How to Adjust Memory Speed for Windows XP

System memory, or RAM, refers to the temporary storage utilized as a purgatory for data located between your processor and your hard drive. RAM chips have a theoretical maximum safe speed depending on the quality of the chip, which is listed within the product documentation for the chip along with on a sticker located on the side of the RAM itself. This normally consists of a number in megahertz, followed by a string of values separated by dashes (such as 800mhz, 5-5-5-15). For users running Windows XP, any changes must be made in BIOS, the basic operating system of your machine.

Instructions

1. Reset your computer. As the computer is rebooting, press the key indicated on the screen to access the BIOS. This is the basic operating system of your computer, from which all hardware can be adjusted.

2. Navigate to the "Advanced Chipset" options of your BIOS. This will contain the memory timings for your computer's RAM. Adjust these values to match the values written on your RAM sticker (or product documentation) by navigating to the specific value with the up and down arrow keys, then pressing "Enter" and selecting the new value.

3. Adjust the Front Side Bus (FSB) to RAM ratio setting to further increase your RAM speed up to the theoretical maximum. Changing this value will increase or decrease the speed of your RAM in relation to the speed of your FSB, which controls the speed of your processor.

4. Hit the "Esc" key to save changes and exit BIOS.

References

• Tom's Hardware: BIOS
• BIOS Survival Guide