How to Upgrade and Install Laptop RAM in 2023 (Guide)

Is your laptop computer slowing all the way down to a crawl once you open various chrome tabs? Or are you aggravated about the truth that the laptop computer you’re planning to purchase has a better RAM variant however is outdoors your price range? Well, don’t fear, as we would simply have an answer for you. At the outset, it’s possible you’ll really feel that these points are unrelated, however the factor is that they don’t seem to be. One of the premier causes for a slowdown in fashionable laptops is the shortage of sufficient RAM. The purpose why this occurs is that if a laptop computer doesn’t have sufficient bodily reminiscence, it begins swapping information to different types of storage particularly, a tough drive (HDD) or stable storage drive (SSD), that are many instances slower than even the slowest RAM modules. This causes the switch price to bathroom down, which leads to a slowdown. So, including additional RAM to your laptop computer would possibly provide the efficiency increase that you just want. And as we’ll see on this information, the method to put in or improve RAM in your laptop computer is fairly straightforward.

Install New RAM Stick in Your Laptop (2023)

In this information, we inform you every thing you could find out about upgrading your laptop computer RAM – from determining in case your laptop computer has upgradable RAM slots to the precise bodily course of of putting in the RAM stick. The course of may appear intimidating at first because of the DIY nature of issues, however we guarantee you that the method isn’t any more durable than assembling a lego block set. The course of has a number of levels, so if you wish to leap to a devoted part, you are able to do so by means of the desk beneath.

Things to Remember Before Installing RAM

Before we begin, there are some stipulations that you’ve got to bear in mind. The very first thing it’s important to be clear about is whether or not you want the additional RAM or not. While pc slowdown could be attributable to low RAM, different components can result in comparable slowdowns. For instance, in case you are using an older laptop computer, the principle purpose for the slowdown may be storage and never reminiscence. Hard drives are inclined to degrade over time, and in consequence, they’re gradual to learn information. The different factor you need to verify earlier than you improve your RAM is whether or not your workload even requires an additional quantity of RAM. This is a crucial step as a result of if the issue shouldn’t be attributable to a scarcity of RAM, the problem will proceed to persist even after the improve.

Once you’re positive that you just want additional RAM for the graceful functioning of your laptop computer, you could undergo the next steps prior to installing a brand new RAM package:

Check for Empty RAM Slots

Firstly, you could verify you probably have devoted slots the place you may set up RAM sticks. This is a giant drawback in present instances as most skinny and light-weight laptops include soldered RAM, which is instantly related to the motherboard. It can’t be eliminated or changed with out extremely skilled instruments. A fast search of your laptop computer’s mannequin identify ought to inform you whether or not you may go ahead with this course of. Or if you wish to discover out accessible RAM slots on Windows your self, listed here are two straightforward methods:

• Open the Task Manager using the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + Shift + Esc”. Move to the “Performance” tabs, and you will note what number of bodily reminiscence slots are in use. Thus, you may see what number of slots can be found within the reminiscence part.

But for those who nonetheless are usually not positive about whether or not your laptop computer has soldered RAM or not, you may at all times use a third-party software program. Our most popular software program to make use of is Crucial’s System Scanner. It’s an easy-to-use software program that reads your motherboard’s particulars after which exhibits you all the knowledge you would possibly want. It exhibits your laptop computer’s reminiscence configuration, together with the variety of accessible slots, most supported reminiscence, and many others. Here’s the way it works:

• First, click on on the offered hyperlink, which is able to redirect you to Crucial’s web site. Once you’re on the web site click on on “Start Your Free Scan” right here.

• Clicking on “Start Your Free Scan” will result in a obtain immediate, so click on on “Allow“. After the software program is downloaded, click on on it to put in.

• When you open the “CrucialScan.exe” file, you may be redirected to a web page that provides you the small print of your laptop computer’s reminiscence specs. For instance – our laptop computer has two reminiscence slots. of which just one is occupied.

Check RAM Type and Speed

Now that you’ve got confirmed your laptop computer has an empty RAM slot or that the RAM shouldn’t be soldered to the motherboard, you could discover out the RAM sort and pace using the next technique.

1. First, obtain a third-party software program known as CPU-Z (Free) in your Windows laptop computer. Click on the “Setup •English” button right here.

2. Next, set up the software program using the downloaded setup file. Then, open CPU-Z and transfer to the “Memory” tab from the highest navigation bar. Here, you can find three essential particulars in regards to the reminiscence supported by your laptop computer:

• RAM Type, which is DDR4 in our case.
• DRAM Frequency right here exhibits the bottom clock pace of the RAM. DDR, for these unaware, stands for double information price, so you could double the bottom frequency (1800MHz x 2 = 3600MHz, in our case).
• CL Latency, which tells us the RAM timings for the module your laptop computer is using. If you’re unable to seek out reminiscence sticks with the identical CL quantity, go for a +1/-1 CL quantity.

3. Now, you could keep all these three issues in thoughts – RAM sort, frequency, and timings – whereas shopping for a brand new RAM package to put in in your laptop computer.

Tools Required to Upgrade RAM

Now that you’re conscious of your laptop computer’s RAM particulars, you’re lastly able to tackle this mission. There are just a few more objects that you could not solely assist make the improve a actuality but in addition make your life simpler alongside the best way. That features a good screwdriver set with a daily Philips head (and Torx for some Ultrabooks) and a plastic decide that will help you pry open your laptop computer’s back panel. The latter isn’t a necessity, as most laptops’ back panels simply come off simply.

How to Install or Upgrade RAM in Your Laptop

The next step within the course of is one which we’d argue is an important of all – bodily putting in the brand new RAM stick. So, let’s dive in and see how to improve or set up a brand new RAM stick in your laptop computer.

• The first step of the method will likely be to find the back panel screws. In our case, our laptop computer (MSI Modern 14) had 7 commonplace Philips screw heads.

• Once you could have situated the screws, use your screwdriver to unscrew them one after the other. Once you could have achieved that, use the plastic decide/ card to get between the panels and slowly carry it up. Once you could have achieved this, you’ll hear a pop sound usually.

• Now, proceed to pry the joints until you could have efficiently achieved it for all sides. Once achieved, it’s going to look one thing just like the image proven beneath.

• After that, see for those who can take away the back panel and for those who nonetheless aren’t in a position to, it means there would possibly nonetheless be some clips holding down the back panel. But as soon as it opens, the setup will look one thing like the image beneath. Our reminiscence module was coated by a skinny metallic warmth spreader, which we pulled as much as get entry to our RAM stick. If you even have an analogous setup, don’t be scared as eradicating the warmth spreader gained’t have an effect in your reminiscence efficiency.

• Once you could have entry to your present reminiscence modules, pull the facet clips away from the module to launch it. Then, take the RAM module out of the slot.

• The RAM that we’ll be putting in in our laptop computer is a 4GB DDR4 module, which ought to take our complete RAM to 12 GB.

Note: We will solely be including an additional RAM persist with our system, so in essence, we’re upgrading our reminiscence. If you wish to exchange your reminiscence altogether, be certain to take away the RAM stick that’s already within the socket after which proceed the method from right here.

• Now take the RAM stick, align it with the groove within the RAM slot, and slowly push it into the empty slot. Try to insert the RAM stick at a 45-degree angle, and when it’s within the slot, push it down until you hear a click on.

• Now that the brand new reminiscence stick has been put in, shut the back panel by doing all of the steps in reverse. First, place the back panel on and push it down from all sides until you hear the clicks. Then, put the person screws of their required locations and screw all of them in.

Check If Your Laptop RAM Is Installed Correctly

After you could have upgraded your laptop computer RAM or put in a brand new stick, it’s judgment time. The excellent news is that for those who mess up the set up course of, the fruits of your labor will likely be offered to you instantly. As mentioned beforehand in our devoted motherboard article, RAM is a basic side of the BOOT course of. And if the system figures out there is no such thing as a RAM, it might not even begin. Now, in case your laptop computer refuses to begin, repeat the above steps and ensure the brand new sticks are appropriately seated of their socket.

But what if the boot course of is successful? Well, all it’s important to do now’s verify whether or not the laptop computer is studying the additional reminiscence you could have put in. To do that, observe the identical steps as above and open the Task Manager in Windows 11 to verify how a lot RAM our laptop computer is consuming and what number of slots are in use.

Here, we will see that our improve was profitable as the quantity of obtainable reminiscence has gone from 8 GB to 12 GB. Furthermore, we will additionally now see that each the RAM slots are getting used. If you could have gained some confidence and have a PC, it’s also possible to learn to set up RAM in your desktop PC right here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Upgrade Your Laptop’s RAM to Improve Performance

And that’s it! This is how one can improve your laptop computer’s system reminiscence. That was straightforward, wasn’t it? It is definitely the case with many of the elements in our computer systems. The motherboard and its complicated circuitry many a time obfuscate the fact of the method. The pc is each a posh {hardware} and a easy one. The methods by which it operates could possibly be sophisticated, however the best way by which it’s constructed is definitely understandable.

Just like how we had been in a position to exchange our laptop computer RAM, there are different elements that you may simply set up or improve such because the CPU in your motherboard and apply thermal paste on the CPU as properly. So earlier than you throw away your laptop computer simply because it’s getting gradual, take into consideration whether or not there’s a chance to breathe some new life into it. So have you ever ever changed the RAM in your laptop computer or PC? Let us know within the feedback beneath.