laptop UPGRADING LAPTOP MEMORY

[Keldra]

Hi, I have decided to upgrade my laptop memory from 4 GB to 8 GB. It is the Toshiba Sattelite L50-B and it has become kind of old but I think with the new SSD that I will installing and the ram upgrade it should take me through approximately 2 more years. My question is that how do I find out the maximum MHz of ram my motherboard can handle. I don't know the model of the motherboard and I do not know how to find out. (I will be installing 2 of the same ram sticks). If you have any more questions related to helping me please ask.

[Jurrunio]

Take the old RAM out and get something of the same specs

[Jae Tee]

DDR4? even if you get higher than normal speeds the mobo should default to 2400MHz, if its actually ddr4. 

[Haro]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Take the old RAM out and get something of the same specs

I agree with this but most of the times it's soldered so they won't be able to 

[Hairless Monkey]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Take the old RAM out and get something of the same specs

Or use CPU-Z to find out what the RAM is without uninstalling it first.

[Keldra]

Just now, TofuHaroto said:

I agree with this but most of the times it's soldered so they won't be able to 

I will check if it is when I open it up to install the ssd. However, I don't know the model of the ram already inside it as well and I don't want to buy ram new and then just return it because it's incompatible.

[Keldra]

3 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Or use CPU-Z to find out what the RAM is without uninstalling it first.

So these are the specs but it's pretty old now so I don't know if I should buy 2 completely new ram sticks or just one like the Jurrunio said.

[Naijin]

Just now, Keldra said:

So these are the specs but it's pretty old now so I don't know if I should buy 2 completely new ram sticks or just one like the Jurrunio said.

This is DDR3 1600 MHz (2x 798.4 MHz). Anything should do. If you got 2 slots, buy a kit. That's the easiest.

[Haro]

4 minutes ago, Keldra said:

just one like the Jurrunio said.

It could be soldered for the most part you most likely won't be able to do it

[Keldra]

2 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

It could be soldered for the most part you most likely won't be able to do it

Turns out it's not. I just checked on Youtube.

[Jurrunio]

13 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

I agree with this but most of the times it's soldered so they won't be able to 

He will need to open it up to locate the slot to upgrade with in the first place, if there's no empty slot then that's the end of it.

[Haro]

1 minute ago, Keldra said:

Turns out it's not. I just checked on Youtube.

There are many models of this laptop from what I have seen 

Checking is advised 

[Keldra]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

He will need to open it up to locate the slot to upgrade with in the first place, if there's no empty slot then that's the end of it.

Which one of these would you recommend ? (I will buy 2 of the 4 GB ones if I do)

[Haro]

Just now, Keldra said:

Which one of these would you recommend ? (I will buy 2 of the 4 GB ones if I do)

Most of them are ddr4 which is not compatible with your system 

Make sure to open it and to see if its ddr3 or ddr3l 

 

[Keldra]

2 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

Most of them are ddr4 which is not compatible with your system 

Make sure to open it and to see if its ddr3 or ddr3l 

 

Both CPU-Z and my task manager says it is DDR3

[Keldra]

7 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

Most of them are ddr4 which is not compatible with your system 

Make sure to open it and to see if its ddr3 or ddr3l 

 

Oh and also I found this on the web:

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/373090/Ram+Upgrade:+can+I+use+DDR3L+instead+of+DDR3

 

From what I understood it is ok to replace DDR3 with DDR3L but I really want to be sure

[Jurrunio]

8 minutes ago, Keldra said:

Oh and also I found this on the web:

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/373090/Ram+Upgrade:+can+I+use+DDR3L+instead+of+DDR3

 

From what I understood it is ok to replace DDR3 with DDR3L but I really want to be sure

Change to SPD tab in CPU-Z, check if it runs 1.35v or 1.5v.

 

You'd better not mix DDR3 and DDR3L as they may be incompatible. No guarantees.

 

21 minutes ago, Keldra said:

Which one of these would you recommend ? (I will buy 2 of the 4 GB ones if I do)

Just get a single stick of 4GB or 8GB if you're on a budget, keep using the current stick if possible. 

[Haro]

2 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

You'd better not mix DDR3 and DDR3L as they may be incompatible. No guarantees.

was gonna say

does dd3l have a different ID or is it just read as ddr3 ? 

[Jurrunio]

2 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

was gonna say

does dd3l have a different ID or is it just read as ddr3 ? 

Same ID. In fact they are the same in every way but the voltage they run on.

[Keldra]

2 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Change to SPD tab in CPU-Z, check if it runs 1.35v or 1.5v.

 

You'd better not mix DDR3 and DDR3L as they may be incompatible. No guarantees.

 

Just get a single stick of 4GB or 8GB if you're on a budget, keep using the current stick if possible. 

It runs on 1.35v, also I don't know if I've said it earlier but if I'll either buy one identical stick or 2 4GB sticks or 1 8GB stick and all of the options seems affordable so no problem on the budget side.

[Haro]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Same ID. In fact they are the same in every way but the voltage they run on.

yea i was hesitant to tell OP to get either a ddr3 or a ddr3l   kit because i thought they had different ID's 

[Haro]

1 minute ago, Keldra said:

It runs on 1.35v, also I don't know if I've said it earlier but if I'll either buy one identical stick or 2 4GB sticks or 1 8GB stick and all of the options seems affordable so no problem on the budget side.

you have to check how many empty slots you've got 

and if you have any at all 

[Keldra]

And I think I shouldn't get DDR4 even if I get 2 of the same sticks based on your replies.

And it looks like these 3 are my options, which one do you suggest. Again I will buy 2 if the recommended stick is 4GB.

[Jurrunio]

2 minutes ago, Keldra said:

It runs on 1.35v, also I don't know if I've said it earlier but if I'll either buy one identical stick or 2 4GB sticks or 1 8GB stick and all of the options seems affordable so no problem on the budget side.

So it's DDR3L. some laptops can take both DDR3 and DDR3L but some dont, so better not try DDR3.

 

If you buy two sticks, you'll be throwing away the old stick for no reason so I dont recommend this

 

as for 4gb o 8gb, I'd say 8 since you said budget isnt a concern

[Keldra]

1 minute ago, TofuHaroto said:

you have to check how many empty slots you've got 

and if you have any at all 

I have1 of 2 slots empty.