RAM is one of the essential parts of a laptop. If your laptop is running really slow, then you should know that it is time to upgrade your RAM. In this new tutorial, I will help you upgrade laptop RAM within the shortest time possible.
I myself do not tolerate slower systems or laptops. It has always been my top priority to make the machines I or any other person uses as fast as possible. That is why I have written articles about using SpeedFan or ThrottleStop to increase the processing ability of your laptop without causing overheating.
These are practices I have adopted for many years and know they work. They do increase your computer’s speed to an unimaginable extent. One of the practices I also adopted was upgrading my RAM to help increase processing power.
Why should you upgrade your RAM?
There is a simple reason why you must upgrade your laptop RAM and to find that reason, we must first know what the RAM is and what it does.
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a volatile memory in the computer that stores operating system information. It is temporary storage so it gets wiped whenever the computer reboots.
On the computer, everything including installed software files is saved on the Hard Disk which is the main storage. But the CPU is not supposed to access all those files directly from the Hard Disk every time. If it should, it means the processing will take longer.
How the RAM works is that if you boot the computer, all applications that you will run will deposit some of their frequently accessed files on the RAM. This RAM is faster to access by the Processor compared to the Hard Disk.
The reason why a smaller storage RAM will cause your laptop to run slow is that it is too small, so all the temporary files can not be contained by it. So the CPU will have to go past the RAM to access the files directly from the Hard Disk. If this happens, the result will be a very slow loading time since the processor will have to read the entire disk to be able to retrieve the files.
That is when you need a larger storage RAM.
How To Upgrade Laptop RAM
If I want to upgrade my RAM, the way I select a new RAM is to multiply the existing one by 2. Assuming I am using 4 GB x 2 on my laptop, I will upgrade to 8 GB x 2.
Also, If you have not purchased your RAM yet, then take a quick look at my previous article about How much RAM costs and where to get some for a cheaper price. Make sure you know which type of RAM your computer uses before you purchase.
After purchasing your RAM, you will have to follow the procedure below to upgrade your laptop RAM.
Note: Each laptop has where its RAM back is. For some, you will have to open the laptop completely. Others have a RAM bank cover you will just open and you can get access to the RAMs. There are some that have it under the keyboard. No matter where yours is, make sure you read your manufacturer’s manual before you start the process.
1. Shut down your laptop and make sure you disconnect the power cable and remove the battery if it is possible.
2. Locate the RAM bank and open it. (Usually under the laptop)
3. Remove the RAM sticks. Two plastic clips hold each RAM tight to the socket. Simply give them a little spread and RAM should pop out. Please do not apply pressure else you could break the clips. Also, make sure you remove one at a time.
4. Fix your new RAMs into the sockets, close your RAM bank, and connect everything back. Your machine should start working as soon as you turn it on.
FAQs
Most laptops have a maximum of two memory banks. If you add to RAM sticks and these two banks are full, you are out of space. You cannot add extra RAMs.
If your laptop has only a single 4 GB RAM, then you can add another 8 GB in the empty bank. However, if the laptop has 2 GB x 2, then the bank is probably full so you will have to take one of the 2 GB out to be able to add your 8 GB.