How Much RAM Do I Need?

It is a common misconception that RAM memory helps to dictate how fast a computer can run. In actual fact, the RAM memory within a computer only helps to dictate how efficiently a computer can multi-task. If a computer is running a single program which uses 500MB of RAM, it will run at the same speed whether the computer has 2GB or 8GB of RAM. The significance of the RAM memory would come into play if there are four programs open which use 500MB of RAM. Apps and programs such as Firefox, Outlook, Photoshop or iTunes will run faster with more RAM; but does everyone need to update? This guide looks at the different amount of usage that computers see, and examines whether they would benefit from a memory upgrade.

1. Regular User – Individual

Someone who uses their computer for basic tasks will most likely only ever open a certain number of programs or applications which are light on RAM usage. Internet browsing, instant messaging and word processing, even when carried out simultaneously, will most likely be able to function well with 2GB of RAM.

2. Regular User – Communal Computer

A family computer, or one which is shared by a number of people, might require more RAM to function. When the above programs are running on one user account on a computer, they can function with 2GB, but if multiple users leave programs running in the background, the computer can become sluggish and inefficient without sufficient RAM. In this case, a PC memory upgrade  to 2-3GB offers strong performance and good value-for-money.

3. Average Users

Those who consider themselves to be average users might download music and movies whilst they are word processing, and listen to or watch media files over the internet. Streaming content can also require large amounts of RAM. An average user might benefit from around 4GB of RAM, which would see them able to carry out these tasks efficiently and allow things such as large volume downloads to be completed in the background whilst using the computer for other processes.

4. Power Users

A power user of a computer might consistently need to have RAM-heavy applications and programs open, and will need all of them to be running at their highest and fastest potential. Heavy video or audio editing are often needed for work reasons, so the computer will need to be functioning efficiently. Virtual machines or drives are often used too, as well as the standard usage which includes internet browsing and listening to music. These would require around 8GB of computer memory in order to function at a competent level. 

To find out more about the new range of PC and Apple memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

After recent testing it has been discovered that certain model Macs from 2010 can actually be upgraded to 16GB using two 8GB SODIMMs.  Although they were originally manufactured with a factory limit of just 4GB, certain adjustments to memory modules in conjunction with the right Apple OS and certain EFI updates can enable these Macs to enjoy up to 16GB of installed memory. A similar occurrence happened back in 2008, when MacBook Pros could max out their RAM memory to 8GB under certain circumstances, when it was believed they had a maximum capacity of 4GB.

The models in question are the 13” Apple Macbook Pro 7,1 from 2010, the Apple Macbook 7,1 from 2010 and the Apple Mac Mini 4,1 from the same year. The models also need to meet certain criteria before the computer memory upgrade can be put into action. These include the installation of Mac OS X 10.7.5 or a later version; the ‘Lion’ and ‘Mountain Lion’ operating systems will both work in conjunction with the new memory upgrades.

The latest EFI update for the machine is also a necessary factor. EFI firmware updates are often released by Apple in order to resolve hardware issues. They can be installed via Apple Software Update. If no updates appear in the Software Update section, it is safe to say that the EFI firmware is up to date and will be compatible with the extra memory. Obtaining the proper memory modules is also a necessity, as with any upgrade. The 16GB kit is a matched pair of 8GB DDR3-1066 SODIMMs.

With our 16GB DMS Certified Memory 204 Pin kit, the memory of these units can be expanded much higher than ever expected. Many computers from the same generation were limited by a 4GB or 8GB memory capacity, but the expansion of these older units could mean a surge in value for those who still own one, as well as a higher level of functionality and a much faster working process once the new memory upgrade has been installed. Those who had one of these older models and were considering trading up for an expensive new machine will be jumping for joy at the discovery that their machine’s memory can be inexpensively upgraded with ease.

To find out more about the new range of PC and Apple memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Consumers Win as Computer Giants Fight for Supremacy

After more than a decade of dominance from US PC manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell, the epicenter of the market has now shifted to the Far East, with China and Taiwan taking over as the leading suppliers in the world. Companies such as Asus, Lenovo and the mighty Samsung are experiencing an increase in their PC shipments, even as the general demand for desktop and laptop computer slows down in favor of tablets and handheld devices.

Flagging economies and a lack of innovation on the part of many manufacturers has seen Asian companies placed in a better position to lead the pack when it comes to supplying computer and memory solutions to consumer markets. Their proximity to supply chains for components, as well as their positioning within growing economies such as China are ensuring that the USA firms are being overtaken as market leaders.

In the fourth quarter of last year, just three of the top ten global computer manufacturers were based in the US: Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Apple. The rest of the top ten boasted bases in the Far East. Through takeovers such as the acquisition of IBM’s PC department by Lenovo, and the buying out of Gateway by Acer, these companies situated in the most rapidly expanding economies on the planet are climbing the ranks.

In the US, the market for handheld devices is largely cornered by Apple and Samsung, with newly-branded Blackberry mounting a renewed challenge to become one of the top competitors. Apple has even managed to create their own niche within the PC market, creating a cult-like phenomenon around the release of their products, and ensuring that consumers are willing to splash out for Macs and Macbooks when they are launched. But Lenovo recently overthrew Hewlett-Packard as the country’s primary provider of personal computers and laptops, and it is anticipated that they will soon join the fray in creating a tablet to rival that of Apple’s and Samsung’s.

In the process of these battles for supremacy, there is one true winner: the consumer. With all of these huge names fighting to be top dog amongst the PC market, companies will start to push the envelope where developing their technology is concerned, and their prices will start to come down as they endeavor to compete with rivals. As companies from the US and the Far East push for the top spot, the consumer benefits every step of the way.

To find out more about the new range of NAND and flash memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Sound Waves Form Next Frontier for Computer Storage Solutions

Research undertaken at Oregon State University has found that there may be a viable way in the future to use high-frequency sound waves in order to improve magnetic data storage. Hard disk drives and SSDs could both benefit from this breakthrough in computer storage, which has been hailed as one of the greatest things that technology can do for magnetic storage.

It is commonly stated that there is always a need for more storage/memory in a smaller space, with a smaller cost and less energy consumption. These demands are constantly being worked towards in laboratories and workshops across the world, with research always being carried out to improve the state of computer storage. This new technology is called ‘acoustic-assisted magnetic recording’, and was presented to a team of industry experts at the 12^th MMM / Intermag Conference in Chicago this week.

The process has worked in the past temporarily heating the disk platters within a hard disk drive. They become less stiff for a small amount of time, which allows more data to be stored in a particular spot in that window of opportunity. However, heating the platters is a difficult process to sustain, especially as heat tends to spread beyond where it is directed. Heat is also a wasteful form of energy as it is tough to harness, and surplus is often needed just to ensure that the criteria is met.

With the new technology, feted as a revolution in PC storage/memory, ultrasound is used as a direct substitute for heat. It is directed at a very specific location on the disk platter which creates a special elasticity, which in turn allows more data to be stored. Once the ultrasound is turned off, the material is immediately returned to shape, unlike the heat process which causes heat energy to linger. The data stored in the process remains safe even after the ultrasound system has been turned off.

The researchers who have discovered this new technique have not established how much data storage could be increased by using their new method but they have stated that they will continue to experiment with materials, cost issues and performance levels. Their next step will to be established whether the ultrasound would have an effect on other forms of storage/memory, which would truly be a breakthrough for all types of computer storage solutions. The technological holy grail of more storage in less physical space, with lower energy consumption and an affordable price tag may yet be in reach for thousands of consumers and businesses.

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World’s First 1TB USB Drive Is Announced

The announcement in recent weeks of the world’s first terabyte USB flash memory device has broken boundaries for portable flash storage. Kingston revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show last month that they had created a 1TB USB 3.0 flash drive which could transfer huge volumes of files quickly from device to device. The USB drive has the largest capacity of any portable device ever created, and is one of the fastest drives of its kind to hit the market.

However, the price is set to disappoint many. Recommended retail price is yet to be confirmed, but with a recent 512GB model retailing at $1750, conservative estimates have the 1TB device at around $3000 when it is released later this year. This could end up limiting the market for such a device to experts, professionals and niche users who have a command of such huge computer memory capacities as part of their everyday work. Graphic artists, video editors and others in similar industries will now be able to carry around vast amounts of data within a device small enough to fit within a pocket. Even casual users with large budgets would be able to transfer HD movies within seconds.

The read/write speeds of the device are up to 240MB and 160MB per second, sometimes surpassing those possible with SSD computer memory. It would be possible for casual computer users to back up their entire notebook onto a tiny device within seconds. The cost of flash memory is dropping by the quarter, with more affordable and higher capacity storage devices hitting the market all the time. Devices like Kingston’s 1TB USB drive could pave the way for competitors to create similar models and force the prices down, ending up with everyone being able to access the incredible PC memory offered by this type of flash device.

With such a vast amount of vital information stored on it, the USB device also has impressive protective features. A zinc alloy metal provides a shock-resistant casing which will prevent disasters in pockets, underfoot or in luggage. The matte metallic finish is stylish without being industrial, and the sliding design makes access to ports simple.

Flash memory is known as one of the most reliable forms of memory, especially for those working on shared or networked computers who have security worries or issues. Cloud storage is also a popular, and often free, method of storing data, but with dependability issues on many serves, they are a much less viable way for professionals to store large volumes of audio, text or video.

To find out more about the Apple memory and computer memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

DNA Breakthrough Means Endless Storage Potential

An incredible new breakthrough in the most advanced computer hard drive technology currently being researched has seen the creation of a genetic storage device, which has thus far been able to download all of Shakespeare’s sonnets onto strands of manmade DNA, alongside a short excerpt of Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. The scientists working on the technology were then able to re-download the information and decode it perfectly, reproducing Shakespeare’s work accurately. Turning information like this into synthetic DNA which can be decoded later is a huge breakthrough in the world of technology and could lead to unimaginably advanced computer memory systems in the future.

It is thought that the results of the landmark study, a collaboration between British scientists and a company based in California, could eventually lead to computer storage solutions that could store 100 million hours of HD video in a mass of synthetic DNA no bigger than a cup. The devices could theoretically store every single film and television programme that has ever been created, and so the possibilities for the future of this technology are endless. 

Aside from the obvious and incredible advantages of being able to store vast amounts of information on a minuscule surface, the solution also has great advantages over its main competitor, magnetic tape. This type of memory solution will degrade within a decade, whereas the DNA memory being mooted as a potential replacement now can last for many thousands of years, existing on no constant power source in the way that computer hard disks do now. The reasoning behind the experimental techniques was that scientists knew that DNA was a secure and robust way to store information that would last until the next age; in the same way that scientists now can extract DNA information from the bones of woolly mammoths or other prehistoric creatures, scientists in the future will be able to decode this DNA and find Shakespeare’s sonnets or Martin Luther King’s speech.

It is predicted that in ten years, more efficient and cheap DNA sequencing could make this type of storage a real solution for PC and Apple computers, while the future of synthetic DNA storage will see incredibly rich archives of data storage for time periods of thousands of years on tiny strands of manmade genetic material. In a few hundred years, every human could have access to every video clip or song ever made at the touch of a button or the click of a finger, all due to this incredible innovation in DNA and computer technology.

To find out more about the Apple memory and computer memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Apple vs Samsung Looks Set To Continue

Samsung has this year announced plans to target the Chinese market, as well as other smartphone manufacturers, in an effort to bulk up their orders after losing out to their main competitor, Apple. The company, based in South Korea, is among the world’s largest suppliers of mobile processors, which power their own range of Samsung tablets and smartphones, but powered the memory and other components behind iPads and iPhones until very recently. A huge dispute over patents, which has seen numerous high-profile court cases hit the news, has seen Apple start to lessen their reliance on Samsung products, including memory chips and display screens for handheld devices.

The strange situation saw Samsung’s biggest rival become its biggest customer.  It saw them collaborate on some of the most successful handheld devices in recent years with both of their products accounting for more than half of the global smartphone market. Indeed, statistics show Samsung has outsold Apple in every quarter except those in which Apple launched a new product, except for the recent iPhone 5 when, despite the often fever-pitch excitement which comes with an Apple product launch, Samsung managed to sell more units in the last quarter of 2012.

However concerns have arisen among many experts that Samsung, which also produces computer memory and a variety of electronic devices such as cameras and televisions, may now see revenues fall as Apple withdraws their demands. Stephen Woo, the president of Samsung’s System LSI business, has stated that bolstering their key relationships with chipmakers and clients in China will be a vital aspect of staying ahead of the curve. Diversifying their customer base rather than relying on one huge client which could withdraw its demands entirely at any time is an important step towards ensuring Samsung’s dominance in the market.

Samsung is also looking towards their IT systems in order to face down the challenges of remaining a market leader. Their PC memory devices can deliver substantial gains for the brand, their green memory solutions are able to operate rapidly while running at a much lower electricity percentage, while advanced DRAM and solid-state drives address company needs for powerful processing capabilities. Samsung is also looking towards taking the technology used in creating the screen used for iPod and iPad devices and implementing them within their range of LCD television, which consistently sell well. Improving in other areas will make Samsung a stronger business overall, but the conflict between Apple and Samsung, once collaborators and now on rocky ground, looks set to rumble on.

To find out more about the Apple memory and computer memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com