Selecting Laptop Memory

Brent — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:20:21 +0000

Finding laptop memory shouldn’t be a hair-pulling task. Amazingly though, a lot of people do find it difficult to select the proper memory for their laptop. Laptop RAM memory comes in many different flavors, and computer manufacturers don’t always make it easy to find which one your system actually takes; sometimes it involves searching through pages upon pages of manuals to get the answer you want. You don’t want to deal with that, do you?

Me either. That’s why in this post I’ll tell you how to find out which type of RAM your laptop takes, and then at the same time talk about the various types of memory that are on the market today. Stick around…this can be good for your mental health and blood pressure!

Now, I should mention that there are a few websites out there that will help you find out which type of memory your laptop takes. The Crucial website actually has a tool that allows you to plug in which type of computer you have, and it’ll come back with the type of laptop memory upgrades that you should buy, along with the actual limit of memory that your laptop can actually take. You might not have been aware that there’s generally a limit to the amount of memory one computer can handle; this is usually a hardware limitation, not a software limitation (however, it can be). This is something that is often overlooked in the manuals. The Crucial site is almost always right on target, but you should also consult your manual just to make sure what you’re buying is the correct one.

Okay, so let’s talk about some types of RAM that you should be aware of. Most modules are classified as DDR laptop memory, with sub-types being DDR1 (the original type of memory), DDR2, and the newest DDR3. Each one is compatible with certain laptops, but not all of them. It’s important to note that each type is not cross-compatible with other types, so don’t try to put memory into a slot that is supposed to fit another type of module. The results can be catastrophic. You’ve been warned!

Okay everyone, I hope that gave you a nice primer into the world of RAM, even though I didn’t quite get to talking about brand names. Perhaps in a later post. I sincerely hope that this post has given you a bit more insight into how to select laptop memory!

Shopping:

Crucial 2GB 256Mx64PC2-5300 CT25664AC667 DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM Laptop Memory

Crucial 2GB Set(2x1GB) 200-Pin PC2 5300 667Mhz SODIMM DDR2 RAM

PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules MD2048KD2-667

PNY OPTIMA 1GB DDR 333 MHz PC2700 Desktop DIMM Memory Module MD1024SD1-333

Corsair Dominator 6 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz Triple Channel Core i7 DDR3 CAS 8 Memory Kit CMP6GX3M3A1600C8

The 17″ Laptop

Brent — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:31:03 +0000

Ahh, the 17″ laptop, our old friend! If you’re in the market for one of these beasts, you’re pretty much showing yourself as a person with good taste, if not someone who just has huge biceps from lifting the thing all day! In this post I’ll talk about which laptop brands are offered in the 17″ variety, and where I think you can find good deals on them.

First thing’s first. I don’t care if you’re a Mac person at all, but one can’t do a post about 17″ laptops without talking about the MacBook Pro. This is the flagship of the wide-screen line of notebooks, and for good reason. This computer can be configured with up to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (Apple with Intel?), and an armada of RAM and hard drive space. It’s got the usual DVD-R/W drive attached as well, and comes standard with the Mac OSX operating system. Pretty standard for a Mac. Of course, all this performance comes with a pricetag: It starts at $2499 and goes up briskly from there. You can easily spend $3000-$4000 on this system, but if you’re into graphic arts, the large screen and system speed can’t be touched.

The next best 17″ laptop on the market as far as I’m concerned is the Dell Studio 17. This competes with the Mac fairly well, and even includes a lower price tag. This computer comes with a quad-core Intel i7 processor rated up to 2.8 GHz, and up to 8 gigabytes of RAM. At that point, you might as well not even have a hard drive! It also comes offered with 1 gigabyte of video RAM, which makes it a great platform for graphic design, movie production, or any other video-intensive project you might have. Better yet, if you’re a gamer this is the laptop for you. Windows comes standard, which makes it compatible with just about every A-List game that comes onto the market. Unless you were to go with a high-end desktop, you’re not going to get better performance from a gaming laptop. Best yet, prices start at $1099, which blows the Mac out of the water.

So, there’s my unbiased opinion on the matter. I’ve heard wonderful things about the MacBook Pro, but if you’re looking for the best compromise between price and performance in a 17″ laptop, you can’t beat the Dell.

Shopping:

Apple MacBook MB881LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

Zotac ZBOX Intel Atom D510 1.66 GHz Dual Core All-in-One Mini-PC with No Memory, No Hard Drive and No OS

DELL INSPIRON PP22X COMPATIBLE LAPTOP LCD SCREEN 17" WSXGA+ MATTE CCFL

Apple MacBook Pro MC371LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop

Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor E6600 3.06GHz 1066MHz 2MB LGA775 CPU - Retail BX80571E6600

The Refurbished Laptops Guide » RAM

Selecting Laptop Memory

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The 17″ Laptop

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