Software & Apps Windows 28 28 people found this article helpful How to Replace the Memory (RAM) in Your Windows Computer Increase your Windows computer's processing power by adding RAM By Tim Fisher General Manager, VP, Lifewire.com Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tim Fisher Updated September 20, 2019 Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email If your Windows PC is running slowly or if you can't run certain software on it or upgrade its operating system, increasing the computer's random access memory (RAM) may help. For more information about RAM, check out Lifewire's overview. The type of RAM you need depends on the make and model of your computer and whether it's a desktop or a laptop. In addition, the computer's motherboard has strict requirements for which generation of RAM it will accept. So, be sure to look up the specifications for your machine. You also need to know which slots on the motherboard and in which combinations you can install the RAM modules. How to Replace the RAM in a Computer After you purchase the correct RAM chips for your computer, you open the computer and add them to empty slots intended for RAM chips, or you remove the old chips and replace them with new chips. The specific steps necessary to replace the memory in your computer depends on whether you are replacing the RAM in a desktop or laptop computer. Below are links to illustrated guides that walk you through the process of replacing the RAM in your computer: How to Replace Desktop MemoryHow to Replace Laptop or Tablet Memory Replacing memory is a simple task that anyone with a screwdriver and a little patience can easily complete in less than 15 minutes.