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General discussion

More than 4GB RAM in a laptop?

Mar 19, 2007 11:24AM PDT

Hi. I'm a bit of a poweruser - mainly for large-scale datasets - and was trying to pack a laptop with as much RAM as possible (ideally 8GB). Looking at the desktop replacements offered by most manufacturers, I only see laptops with up to 4GB RAM. Is there some inherent limit that is doing this, and/or are there ways to pack more RAM onto a laptop? Who sells such a beast?

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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8 GB????
Mar 19, 2007 11:52AM PDT

The Dell XPS 710 H2C only goes up to 4 GB of ram.

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Only pretty high end...
Mar 19, 2007 12:02PM PDT

Desktop motherboard offer the option of a top memory capacity of 8GB. We haven't gotten there on a laptop yet, the average right now on a laptop is 1GB, 2B is pretty decent. 4GB is amazing. Good Luck

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Today, Windows stops at just over 3GB.
Mar 19, 2007 12:19PM PDT

You'll have to move to 64 bit Windows to break that limit then you discover the limits fly back into place in the Microsoft applications.

Are you able to run Linux and write your own 64-bit apps?

Bob

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You can also do this...
Mar 19, 2007 12:19PM PDT

There is a software work around to this added memory conflict. If you purchase a Windows Vista laptop you can increase the memory possibly to 8GB or more. In Windows Vista there is a Operating System Sub-Application called ReadyBoost. If you have a USB flash drive or other Memory Card such as a SD Memory Card (I would recommend a flash drive) that supports ReadyBoost, you can plug this flash drive into the USB port of your laptop and Windows will ask you what would you like to do with this drive.
You select from the options to enable Readyboost. Now what this is going to do is see this flash drive as a part of the computers RAM and it's going to begin allocating Virtual Memory space onto it. Essentially the flash drive becomes part of the computers RAM it's just not part of the actual physical memory module. Using this config I belive you will be able to reach a RAM capacity of 8GB or possibly even more.

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4GB of physical+4GB flash drive=8GB...
Mar 20, 2007 5:53AM PDT

Seems like that works.

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Not in 32-bit Windows.
Mar 20, 2007 6:04AM PDT

And again in the Microsoft (and other) applications the limit just reoccurs.

-> To wit. A 32-bit VM can only address a 32-bit VM "space." There are ways around this such as PAE but this has never been seen in a laptop.

Bob

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More than 4GB RAM on laptop.... Yes 8GB RAM!
Jul 14, 2008 4:14AM PDT

Dear all: Yes, I've found a laptop with 8GB by asking a Dell customer assistant. If you look for it on Dell's webpage you won't find that spec. But the spec is definitely there on one of their systems. Now, I don't promote Dell, but it'll serve you to know, if you're desperate and need the 8GB, that they only manufacture those for 64Bit Windows Vista Business. I don't know if you need that monster in there, but that's what they've got. Happy

I'm sure other manufacturers must also support such systems. I believe they are necessary for image/data intensive processing. So continue looking for that.

E-mail me if you care to know who I spoke with at Dell. Oh, before I forget... Don't use Dell's chat, they don't know anything and won't answer your question.

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What type of Datasets do you use?
Jul 15, 2008 5:12AM PDT

Most of our databases are SQL although we do have a few Oracle and the max memory we have is 2 gig.

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HP HDX Series!!!
Aug 24, 2009 9:50AM PDT

I have a HP HDX16t laptop it shipped with 4gbs of ram but i upgraded to 8 witch is its max load. So ya Im using 64bit vista that's also the reason why im using 8gbs of ram

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I just purchased a laptiop
Aug 25, 2009 1:45AM PDT

the HP Pavailion DV7-2180 and it camne with 6 gig. The problem with laptops is nearly all laptops come with 2 memory slots and the 4 gig memory modules aren't cheap.

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Looking for 8gb ram (4gb x 2) for my HP laptop
Nov 28, 2009 3:06PM PST

Hi,

I have the same HP HDX16 64bit laptop. I know it is upgradable to 8gb of ram (has 4gb now - 2gb x 2) but I have not been able to find the 4gb cards. Where can I get 2 of them?

Chris

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If it's supported.
Nov 28, 2009 10:43PM PST

Try crucial.com But this is worth writing. Some "know" and then we have what is supported. Those ideas often clash.

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Newegg has Skill 4 gig memory
Nov 30, 2009 8:47PM PST

for 139. So your looking at around 280 for 8 gigs. I remember when it cost that much for 4 gig.