Laptop Memory—Identification, Testing and Replacement

Laptop memory is Random Access Memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM). It is also called SO-DIMM, which stands for Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module. This is a type of computer memory is built using integrated circuits. In case your laptop is behaving erratically, it is the SO-DIMM that you actually need to upgrade or replace, in case this kind of memory is installed by laptop manufacturers.

There are quite a few laptop memory types that are currently in use. These include:-

• SIMM
• SDRAM
• DDR SDRAM
• DDR2 SDRAM
• DDR3 SDRAM

Early desktop and portable computers used SIMM as their memory modules, but nowadays it is difficult to find any device with this kind of memory. The SDRAM modules became popular in laptops from the year 2000. Today, you can commonly find them in IBM’s machines such as T20, T21, T22, etc. They can be identified with a notch in the middle of the connector as shown in the picture.

Now, SDRAM has also become history just as its predecessor SIMM, because of its slow performance.

The next step in the evolution of laptop memory was DDR SDRAM. However, this was not backward-compatible, and hence it could not be used on older machines. This memory offers a data transfer rate of up to 3,200 MB/s.

You could recognize DDR2 SDRAM with the notch as well, but in these memory modules, the notch is located more toward one side than in the DDR SDRAM modules. DDR2 offers a data transfer rate of 8,533 MB/s and can be visually recognized as having smaller memory chips than the earlier DDR1 models.

Laptop Memory Tests

Testing laptop memories for faults is done through a software program called Memtest. Using Memtest is quite simple. The laptop is allowed to boot using the software CD. It takes about an hour to display the results. The program will then display a message whether the memory is all right or not.

If you want to identify the laptop memory type without opening the case of the laptop, you can use a program named SIW. This program needs to be merely installed and run. There’s an option on the left side of the program; just clicking on it will give a lot of information about the laptop memory. You could use the images here for assistance.

Where to Get Laptop Memory from?

There are various sources to get laptop memory on the Internet. The first step is to look on eBay. Don’t be surprised to find that older memory modules cost more than newer ones; it is just because the older models aren’t being manufactured anymore and hence there is a shortage of them. This doesn’t apply just to memory modules; even older hard drives are more expensive. Make sure you know what kind of memory your laptop will need. Also remember that DDR2 is not backward-compatible with DDR1. Hence, if you purchase the wrong memory type, it will be useless for you. Several stores on the Internet won’t even buy back memories from you that you have purchased by mistake.

You can test laptop memory with Memtest

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