How I speed up my Linux system for free while RAM prices are out of control
How I speed up my Linux system for free while RAM prices are out of control
https://www.zdnet.com/article/ram-prices-linux-zram/
Publish Date: 2026-02-03 21:02:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- With the price of RAM skyrocketing, try this to speed up Linux.
- This configuration is simple to do.
- Some distributions include ZRAM by default.
The last time I checked the price of memory (RAM), I was shocked. According to Tom’s Hardware, the price of RAM has increased 240% on Amazon. Wow.
There are two primary reasons why the price of RAM has jumped:
- Supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical instability
- Explosive demand from AI and data centers
As AI continues to grow in popularity, the price of RAM will most likely keep rising (or remain flat at higher prices).
Also: I struggled with Hyprland for months, until this Arch-based distro fixed it
If those out-of-control price increases prevent you from upgrading your Linux system(s) by adding RAM, what can you do?
Fortunately, there’s a software solution you can use to eke out more speed from your Linux computers.
That solution is called ZRAM. Let me show you how to install and use it.
What is ZRAM?
ZRAM is a compressed swap space that is used entirely in RAM. When your system is low on memory, it typically uses a traditional swap space, which is slower than a RAM-based space. Because ZRAM keeps swapped data in memory, it’s much faster than a standard swap-system.
Installing ZRAM
What you’ll need: The only things you’ll need for this are a running instance of Linux and a user with sudo preferences. Keep in mind that ZRAM is typically enabled by default on Fedora and Fedora-based distributions. I’ve also found that some Debian-based distributions (such as Pop!_OS) ship with ZRAM preinstalled as well.
Also: The best Linux laptops you can buy: Expert tested
I’ll demonstrate how this is done on a Debian-based distribution.
Next, we can install ZRAM with the following command:
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sudo apt-get install zram-tools -y
ZRAM is now installed and ready to be configured.
Configuring ZRAM
With ZRAM…
