Diy Tech Tips & Guides

Upgrade PC Memory

How to upgrade your computer memory.

We did discuss a while back, the various options available to us when thinking about upgrading our computer. As I pointed out in the previous article balancing your system is of prime importance if you want peak performance from your computer system. Bearing this in mind, we are going to look at one of the best options open to us & that is a memory upgrade.

Unfortunately upgrading your computer memory can be a veritable minefield if not done correctly, not just because of the different types of memory, but also the speed at which it operates & also the voltage it is designed to run on. Add to this the numerous motherboards available these days & you can start to understand just how difficult it can be to get the correct memory module for your computer.

Find the right memory, the easy way…

This is without doubt the best & quickest option I have found for easing this process, it is a small scanner program from Crucial Memory , the program scans your system, checks the motherboard manufacturer, checks the amount of current memory and then gives you a report based on the scan. It will recommend the speed of memory & what size memory modules you can upgrade to.

This is an extract from a scan on my own laptop

Your Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo L1310G Specifications

Currently installed memory: 

  512MB

DDR PC2700

  512MB

DDR PC2700

Each memory slot can hold DDR PC3200,DDR PC2700 with a maximum of 1GB per slot.*

 *Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory.

• Maximum Memory Capacity:  2048MB
• Currently Installed Memory:  1GB
• Available Memory Slots:  0
• Number of Banks:  2
• Dual Channel Support:   No
• CPU Manufacturer:  GenuineIntel
• CPU Family:  Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor 1.60GHz Model 13, Stepping 8
• CPU Speed:  1592 MHz

Now as can be seen by this report, my laptop currently has 2 x 512mb modules running at 2700. What this report is telling me, is that my laptop will take 2 x 1gb (1024mb) running at 3200. So not only can I double my RAM, but I can also opt for PC3200 which is considerably faster memory than the old PC2700.

This sort of upgrade would cost around $120 for Crucial or Kingston RAM modules, both companies provide top quality memory with a lifetime guarantee.

Click the link to use the Crucial Scanner and select RUN when given the option. This will take a couple of minutes to test your system & can save you from buying the wrong memory, wasting your money & possibly also damaging your motherboard in the process.

NOTE: When fitting memory modules always support the edge of the motherboard with your finger tips, as downward pressure when fitting memory can cause cracks in the printed circuit of the motherboard.

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