Exceeding RAM capacity rating

[KaminKevCrew]

Is there any reason that an older laptop rated for a certain amount of ram wouldn't be able to handle more? E.G. I have a Dell XPS 1340, with a max rated memory amount being 8GB over 2 slots. Would it be able to handle 16GB over the two slots? or is there a reason that it wouldn't work?

[Johannes_Lazor]

the motherboard is not built for it, It doesnt "know" how to use 16 gb of RAM.

[soaringchicken]

Well no, the fact that is says it only supports 8gb should tell you that already

[Godlygamer23]

It's a motherboard limitation, whether artificial or natural.

[KaminKevCrew]

Well no, the fact that is says it only supports 8gb should tell you that already

You would think that, and yet, some motherboards only support up to 1866MHZ RAM, and yet you can put 2133 RAM in them, and it will run at rated speeds...

[KaminKevCrew]

Just so everyone knows, I grabbed a different laptop that was also rated for 8Gb, and when I installed 16Gb, it worked perfectly! So I wouldn't always believe the maximum RAM allowances, especially if it's an older computer that may have come out before a certain capacity of DIMM came out.

[Beltboy]

The rated maximums are often the max it was tested at, doesn't mean it won't do more just means that its not been tested and you'll get no support trying to get it working. 

 

Basically it might work it might not, I wouldn't go and spend money on new RAM unless I was sure it would work, if you happen to have some lying around and don't mind risking that it may get damaged then give it a go.

[TheElt]

I had the same with my old Acer when I was deciding on a RAM upgrade. The max rated by the board was 4GB, with 1GB per slot, but it ran just fine with a 2GB DIMM in one of the slots.

 

Go for it if you want, it might work and it might not, see if you can find anything online and if you can't then you can always just sell off the RAM if it doesn't work.