The single best way to increase the speed of your computer is to upgrade your computers memory. This should be the first upgrade you should consider. OEM's like Dell and Compaq sell many of their starter PC's with only 256MB of ram or less. XP and XP Pro users should have a minimum of 512MB of memory. I personally have over 1 GIG plus ( 1000MB ) on my computers.

Replacing memory can be one of easiest computer upgrades you can do yourself. It can also be one of the most costly if done incorrectly. To get the correct memory speed and size go to the manufactures web site to find the recommend specs. Mismatching memory is a big no no.

Turn the computer off and unplug the power cord from the computer before attempting this. If you are not properly grounded static electricity can fry your motherboard. Use a anti-static grounding strap or ground yourself before touching the inside of the computer. Identify the empty memory slots on the motherboard. Align the new memory to the slots and press the stick memory in carefully. Be careful not to break the clips or the motherboard slots.

There are several types of memory. SIMM, DIMM, DRAM, EDO DRAM, SRAM, FPM DRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, Rambus, ECC, DDR, DDR2 and laptop memory.

Memory manufactures are Kingston, Micron, Corsair, Crucial, PNY, Viking, Infineon, OCZ, A-Data, Aeneon, Apacer Technology, Buffalo Technology, Edge Tech, PQI, Wintec, Samsung, Dell, Compaq, Hewlitt Packard, HP, Toshiba, Apple, G.SKILL, GeIL, Rosewill, TwinMOS, Transcend, OCZ Technology and Industry Standard.