Noob questions possibly?

[Kodyak]

Just bought a computer online today! Pretty stoked. Im fairly new to the PC world but I have a general understanding of computers from internet researching and reading forums etc... Anyways this is my computer specs

• AMD FX-Series FX-4200 (3.3GHz)
• 4GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity
• Windows 8.1 64-Bit
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 1GB

It has a messily little 300W Power Supply which kind of sketches me out, I've heard that if the PSU is cheap it can cause some serious damages to the rest of the computer. I also must state that there are two GB RAM stick slots (Noob way of saying it) and only one is being used by the 4GB stick right now.

Now... My questions ARE..Can I potentially just add a 8GB stick to that extra slot and therefore have 12GB of RAM? And should I think of getting a new PSU before I make ANY upgrades.. Any information and additional information you want to throw at me would be much appreciated!

Hope the community here is nice to new comers!

 

[strollin]

Yes, you can add an 8GB stick but you shouldn't jump in and get more RAM right away. 4GB is about right for most users, you should wait and see what your actual requirements are. If you find that you are constantly utilizing all of your RAM, then see about adding more. Having more RAM doesn't magically improve a computer's performance.

The 300W psu is rather measly but might be adequate depending on your usage. Personally, I would not replace it unless you start adding additional components that need more power such as a higher-end video card or additional drives.

 

[BK_123]

What will you be using the computer for, If you will be using it for general uses such as internet, emails and word processing then 4GB is plenty, If you will be gaming then 8GB is plenty as well. He only scenario where you'd need 12GB of ram is when you would be running virtual machines and performing other demanding tasks.

 

[BikerEcho]

you shouldn't mix RAM due to reduced reliability.
RAM isn't that expensive anymore. You are better of replacing all your current RAM and get a quality 2x4 GB kit (total 8 GB)

 

[Smart_Guy]

Watch out newcomer. Members here are so very extremely nice

Technically you can add 8GB RAM to the existing 4GB, but practically there is a very high possibility to get compatibility issues. Unless you're perfectly certain that the extra RAM is identical in specifications, I highly recommend not adding any. As stated before, you probably won't be needing that much RAM unless you're a very heavy user, like on servers or modern virtual machines. Even the heaviest of games, for example, don't need more than 8GB total.

300WATT output is good for your system. If it is a good brand PSU, then it is perfectly fine for these specifications.