The Difference between Memory and Storage and Their Impact on PC Performance

 

The main difference between memory and storage space is that the former boost your computer’s speed and the latter lets you store more, larger files.

At one point or another, your laptop or computer is bound to experience significant performance problems and slowdowns. We are not suggesting you chuck out your old system and buy a new one. What you can do is look into other ways to upgrade your PC’s performance.

By increasing your computer’s storage and memory, you can revive a PC. However, deciding whether you need Computer RAM upgrades depends on where you are facing the issues ― in the storage space or memory.

This article will help you decide when to upgrade your PC’s storage or memory and what are its benefits:

The Difference between Storage and Memory

 

Storage and memory are two terms that are often mistaken for each other. Just to be clear, they both have different purposes. Before deciding which one to upgrade, you need to understand what the difference between them is.

 

RAM (Random Access Memory), also known as Memory, is where all the information is processed and manipulated. It is utilized by the computer for anything that needs to be done immediately, such as writing a document on MS Word, running an application, opening an email, etc. In this case, the information can only read or edited for a short time. If it is not saved in the computer’s storage, the information will be lost as soon as the computer is powered off. 

On the other hand, storage is the solid-state drive or the hard-disk drive where data is transferred and stored indefinitely. The computer uses this storage space to hold applications, operating systems, and data. You can access this information any time, as long as it is not deleted.

 

When’s the Right Time to Upgrade Your Memory?

 

Today’s computers have a minimum of 8GB of memory, which is enough to do everyday tasks. However, if your PC is slow, a memory upgrade will increase its performance. This upgrade will make your workflow more efficient and allow you to run multiple applications at a time. 

 

Following are some scenarios that require a memory upgrade:

 

Your computer crashes because of the multiple programs opened in the background and the numerous internet tabs you have opened

 

The more applications you run on your PC, the more the system will take time to perform them. You might have noticed that when you try to do more than two things at a time, either the application freezes or your computer crashes. By adding more memory, you can resolve this problem easily because it will process information quicker.

 

You work with large software and applications

 

To open large software and applications, you need a RAM module with a large memory capacity. By upgrading the memory, you will increase space and allow programs to run simultaneously.

 

You want to increase your PC’s gaming performance

 

The more memory your computer has, the more data it will load quickly. The lower the memory, the slower the game will run. The memory you need depends on how much storage space the game needs.

 

When’s the Right Time to Upgrade Your Storage?

 

One of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to speed up the performance of your computer is to upgrade the solid-state drive and remove the hard disk drive. You can even upgrade your SSD or HDD to larger storage. BuyKingston SSDs offer storage space up to 2TB.

Following are some scenarios that require storage upgrade:

 

Short battery life

 

Want to rejuvenate your PC or laptop? Install an SSD. For Computer RAM upgrades, use HDDs instead because they are energy efficient. Since SSDs don’t have moving parts, they will require less power for operating, and this will prolong their battery’s life. 

 

You Need to Boost Your PC’s Speed

 

As said above, an SSD will give your PC a huge speed boost. This will give it a boot time of 10 to 13 seconds that the 30 to 40 seconds it takes for a hard drive. Moreover, you can open as many applications as you want with an SSD than an HDD. 

 

Your PC doesn’t have any more space for music, photos, etc.

 

If your PC does not have enough storage space, upgrading the system with an SSD or HDD will improve your PC’s performance. The more storage space you have, the more files you can store and run new applications.

 

Whether you upgrade your storage space or memory, your PC’s performance will improve. With more memory, your computer will be able to perform multiple tasks at a time, and with more storage space, you will be able to save more files.