How to Upgrade Your Laptop's Memory.

If you want to drastically improve the overall speed of your laptop computer then you will need to consider a ram memory upgrade. Before setting out to upgrade your current memory you will need to do some basic research beforehand to insure you make the right purchasing choice. With so many type of memory available it is crucial to purchase the right type and size for your laptops needs to gain the most benefit. By investigating your laptop manual or via the manufacturers website you will be able to find the type of memory your laptop accepts as well as upgrade possibilities.

Finding out how much memory your computer laptop currently has.

There are 2 ways to check the amount of memory you have installed on your laptop. The quickest way is to check through the bios of your laptop. This is usually accessed when the laptop boots up and requires to press the appropriate key to enter setup. Bios setup menus vary from laptop to laptop so just have a quick browse through the memory settings to get a clear idea on what your system currently has.

Another method to check your memory is via your system menu in the control panel. This can be accessed if you have windows xp or later by clicking on the control panel option in the start menu then locating the system icon. From there you will find other specifications such as processor speed and memory currently installed.


How much memory is needed?


This all depends on your speed requirements. If you find your computer is not running as smooth as you would like then its advised to essentially double the amount of memory by purchasing another of equal amount. This will usually suffice for many and it is often rare to go further than this unless you have an older model of laptop.


Checking if there are additional ram slots available for upgrade & installation.


Underneath your laptop you will find a panel labelled in many cases with a little engraving of a memory module. These panels are usually attached via 1 screw or clip function and can be removed to access the memory bay of your computer. If you are not sure where the ram panel is I advice you consult the manual of your laptop to find it's exact location.


Once you have access to the panel you will be able to tell if there are additional slots available to place your new ram or if you need to replace an existing module with your new memory stick. If there is a lot available then simply install your new memory by diagonally placing the connector side into the appropriate slot and lowering the rest of the ram module.


Choosing the right ram memory for your laptop


The important thing to remember when purchasing any sort of ram is that an upgrade can only be performed in pairs of equal amount or single for 1 slot. As an example if you find you have slot taken by a 1gb memory stick and still have 1 slot available you should install in that free slot a memory module of equal amount not greater or less equaling to a total of 2gb memory. You could do this another way by removing the 1gb memory stick and placing 1x2gb memory leaving another slot free in future for an additional 2gb stick. The choice is totally up to you. It is advised to get the biggest amount of memory you can purchase to save you cash in the long term so you do not need to remove and rid of old modules to replace with new ones.


Robert has been writing articles for over 2 years now. Come and visit his latest site over at http://4gbmemorycard.org for more information on the various 4gb memory cards available.


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