The Truth Behind Computer Running Very Slow - RAM vs CPU

Is your computer running very slow? This is an ongoing problem for many computer users in the world. Although there are various symptoms to a why a computer will be running slow, you need to understand what the difference between RAM vs CPU and which should upgraded or focused on. This article will aim to teach you about how RAM and CPU processing work to determine if you have a problem with your computer running very slow.

So what's the difference between RAM and CPU? First of all, RAM stands for Random Access Memory and can be thought of as the holding tank for running processes. The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run. I might also add that RAM works with Virtual Memory where a section on the hard drive is reserved to act as secondary RAM. Also, RAM is accessed much faster than a hard drive. CPU stands for Central Processing Units and this is where many mathematical computations occur. The computations are processed by the CPU which fuels the applications running on your system. The faster your CPU, the faster your applications can run.

If you look at RAM vs CPU, they do two different tasks. The CPU will run the application and store the processed results in the RAM. However, for most computer users, multitasking is a popular activity on the computer. Therefore, running several programs need to be held in RAM. On a visual perspective, CPU will be demonstrated most by how fast a program will initiate where RAM will demonstrate it's ability to handle several programs at once. If you notice that it takes a long time for a program to start when you have a sufficient amount of RAM, then you may need to upgrade your CPU. If you have a decent CPU speed, but notice that you are experiencing your computer running very slow with only 3-4 programs running, you may need to upgrade your RAM.

To reiterate, CPU handles how fast a program will start or perform and the RAM handles the load of the programs currently running. By understanding the difference between the CPU and the RAM, you can determine what type of hardware upgrade you may need. If you still experience your computer running very slow despite having sufficient RAM vs CPU, then you may have a software or operating system issue.

Looking for more information or software on your Computer Running Very Slow? Solutions To Making Your Computer Faster

Brad Carter is a computer consulting junkie that can save you the trouble of dealing with a slow PC. Learn to speed up your computer with his tips, books and software recommendations.

Rebooting a Windows XP Computer Using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

We are frequently involved in projects with small and medium sized organisations. Due to the size of these organisations often the network infrastructure available is limited as a result of smaller budgets than their larger competitors. One side effect of this reduced budget is that our clients sometimes need hardware and software to function in ways it is not exactly designed for.

One example of this is often not being able to afford the licence fee for Windows Server and instead to use Windows XP Professional or even Windows XP Home to run a central file, print or database server. Clearly this approach would not work for a Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller but can be used for many other types of server and there are times where there is no other option.

There are two usability downsides to be aware of for remote administration when taking the decision to use Microsoft Windows XP instead of Windows Server.

The first is that Windows XP Professional when accessed through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections does not display a log off button or a reset option on the shutdown - the only option is to shut down the server which is not ideal and will mean that it won't restart afterwards; this can be solved.

The simplest way to overcome the problem is to create a batch file to restart the server, to do this:

1. Open Notepad (or another text editor)

2. Type: shutdown -r -t 5

3. Save the file somewhere sensible (such as the desktop) with a name such as restart.bat, the important thing is it ends with the extension of .bat

To run the file just double click it, the switches in the shutdown command are:

-r = restart (instead of shutdown)
-t 5 = the amount of time to wait before restarting in seconds - in this case 5 secs.

The second issue is that terminal services functionality available to facilitate remote administration through tools such as RDP is only sufficient to allow one user to log on at a time. This can cause problems if you use it as a development server for example, but as a file store it is unlikely you want more than one or two administrators - with a small number they can manage the situation by phone calls.

Techita would advise wherever possible to use the version of operating system designed for the role you intend the server to perform, however when this is just not possible this tip may make the management that little bit simpler.

Dave Hodgson is a technical consultant by career and a website designer for fun. He has spent time working for large systems integrators, small consultancy firms and on individual freelance projects. The articles written by Dave are in the nature of tricks and tips he has learned through his career and interactions with clients.