| Have changing demands left you unsatisfied | | | | RAM- The easiest, surest way to speed up your |
| with your computer's performance? An upgrade | | | | computer is to add more RAM. It will improve |
| may be called for. But which should you get | | | | game play, and all graphics applications will |
| to fill your needs? | | | | work faster. Older operating systems, like |
| | | | Windows 98SE, can only accommodate up to |
| Computer repair shops make their money two | | | | 512MB. This won't be a problem with Windows |
| ways: by selling their labor, and selling | | | | 2000, XP, and Vista. |
| parts. The more parts they install, the more | | | | |
| labor involved, the more profit. Most are | | | | CPU- Surprisingly, it may not make as much |
| honest, but some will try to sell you things | | | | apparent difference as a RAM upgrade. It can |
| you don't need. If you're going to have | | | | help if you ask your computer to do a lot of |
| someone else do the work, it's best to have a | | | | multitasking, and make a big difference if |
| specific task in mind when you approach them. | | | | you do speed sensitive work like video |
| | | | captures. A limiting factor will be its |
| Here are the five most common upgrades, and | | | | socket type. You might already have the |
| criteria for judging whether you need them. | | | | fastest chip offered for that socket. |
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