Does My Laptop Have Enough RAM? If Not, Is It Easy to Upgrade?

Random access memory abbreviated to RAM is located inside a laptop & is critical for programs to run smoothly. If there is no RAM, then some programs will either not run at all or may run very very slowly. When a laptop is turned off the RAM will be cleared of all its contents, so it only acts as a temporary store for information. Usually, a user will upgraded RAM to increase the number of programs that can be effectively run on a laptop; occasionally however, RAM will fail, & is changed to repair a defective laptop.

Before beginning any repair or upgrade work on your laptop you ought to disconnect the power pack & remove the battery. You ought to also attach an anti-static strap to your wrist; these are available from most electronic shops.

The RAM chip or chips in most laptops can be found under a small plastic door, secured with screws, on the base of your laptop. Use a small cross point screwdriver to remove the screws & open the door to reveal the RAM. A quantity of the older laptops has an additional or RAM chip located under the keyboard; to locate this keyboard must be removed. It is much more difficult, so specialist help may be necessary at this point.

Before beginning a RAM upgrade it is necessary to identify how much RAM is already present. This can be done in ways; either by removing & examining the existing RAM chips or by looking in the Method Setting located in the Control Panel of Windows. As a general rule you ought to always aim to double the ram capacity, ideally by using identical RAM chips. For example, in the event you have a single 512 Mb RAM chip in your laptop then you ought to aim to have 2x 512 Mb chips making a total of GB after the upgrade. If the existing RAM consists of 2x chips then both ought to be discarded & new identical RAM chips bought & installed. There are exceptions but most laptops work better with identical chips than mixed capacity RAM chips. All RAM is removed by pushing metal or plastic side tabs & removing the chip; installing the new chips is the reverse.

Over the last few years types of RAM have been used in laptops; DDR, DDR2 & DDR3. DDR is an abbreviation for double data rate. Regrettably, these types of RAM are not interchangeable; & within each type different speeds are available. Usually, the safest way to select which RAM to buy for your laptop is to carefully examining the label on the old RAM chips & buy the same type & speed as the original, but of a greater capacity. Alternatively, check the manufacturer's net site where the RAM specification for your laptop can usually be found. time you have done the upgrade reconnect the battery & power pack, turn on the laptop & check that the total amount of RAM present is as expected; if not then either a chip is flawed or has not been installed properly.