I hope I'm not too late to chime in. People should really stop asking computer questions around here, because the advice always sucks.
Under no circumstances should you pull your RAM and carry it to the store to match it. Pretty much everything inside your computer is very susceptible to damage from static. Just opening the case and touching things can damage them. Even if you don't notice immediate damage (you probably won't), you might see problems a year down the line, or the computer might start crashing a little more. Buy a static discharge wristband and don't work on the computer when standing on carpeting.
Want to find out what kind of RAM to use? Go to any RAM manufacturer's website and put in the model number of your computer. Or check your manual. Aside from type, you may have a max size your computer will handle, all of which will be reported by the RAM manufacturer's website.
As for how much, you probably won't notice more than 1GB for average use. You don't need to max out the slots. There are a ton of reasons you would need more, however, not just databases or running a lot of apps. If you work with medium size files with Photoshop or video rendering or whatever, you certainly will notice more than 1GB. These are the same types of cases where you would notice a benefit of using a RAM drive for your temp files. You're not just doing to notice that sort of setup for everything.
* This post has been modified
: 18 years ago
