one notch that is off-center at the bottom end. If you take a closer look at the memory slots on the motherboard, you'll see that there is a corresponding ridge in the slot. This will help you make sure that you insert them the right way.
Insert the first module vertically into the first DIMM slot (again, the order is important). Carefully apply even pressure straight down with your thumbs on the top of the memory module. The plastic clips normally pop into position all by themselves when you install the new module. But it sometimes helps to pull the plastic clips up and inward with your index fingers while pushing down on the top of the module until the DIMM snaps into the socket and the plastic clips snap into place. If you feel a little resistance, that's probably due to the tension of the metal contacts inside the memory slot. But if you feel a lot of resistance and it just doesn't snap into place, it might because of the notches, and you might have the memory modules inserted the wrong way. Repeat this with each module until they are all properly seated.
Now hook everything up again, but leave the cover off for now, so you can test it. After verifying all connections, turn the power on and watch the monitor carefully. If everything went well, you should see the initial BIOS screen and a counter which represents a memory test. Take a note of the final number of Kilobytes (KB). Don't be surprised if the number is actually a few thousand KB higher than expected. For example, if you installed one 256 Megabyte (MB) DIMM, the number on the screen should be 262,144. That's because one MB is 1024 KB, and 2568MB * 1024 = 262,144KB. If everything looks ok, you're all set. Put the cover back on and enjoy your faster PC.
But what if the upgrade didn't work? The most common problems after a memory upgrade are either a number of beeps or an incorrect display of installed memory. This is your BIOS telling you that it rejected the memory, most likely due to an incompatible memory type installed. Consult with your motherboard documentation and the vendor you purchased the memory from to find out what type of memory is correct for your machine. Just to be safe, remove the memory modules again, make sure that you identified the DIMM slots correctly and started with the first one, and that you seated them correctly - then give it another try.