There is a lot of debate over whether or not computers with more RAM run faster. Some people believe that because RAM is used for caching data, it can speed up the computer by freeing up space in the hard drive for other applications. Others claim that because RAM is used for executing code, it can actually slow down the computer. Regardless of which argument is correct, there is one thing that everyone should keep in mind when deciding if they want to buy a computer with more RAM: If all memory is not usually in use, the computer may not be able to run as fast as it would if all memory was available.

Having a computer with a hefty amount of RAM is a wonderful thing, but is it potentially faster if all of that memory is not usually in use? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answers to a curious reader’s question.

Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Dionne (Flickr).

The Question

SuperUser reader Keavon wants to know if a computer with more RAM would be faster if all of its memory was not normally in use:

Would Keavon notice a difference in performance if he removed half of the RAM from his computer?

The Answer

SuperUser contributors Wyzard and Jason have the answer for us. First up, Wyzard:

Followed by the answer from Jason:

Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.

Below is an example from a computer with 24 GB of RAM. Even though only 7 GB is currently allocated as “In Use” memory, another 10 GB is allocated as “Standby” memory and contains data that may or may not be read again. If it is read, it will make your computer faster. The “Free” memory is not being utilized whatsoever at the moment.

“Available” memory includes Standby and Free “Cached” memory also includes Standby and Modified “Total” memory is all memory except Hardware Reserved

If you would like to learn more about memory usage in Windows 7, TechRepublic has a great article.