Where memory was once a no-brainer (70 nsec parity RAM used to be the norm), you now have to look closely at your choice of RAM. I would suggest you get twice what the "normal" amount of RAM is, and get it in a denser package (buy two 16 MB SIMM's instead of four 8 MB SIMM's). So, while 16 MB seems to be the norm, get 32 MB.

Buy the high-speed RAM. EDO is the norm, and SDRAM will likely be the next standard.

FPM RAM should not be used unless you have a lot of it sitting around from an old system. But if you have the FPM RAM, you may be doing yourself a favor by getting rid of it now. Soon, FPM RAM will be practically worthless, as future systems may no longer support it.

Trade it in now to a used memory reseller, or at least have them resolder it into a denser package. Often it is the same price or a few bucks more, and it could end up being more valuable.

Many people on Usenet rave about 45, 50, or 60 nsec EDO RAM. When buying RAM, ask how much it is for the next faster speed of RAM.

When buying RAM, ask for a warranty, and ask who makes the chips.

In Windows NT, you can never have too much memory - I recommend 64 MB. 32 MB is minimal for NTWS.

In Windows 95, I recommend 24 to 48 MB.

Why gold-plated SIMM's are better: Gold is not the best conductor, (silver is), so why use gold? The answer is two-fold.

• Gold has one of the best corrosion resistances of any metal. The wisdom is that gold connectors will outlast silver, copper, or tin, all of which can be electrolytically attacked, especially in cities like Galveston, Seattle, or Honolulu.
• Gold is the second most expensive precious metal. It is therefore a comodity and fairly common. Jeweler's have known for centuries how malleable gold is and how easy it is to electroplate metallic objects. In the electronics indusrty, we take advantage of these properties. So where chemical inertness is highly desirable, and electrical conductivity is required, gold is the best choice and adds very little to the price of an item.

SIMM's

SIMM's have the following drawbacks:

•  Most SIMM sockets are made of tin, another attempt at using a non-corrosive metal in connectors. A tin-to-gold connection is seemingly fine -- both of these metals are corrosion-resistant. But due to the electrolytic effect, any two dissimilar metals will undergo some kind of electron exchange and corrosion under the right circumstances. This defeats the purpose, and corrosion will occur.

• Gold-plated lead SIMM's should only be used in a motherboard that has gold connectors. But for the majority of us, the tin leads are desirable since that's what's on the motherboard.