RAM Lying to me?

[jaythenerd]

Ok this is going to sound really weird. So I have myself a nice Acer Aspire 5 laptop, with 8gb of ram. I was looking inside the computer and in it was only 1 4gb stick. I need some help here because I was looking to upgrade my ram to 16gb but I don't want to have 1 8gb stick and 1 4gb stick. Any ideas on why it says i have 8gb of ram installed but only 4gb on the inside?

[IkeaGnome]

Got pictures? One might be soldered on. It could be 2x4 right now. 

Any reasons you don't want 1 8 and 1 4gb stick?

[jaythenerd]

1 minute ago, IkeaGnome said:

Got pictures? One might be soldered on. It could be 2x4 right now. 

Any reasons you don't want 1 8 and 1 4gb stick?

The reason I don't want 1 8gb stick and the mysterious 4gb stick is because my friend said that it you don't want to mix the ram amounts, like stay with 2 8gb sticks or 4 4gb sticks

 

[jaythenerd]

Also, I don't have pictures I am quite tired and I don't want to take my whole computer apart again, although I did see something that was sodered on but it had thermal paste on the top so im wondering if it was the CPU

 

[IkeaGnome]

Just now, jaythenerd said:

The reason I don't want 1 8gb stick and the mysterious 4gb stick is because my friend said that it you don't want to mix the ram amounts, like stay with 2 8gb sticks or 4 4gb sticks

 

It's not ideal, but you can. It's called Flex Mode. With a 4 and an 8 gb stick, you'd have The 4 and 4gb of the 8 in dual channel, then the other 4 from the 8 in single. 

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005657/boards-and-kits.html

Just now, jaythenerd said:

Also, I don't have pictures I am quite tired and I don't want to take my whole computer apart again, although I did see something that was sodered on but it had thermal paste on the top so im wondering if it was the CPU

That is either the GPU or CPU. There might have been a little flap of fabric over the other stick of RAM.

[GuiltySpark_]

If you can provide a more complete model number we can be of more use. Not all Acer Aspire 5's are exactly the same. For instance, the model in the below video has two clearly laid out modules. 

 

 

 

[jaythenerd]

My model is the acer 515-55.

(specifically the 515-55-55R6)

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by jaythenerd
Made a mistake

[TheeShadowStorm]

some pro grade laptops like lenovo p series can have memory in the usual place behind the back panel plus under the keyboard but I'd bet that in your case it's part soldered, part replaceable like one of the other posters said.

Go on crucial website and put in your machine details and it'll tell you like for example here's a screenshot of my wifes lenovo v series.  You'll see it has 4gb non replaceable and 1 ram slot with a max supported ram of 20gb

 

 

[TheeShadowStorm]

1 hour ago, jaythenerd said:

My model is the acer 515-55.

(specifically the 515-55-55R6)

 

looks like you have 4gb soldered and one upgradeable slot that will take a max of 16Gb for a total max of 20gb

If I were you I'd put a 16Gb and max out the machine but up to you.