How to install RAM

So you've installed a new hard drive andexpanded your computing horizons with new PCI cards - and that's great and everything - but your computer still runs too slowly. Sure you've got all that extra storage capacity and all those different ways to interface with your computer, but you've noticed that the old box just doesn't move like it used to.

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Consequently, you've been worried that you may have to put the old girl to sleep. After all, your computer's had a good run. You've been through it all together - Slashdot to Digg, Dark Age of Camelot to World of Warcraft, HTML to PHP - but it just doesn't have the memory to keep up with all the spry young apps of today.

Worry no longer! This week, the hardware installation series takes on speeding up your old PC by installing more RAM (random access memory).

RAM wha?! If you're not familiar with RAM, think of it like this: If your CPU were a cook, then your hard drive is the refrigerator, and your RAM is the kitchen table. When your CPU starts cooking dinner, it lays out food from your hard drive/refrigerator on your RAM/kitchen table for fast and easy access. If your RAM is too small, you might not have enough space for all the food when the CPU starts cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner. That's when you know you need more RAM.

To those of you afraid of opening up your computer:

Computer hardware isn't the mysterious bad-boy you always thought. It
s actually more like the mysterious bad-boy who just wants to be loved. Once you show hardware acceptance, it
ll open up and totally love you back.

Please note:

Opening up your computer comes with some risk. Always keep safety in mind when working inside your computer (as you should with any electrical device). That said, getting comfortable with cracking it open and fiddling around opens up a whole new world of options and upgrades to your personal computing experience.

Before you undertake your installation, remember: More RAM isn't always the answer to fixing up a slow PC. After a certain point, your computer may not be able to take advantage of extra RAM, and additional memory may actually slow down your PC. Then again, if you've never installed RAM before, you aren't one of those people.

The type of RAM we're installing is DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module - as opposed to S[ingle]IMM). Unless your PC is a real dinosaur, DIMM should be the right type. To make sure that you're installing the correct RAM for your PC, be sure to check your owner's manual. Motherboards can be finicky when it comes to RAM compatibility, so be sure to look before you leap. Regardless of specifications, the installation of RAM is simple and basically the same from motherboard to motherboard.

What you'll need:

• Compatible RAM
• Phillips screwdriver
• Your computer

For my installation, I'll be using the 184-pin DDR SDRAM pictured above.

Step 1: Prepare your computer

To get your computer ready, you need to make it safe. That means turning off the switch on the back of the power supply unit. (If you're going to be using your PSU as a grounded metal source, you'll want to keep it plugged in. If you have another ground, it's best to unplug the computer completely.) After turning off the power supply, wait at least 10 seconds before cracking open your case to allow the motherboard's capacitors to discharge. Once you've done this, you can sigh a deep breath of relief - you've circumvented the most dangerous aspect of installing RAM - electricity.

Once you've rendered your computer powerless, it's time to open up your case. This process varies from case to case, but it's relatively simple, especially with newer cases, and usually involves the removal of a couple of screws and a side panel. This should give you easy access and plenty of room to install your RAM.

While working inside your case, be mindful of static electricity. To avoid building up a static charge that could potentially short out a component, some people use an anti-static strap to ground themselves (available from most computer hardware retailers). I prefer not to use the strap. Instead, remember to touch a grounded metal surface from time to time to prevent a static charge from building. Touching your computer's power supply unit (provided it remains plugged in and turned off) should do the trick.

Step 2: Find and prepare an empty RAM socket

This is easy enough. Just locate the RAM sockets on your motherboard and find an empty one. If you've never installed RAM in your computer, you should have at least one or two empty slots. When you're choosing the socket in which to install your RAM, again you should consult your manual. For example, your motherboard may require you to fill the sockets in a particular order. In my installation, my motherboard supports dual-channel mode, but the sticks of RAM need to be installed in the correct sockets for this to work.

Next, the RAM retaining clips need to be opened up in order for RAM to be installed. All you need to do is press the retaining clips outward, opening the socket for installation.

Step 3: Install your RAM

Now pick up your stick of RAM by the edges - it
s best not to get your fingerprints all over the
working parts
of the memory itself. The RAM should be slotted so that it can fit in the socket only one way, so just line up the slotted RAM with your motherboard's RAM socket.

Firmly press the RAM until it is seated securely in the socket. If your socket has retaining clips, press down until the clips snap back into place.

After this, your RAM should be properly seated and installed.

Step 3: Finishing up

It's all pretty simple from here on out. Replace your computer's side panel and screw it into place. Plug in your power supply unit (remembering to flip the switch back on) and boot up.

Now you're back in the realm of software where you're the undisputed master. To verify that your RAM upgrade was successful, right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Under "Computer," your expanded RAM size should be listed. If everything went well, you should see more MBs of RAM than you had before your installation.

Easy, right? Who knew upgrading your computer didn't involve a trip to the landfill followed by a phone call to Dell? Your newfound ability to install RAM should help out with those long load times and major system slow-downs you've been putting up with lately.

How Often Should I Charge My Gadget's Battery to Prolong Its Lifespan?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding this issue, mostly because lithium-ion batteries are different from older, nickel-based batteries (which suffered from a nasty memory effect not present in lithium-ion batteries). You're right, though—charging them incorrectly can decrease their lifespan. Most lithium batteries should last you a few years, but improper care can decrease that lifespan, meaning that your battery will be unable to hold a charge—or unable to hold as big a charge as it used to—quicker.

So, to clear things up, we've rounded up some guidelines to extending your battery's health as much as possible. If you're more of a visual learner, the above video from Techquickie summarizes most of these, too. Here's what you should do:

• Perform shallow discharges. Instead of discharging to 0% all the time, lithium-ion batteries do best when you discharge them for a little bit, then charge them for a little bit. The table below, from Battery University, shows that discharges to 50% are better for your battery's long-term life than, say, small discharges to 90% or large discharges to 0% (since the 50% discharges provide the best number of cycles-to-usage ratio).
  
• Don't leave it fully charged. Similarly, lithium-ion batteries don't need to be charged all the way to 100%. In fact, they'd prefer not to be—so the 40%-80% rule you heard is a good guideline. When possible, keep it in that range to prolong its life as long as you can. And, if you do charge it to 100%, don't leave it plugged in. This is something most of us do, but it's another thing that will degrade your battery's health. If you need to charge it overnight, use something like the Belkin Conserve Socket to stop it from charging after it's full.
• Fully discharge it once a month. This may seem contradictory, but hear us out. While lithium-ion batteries shouldn't be discharged regularly, most modern batteries are what's known as "smart batteries", which means that they can tell you how long you have until your battery dies (e.g. "2 hours, 15 minutes remaining"). This feature can get miscalibrated after a lot of shallow discharges. So, manufacturers recommend fully discharging your battery once a month to make sure this stays accurate.
• Keep it cool. Most people overlook this one. Excess heat is not only bad for your processor (and your lap), but your battery as well. Once again, see thetable from Battery University below. A hot battery will degrade in health much quicker than a cool one. As such, we highly recommend using a laptop stand, like one of the many DIY options we've featured here at Lifehacker. When it comes to your phone, check out our previous Ask Lifehacker on keeping your phone temperature down.
  

Keep these things in mind and your battery will last longer. That said, you don't need to lie awake at night worrying about whether your battery's charging. Don't sacrifice practicality just to keep your battery alive—if you're in a situation where you don't have a charger, it's okay to discharge it to 0%, or charge it up to 100% if you want to do so for a long plane ride. Remember that your battery is going to die in a few years, no matter what you do—even if you just let it sit on a shelf. These guidelines are just that—guidelines to keep it healthy for as long as possible .

How to Calibrate a “Smart” Battery

Learn why calibration is needed and how often it is required.

When designing a fuel gauge, engineers commonly make the mistake of assuming that a battery will always stay young. As with people, batteries age and the changing characteristics must be taken into account to maintain accuracy.

There is often a false sense of security in believing that the displayed battery readings are correct. Fuel gauge displays can be made fancy and believable but the truth is only as good as the information provided. For the casual user of a mobile phone or laptop, a fuel gauge error is only a mild irritant, but the problem escalates with medical and military devices, as well as drones and electric drivetrains that depend on precise range predictions.

The chemical battery representing the actual energy storage remains the master while the digital battery provides peripheral support relying on the information obtained from charge and discharge cycles. But like all fine machines, precise settings begin to shift and they need adjustment. The same happens with an SMBus battery that also needs periodic calibration. The instructions of an Apple iPad reads: “For proper reporting of SoC, be sure to go through at least one full charge/discharge cycle per month.”

Figure 1 demonstrates a digital battery that is drifting away from the chemical battery; calibration corrects the tracking error. The accumulating error is application related and the drift on the chart is accentuated for effect.

Figure 1: Tracking of Electrochemical and digital battery as a function of time. With use and time the electro-chemical and digital battery drift apart; calibration corrects the error. Note: The accumulating error is application related; the values on the chart are accentuated.

A smart battery can be self-calibrated by taking advantage of occasional full discharges, but in real life this seldom happens. Most discharges are intermittent and go to random depth. In addition, the load signatures often consist of high frequency pulses that are difficult to capture. The partially discharged battery may be partly recharged and then stored at a high temperature, causing elevated self-dischargethat cannot be tracked. These anomalies add to the display error that amplifies with use and time.

To maintain accuracy, a smart battery should periodically be calibrated by running the pack down in the device until “Low Battery” appears and then apply a recharge. The full discharge sets the discharge flag and the full charge establishes the charge flag. A linear line forms between these two anchor points that allow SoC estimation. In time, this line gets blurred again and the battery requires recalibration. Figure 2 illustrates the full-discharge and full-charge flags.

Figure 2: Full-discharge and full-charge flags. Calibration occurs by applying a full charge, discharge and charge. This is done in the equipment or with a battery analyzer as part of battery maintenance. Courtesy Cadex

Battery analyzers serve as a valuable tool to calibrate a smart battery. An analyzer fully charges the battery and then applies a controlled discharge that provides the all-important capacity readings of the chemical battery. This discharge measurement is a truer reading than what coulomb counting provides by capturing past discharge events of the digital battery.

How often should a battery be calibrated? The answer depends on the application. For a battery that is in continued use, a calibration should be done once every 3 months or after 40 partial cycles. If the portable device applies a periodic full deep discharge on its own accord, then no additional calibration should be needed.

What happens if the battery is not calibrated regularly? Can such a battery be used with confidence? Most smart battery chargers obey the dictates of the chemical battery rather than the digital battery and there are no safety concerns. The battery should function normally, but the digital readout may become unreliable.

Some smart batteries feature impedance tracking. This is a self-learning algorithm that reduces or eliminates the need to calibrate. If calibration is required, however, several cycles instead of only one may be needed to achieve the same result as with a standard system.
 

Max Error

The accuracy between the chemical and digital battery is measured by the Max Error. Max Error stands for “maximum error” and is presented in percentage. A low reading indicates good accuracy, and as the precision diminishes with partial cycles, the Max Error number increases steadily. This supervisory watchdog can be compared to a medical doctor who advises a patient to change a routine to correct a condition.

Some manufacturers recommend calibration at a Max Error of 8 percent; readings above 12 percent may trigger an alarm and 16 could render the battery unserviceable. No unified standard exists to determine what Max Error level requires service or what constitutes an error; every battery manufacturer follows its own formula.
 

Screen Capture

The SMBus system provides a wealth of information that includes battery manufacturing date, battery model and serial number, capacity, temperature and estimated runtime, as well as voltages down to the cell levels. It is an engineer’s delight to have all this data in a table, but the fine print may confuse the user more than providing help. A busy nurse in a hospital, the policeman on duty and the solider in combat has only one question: “Will the battery last for my mission?” Figure 3 illustrates a screenshot of the data stored in an SMBus battery.
 

Figure 3: Uinversal screenshot of SMBus battery. Data is organized in tables to assist analysis, a format that is less suited for the everyday battery user. Access is by a software tool.
Source: Texas Instrument

Of special interest in terms of battery state-of-health (SoH) is full charge capacity (FCC), which is hidden in the table among tons of other information. FCC can be used with reasonable accuracy to estimate battery SoH without applying a full discharge cycle to measure capacity. Best accuracies are achieved if the battery is being cycled with full charge and occasional deep discharges. If used sporadically, a deliberate calibration involving a full discharge/charge cycle will be needed from time-to-time to maintain accuracy.

Reference :

http://batteryuniversity.com/

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