memory - RAM decision for laptop

08
2014-07
  • user315388

    These are my two options:

    Option 1:
    Number of sticks: 1
    Number of RAM on each stick: 4GB
    MHz on each stick: 799 MHz

Option 2:
    Number of sticks: 2
    Number of RAM on each stick: 2GB, 4GB
    MHz on each stick:799 MHz, 666 MHz

    My laptop will only hold 6GB of RAM, so out of those two which is the better option? BTW my laptop supports dual channel.

    • Answers
  • Tech1337

    Are you sure it is a new laptop? Either way, I would go with the first option since it would be running at a higher speed and after 4 GB of ram it doesn't really help that much. If you need that extra RAM (ex. if you run a lot of high-end programs simultaneously) then the second option is fine but as I pointed out in the comments it will decrease the speed. It just depends on what you want to do. For normal operations such as browsing and running MS office software, and Photoshop, 4gb of ram is fine.


    • Related Question

    memory - Might my Acer laptop be limited to 2GB RAM?
  • Lawrence Dol

    I have an older run of the mill Acer Aspire 4720Z laptop which is about 2 years old and came with 1 GB of PC-5300 RAM.

    I just purchased 4 GB of PC-4300 in 2 sticks and when I plug them both in the computer BIOS recognizes the 4 GB of memory, but Windows Vista crashes with a BSOD just as the boot-up progress meter displays, with 100% consistency.

    I tried each 2 GB stick individually and each boots fine; I ran a memory test on one of them and it passed fine. I tried each 2 GB stick with one of the original 512 MB sticks and it BDOD's at the same point.

    I have a 2 hour round-trip drive to return the RAM, so I would like to be certain that the 4 GB is not somehow usable (I can certainly make use of it... well the about 3.5 GB that will actually be usable, anyway).

    It seems as if Windows or the laptop has a problem with more than 2 GB RAM - is this likely or even possible?


    • Related Answers
  • shf301

    According to what I can find your laptop model, it only supports 2GB or RAM. That is what is listed on the Acer Support Page and the Crucial Memory Selector. Also going to Intel's specs for the laptop chipset, the GL960, lists 2GB max of RAM as well. So it looks like that's what the issue is.

    I'm surprised though that the computer recognizes all the RAM and then crashes Windows rather than just ignoring the extra RAM.

  • John T

    Windows doesn't have a problem with 2GB, I know that. Maybe your laptops physical hardware limitations won't allow over 2GB. You can run the crucial memory scanner to check the max RAM your system will support.