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Resolved Question

Max RAM: SIW vs System Manual

Feb 21, 2016 11:55PM PST

I'm upgrading an old laptop for a family member, and I'm not sure how much RAM it can support. According to the manual, it can support 1 GB per slot, for a total of 2 GB. However, when I ran SIW (System Information for Windows), it claimed the computer supported 2 GB per slot, for a total of 4 GB.

Which should I go with, what the manual says or what SIW says? Thank you for your help.

~Chris

Discussion is locked

engineer331 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Techs, Crucial go with the manual.
Feb 22, 2016 7:57AM PST

While a chipset might support 2GB per slot you can't be sure all the address lines were run via the circuit board. So if you want to chance it you find no one will be there to tell you it will work.

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Answer
Re: RAM
Feb 22, 2016 12:16AM PST
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Crucial....
Feb 22, 2016 12:31AM PST

Crucial agrees with the manual; it suggests 1 GB sticks or 1 GBx2 kits.

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Check the OS first,
Feb 22, 2016 8:17AM PST

if it's 32bits, I believe the max. it can use is 2 GB. anyway.

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Re: 32 bits
Feb 23, 2016 1:44AM PST

No, that would be 4 GB for a 32-bit OS.