Laptop Memory Upgrading Your Laptop Successfully Without the Fuss

You've in all probability landed on this page as a result of you either need to induce up to hurry with what DDR portable computer memory is or you are bang within the middle of attempting to upgrade your portable computer however stuck what to try to to. Well you recognize what? you've got in all probability landed on a page which will help!

DDR stands for Double rate associated is an increased (faster) style of SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory). nearly all portable computers oversubscribed nowadays still as those oversubscribed since circa 2002 use a given (older or newer) version of DDR portable computer memory. place it in plain English DDR memory is quicker than commonplace SDRAM as a result of it will transfer knowledge on each the falling  Most Expensive Laptops and rising fringe of every clock cycle and thus the 'double' in its name. there is completely no reason you ought to bear in mind this however simply note that if you ever see DDR SDRAM mentioned anyplace, take care to understand this is often the precise same factor as plain vanilla DDR.

So moving on, what styles of portable computer memory will we have?

DDR laptop memory, otherwise called DDR1 (though this is not an officer name instead stated as simply DDR) or DDR SDRAM is that the oldest and slowest. It's preponderantly obtainable in capacities up to 1GB (per module) and at speeds of up to 400MHz (effective).

DDR2 is associate evolution to DDR with some internal enhancements to spice up performance and typically obtainable in capacities up to 2GB (per module) and hurries up to 1066MHz (effective).

DDR3 is presently the most recent style of portable computer DDR memory and is nevertheless an additional evolution of DDR2 boosting speed an additional notch. It may be found in capacities up to 4GB (per module) and hurries up to 1600MHz (effective).

Notice that we have a tendency to might have aforesaid DDR2 SDRAM even as DDR3 SDRAM. For simplicity sake, persist with basic cognitive process that there is DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 as a result of quite candidly this is often what you will encounter most! as luck would have it, the business looks to like the shorthand naming convention.


When upgrading portable computer memory you wish to spot what kind of DDR memory is employed therefore supported by your portable computer. Failing to try to to this can mean a unsuccessful upgrade for a awfully straightforward reason - all versions of DDR ar incompatible with one another and use a special kind of slot instrumentality, that differs within the variety of pins (and many different technical aspects).

Speaking of memory slots we'd like to introduce memory modules. In distinction to desktops your portable computer uses a smaller style of memory slot that consumes less house. As a result, the memory modules employed in laptops ar smaller too. you will or might not have detected the term DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) before, particularly if you've got upgraded your microcomputer (now could be a nice time to jog your memory!).  Most Expensive Laptops Laptops use SO-DIMM's - merely append 'Small Outline' to a DIMM. The name is not very vital except what this suggests in practise, specifically you can't install a DIMM in an exceedingly SO-DIMM memory slot and contrariwise. DIMM's ar significantly longer than SO-DIMM's and aren't designed to be used in laptops. Before going any we should always conjointly suggests that you just might come across SO-DIMM written as SODIMM - this is often the precise same thing!

So simply to recap, we all know the various styles of DDR, that numerous versions of DDR do not combine and conjointly that we won't use any DIMM's lying round the house and/or workplace (should you've got any) in our portable computer. Next we'd like to conclude simply what kind of DDR memory we'd like, specifically what is going to add our portable computer.

A good indicator what sort is true for you is your laptop's age. Laptops created within the years 2001-2003 are going to be terribly seemingly be DDR based mostly. Laptops created within the years 2004-2007 are going to be DDR2 and at last, portable computer created since 2008 are going to be DDR3 (though some use DDR2). Armed with this info you will recognize whether or not to shop for a DDR SODIMM, DDR2 SODIMM or even a DDR3 SODIMM.

A second side you wish to judge is that the memory controller inside your portable computer. an easy technique to search out this out (and be told what kind of DDR is true for us) is to run some medicine software package on our machine. the reality be told, there ar tens and tens of different ways in which to approach this. we have a tendency to advocate downloading and running CPU-Z, it's entirely free - transfer CPU-Z here. this easy nevertheless useful application can amongst different aspects tell USA what memory our portable computer uses thus supports (remember what we have a tendency to aforesaid concerning not admixture styles of DDR?). Click on the 'Memory' tab and conjointly the 'SPD' tab. There you may realize the name DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 Most Expensive Laptops  followed by numerous odd trying numbers reminiscent of the memory frequency and totally different timings. you may conjointly realize the name that corresponds to the sub-type of DDR portable computer memory utilized by your portable computer - this can be one thing on the lines of PC2-5300, PC3200, PC3-8500 etc. merely piece the 2 along (i.e. DDR2 PC2-5300, DDR PC2100, DDR3 PC8-8500) and you will recognize what to shop for and thus install.