RAM (Random Access Memory) is essential for all PCs and smartphones, and it functions as a virtual memory where programs are temporarily stored. But what would be affected if your device had no RAM or insufficient RAM?
RAM has a direct effect on the operating capacity of any computing device. Its impact could range from the inability of the device to run some programs to hardware not functioning, amongst others. When you have more RAM space on your device, it processes more optimally; meanwhile, its processing will lag when you have less RAM.
Your PC and smartphone need RAM to run programs and process data. While your device could read data from the hard drive, it would be slower.
So if you are about to buy a device but don’t seem to understand the hype about RAM, we will cover how RAM affects your device.
What Are Affected by Low or High RAM Space?
Whether you have a low or a high RAM capacity on your device, it will impact three main components: the processor, the software, and the hardware.
Let’s take a look at how it affects these components.
Processor
The processor or central processing unit (CPU) is a component on a computing device that executes programs. When the processor wants to run a program, the data is moved from the hard drive to the RAM, so it runs faster. The processor and RAM work synchronously, and they complement each other.
If there is no RAM or insufficient RAM on your device, the processor will be forced to use the hard drive to perform the process, called virtual memory. The implication is that the processor will run very slowly or encounter several errors such as refusal to start.
Software
The software on your computing device is also affected by the RAM. The RAM is needed when you want to read and run any software, be it the music player or local browser.
The RAM on your device is limited, meaning there is a limitation to the software you can run on your device. The more the RAM, the more the program you can run. If there is no RAM or insufficient RAM, the device wouldn’t be able to run the software effectively.
Hardware
The RAM can also affect the hardware of a computing device. Where there is no RAM or insufficient RAM, several hardware units on the device may not work or will fail. The reason is that hardware behavior is based on the commands the processor sends or receives.
Processors are dependent on the RAM to function efficiently to send or receive information to and from the hardware when there’s enough RAM. RAM’s effects on hardware include an unresponsive keyboard, a blue screen of death, etc.
What Happens When You Don’t Have Enough RAM?
When there isn’t enough RAM on your device, you will experience several performance issues. Below are some examples of what would happen when you are short on RAM.
Random Freezing
Random freezing is one of the most common issues you’d have to deal with when your RAM is low. Your device will switch to the virtual memory (hard disk) when you are low on RAM and want to launch a program on your device. The process takes time, and you might experience random freezing.
Since the virtual memory is slow and the RAM is full, the device gets stuck in the loop of trying to create space in the RAM but keeps failing. This leaves you with a frozen screen until there’s space in the RAM.
Random Rebooting
Another challenge with being low on RAM is that your device may reboot randomly. If your device gets stuck in a loop where a vital process can’t leave the virtual memory because the RAM is full, the system may override and reboot to fix the problem.
By rebooting, it closes all running software, freeing up the RAM. Hence, the device will run faster because only vital processes will run after. But note that low RAM will continue to cause performance issues like random rebooting. Meanwhile, you can consider adding more RAM to fix the problem permanently.
Lagging
Your device processor relies on the RAM to run smoothly. When you don’t have enough RAM space available on your device to run a program, it will cause the device to lag or not run smoothly. With the RAM needed to run a program, your device will also need extra RAM space for the processing. Low RAM space can also cause you to experience lags while operating your device.
Programs and Apps Become Unresponsive
“App not responding” is an error message you may have gotten on your device at one point or the other. This error could imply several things, particularly low RAM space. A program or app becomes unresponsive when there isn’t sufficient RAM available to support its process.
As usual, the processor will attempt to make room for the program in the RAM. But when the processor fails to create space for the new program or app in the RAM, it becomes unresponsive.
Blue Screen of Death
The blue screen of death, also known as the stop error, is an error message that pops up on a Windows operating system in the event of a fatal system error. This system error could also mean low RAM or no detectable RAM in the computer.
When this error occurs, the system freezes and requires you to reboot the system to continue using it. This error message will persist if you don’t add to the RAM on the device.
Conclusion
RAM determines the operating capacity of your devices. Generally, the faster the RAM, the faster the processing speed. If you have a faster RAM, the rate at which memory transfers information to other components increases. Your fast processor has an equally quick way of interacting with the other components, making your device more efficient.
