It might seem like an exaggeration to say that a computer is a student’s most important possession, but they are a must-have gadget for students. After all, most universities, colleges, and even high schools offer computers and computer labs, ensuring that students have access. But most students would say that owning their own computers – and using them daily for notetaking, homework, school projects, and a multitude of personal and entertainment purposes – is essential to success in modern education.
This is the reality of student life, and with tech for schools and students becoming increasingly important year after year, keeping those machines not only running, but operating smoothly, becomes vital. Fortunately, a couple of simple and low-cost hardware upgrades can boost computer performance or reinvigorate older machines like adding memory (DRAM) or solid state drives (SSDs).
Here’s a few ways Crucial memory and storage can make computers faster, more durable, and more reliable, helping students with work and leisure.
You need enough memory for everything your computer does, and having abundant DRAM speeds up everything you do. That includes simple tasks, such as entering text or data into a document or spreadsheet, as well as more demanding functions, such as gaming or streaming. Getting by without enough memory can slow computer performance to a crawl, adding time, frustration, and even system crashes.
Students using computers for only basic functions like web browsing, typing papers, and social media, etc., can get by on 4GB, though they risk encountering problems in a year or two. Running 8GB to 16GB will suit most users’ and keep systems performing at a high level for the foreseeable future.
Gamers and students working toward degrees in creative fields using multimedia or design software might consider going up to 64GB memory, if their system will support it. Whatever you’re using your laptop for at school, it is essential that you have enough memory to avoid running into any issues that could hinder your work in the future.
Losing homework or projects because of a ruined drive is devastating. Many students take their laptops virtually everywhere, which means a lot of chances for drops, collisions, spills, and misfortunes.
Students can safeguard themselves against such tragedy by upgrading from hard drives (HDDs) to solid state drives (SSDs). In HDDs, a mechanical arm accesses data from a spinning platter. All those moving parts are susceptible to failure if dropped. On the other hand, SSDs have no moving parts and have been proven to absorb more impact than HDDs without failing, making SSDs an affordable protection against disaster. There is a lot to weigh with SSDs and HDDs, so it is best to learn more about which is the right option for you.
The modern economy requires a modern workforce. Many of the technology and creativity-driven jobs that companies need to fill – and that often pay well – require a mastery of software that needs ample memory and storage. For example, many students studying video editing will use Adobe Premier Pro during their coursework. The program, commonly used in video-related fields, requires 8GB of RAM, though Adobe recommends at least 16GB for high-definition media and 32GB for 4K media. Simply put, any student learning Premier Pro will have to have enough memory to avoid being constantly mired by slow performance, system reboots, and even frequent crashes.
The same is true for students pursuing degrees in photography, software development, design, architecture, and many other fields. Those students will need hardware solutions to keep their systems up to speed. One fix: installing high-performance DRAM, which is ideal for running memory-intensive programs, playing games or anything else. We have the perfect creative starter pack for any creative venture to get students started at school and make it easier to focus on the next project.
For mostly every student, there will be programs that generate huge files. As a result, students will quickly run out of drive space as they progress in their classes, forcing them to delete older projects to clear space on their drive for their current work. That process gets tiresome, and students might want to use those older files – or even earlier versions of a current project – when preparing portfolios or backtracking to tweak a draft.
Fortunately, storage has become more and more affordable in recent years, and SSDs are a cost-effective way for students to upgrade to 500GB, 1TB, 2TB or even 4TB of drive space. In addition, SSDs are much faster than HDDs when opening large files and booting up, giving students in tech and creative fields another reason to upgrade.
When storage is at a premium as a student, it is best to take a look at upgrading your storage to make sure you have enough space, so you don’t have to get rid of past files.
Many students rely on their computers even when they’re relaxing. That likely includes video, music, games, and streaming services and websites, as well as the social media platforms students use to stay in touch with family or friends. Those programs do not require huge amounts of memory or storage, but they perform much better with up-to-date browsers and operating systems that work more smoothly with upgraded hardware.
When it comes to entertainment, the biggest advantage offered by increasing DRAM becomes apparent when multitasking. Students using several programs, while streaming and using a multitude of open browser tabs, will experience choppy media if their memory can’t handle the task load. Upgrading to at least 8GB will keep everything running smoothly.
If you are a student who is also a gamer, you might want to consider an internal SSD or gaming DRAM. Gamers, more so than students, will see a significant performance boost from adding DRAM. Games are becoming increasingly DRAM hungry, requiring at least 4GB or 8GB and carrying developer recommendations of at least 16GB to maximize graphics and enhance gameplay. Those games also chew up storage, with several anticipated PC titles expected to require 80GB or more, meaning gamers without drive space will have to delete older games and save files to make room for the new.
You can also upgrade to an NVMe SSD which will make sure you have enough space for all your games. Also, switching from HDDs to SSDs means gamers will wait through shorter or non-existent load screens each time they boot up the game or access a level or save a file.
Don’t forget about the Crucial student discount, where you can get 10% off Crucial products, so there is no reason you can’t thrive in your next semester.
Crucial breaks down everything you need to know about external SSDs – how they work, what they're used for, and how to get the fastest speeds out of yours.
Read more