It’s much easier than most people expect to upgrade laptop memory, and most people with a bit of technical knowledge can easily do it on their own. For those who can’t, or don’t feel comfortable opening their computer, almost every town has a host of small computer technical support people who can help for a modest fee. With a wide range of online suppliers of memory, it’s much easier and cheaper to upgrade laptop memory now than it has ever been before.
The first step to upgrading is to determine what sort of memory you need for your laptop, and how much you’ll want. Memory has different features, and the wrong memory will be incompatible with a computer. You need to make sure it has the correct number of pins to fit your computer, and you’ll want to get memory with a speed your laptop can take advantage of.
A number of online stores exist that can help you determine what memory will fit your laptop, where you’ll simply type in the model of your computer, and be shown your various options. You will also find out the maximum amount of memory that your computer can support. This is useful, because you don’t want to order more memory than your computer can handle, as it will simply be a waste.
Once you’ve ordered memory and it arrives, you can either take your laptop into a store, or else try to perform the installation yourself. Most stores will charge around $50 US Dollars (USD) to upgrade laptop memory, but this may be slightly more or less depending on the store. Some stores will require you purchase the memory through them in order for them to perform the memory, and although this may cost more, you should look at whether they include free installation and if this offsets the increased cost.
If you decide to upgrade on your own, you’ll need to find instructions on how to open your computer to install the memory. The instruction manual that came with your computer should have a special section devoted to helping you perform an upgrade. Most commonly, you will remove the battery and unplug the computer, and then open a memory cover. The memory cover is sometimes under the battery bay, and sometimes is simply on the back of the computer. Some laptops may require you to lift the keyboard and actually move components around in order to get to the memory, and in this case it may be easier to hire a professional to perform the installation.
Many people find when they try to upgrade laptop memory on their own that the memory doesn’t show up when they boot the computer. Often this is because insufficient force was exerted when situating the memory in its slots. It requires a surprising amount of evenly-distributed force to get the memory to lock in correctly, and anything less will make the memory seem as though it is in place, but in fact the connection has not been fully made. If this happens, re-open the computer, remove the memory, and try placing it in with a bit more slow, steady force. If this still doesn’t work, you may need to find a professional to upgrade laptop memory for you, or it may be that you have the wrong type of memory, and you should double-check that the type of memory you have is compatible with your computer.