Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory (RAM), otherwise known as "system memory", is responsible for allowing you to keep programs open. If you have very little, Chrome and a word document might be all you can open before your system warns you that it is running out of memory. Memory isn't the same as storage, since it will forget everything that is running on it once power is cut to the system, whether that is from a shut down or restart. We've laid out how much you'll need in the actual RAM product page, but here's an important tip to remember when shopping for RAM: some motherboards have 4 slots for memory, some have 2 slots. Any A-series motherboards and most ITX-sized motherboards will have only 2 slots for memory, with all others having 4. You can even see (and count) the RAM slots to the right of the CPU socket, in the center-top-right of the board. They look slightly like credit card readers. This can be important if you decide to increase the memory amount later on by yourself. This is one of the easiest computer upgrades to do, and all you'll want to do is to look up your memory serial number and find a matching kit. It isn't strictly necessary to get a matching kit, but it's a good practice to follow.
IMPORTANT: Overclocking memory to its advertised speed will increase processor temperatures since the memory controller is on the CPU. If your cooler cannot keep your processor below 95 degrees in our testing environment prior to shipping after running the memory at its advertised speed, but it can keep temperatures reasonable at the memory's lowest speed, we will manually dial in a memory overclock that will keep your temperatures under control while giving you a performance uplift and let you know what those settings are. We'll also save it as a profile in the UEFI.
IMPORTANT: Overclocking memory to its advertised speed will increase processor temperatures since the memory controller is on the CPU. If your cooler cannot keep your processor below 95 degrees in our testing environment prior to shipping after running the memory at its advertised speed, but it can keep temperatures reasonable at the memory's lowest speed, we will manually dial in a memory overclock that will keep your temperatures under control while giving you a performance uplift and let you know what those settings are. We'll also save it as a profile in the UEFI.
