The amount of RAM your laptop can handle depends on several factors.
There are two main factors to consider when upgrading your laptop's RAM: the maximum capacity of the computer itself and the maximum capacity of your operating system. Even though your laptop may be able to handle up to 6GB of RAM, your operating system may only be configured to support 4GB of RAM. In this case, upgrading your laptop to 6GB would be a waste of resources and money. Before you upgrade your laptop's memory, check the hardware and software specifications to find out the maximum memory limits.
Instructions
Computer Limits
1. Check how much RAM your computer already has installed. Go to "Control Panel," select "System Properties" and locate your current memory size under then "Memory (RAM)" section. Write down the number shown, for example: 512MB or 3GB.
2. Go to Crucial.com or another memory information website. For Crucial.com, select the Memory Advisor tool on the right-hand side.
3. Enter your manufacturer, product line and model information on the drop-down lists. For example, on a Dell Inspiron XPS; the manufacturer is Dell, the product line is Inspiron and the model is XPS.
4. Find the maximum RAM capacity under "Maximum Memory." The page will also tell you how many memory slots are in your laptop and how many gigabytes of RAM each slot can handle. If your laptop is already at maximum capacity--which you checked in Step one--you cannot add any more RAM to your laptop at this time.
Operating System Limits
5. Identify your laptop's operating system. If unknown, go to "My Computer," click "Properties" and check the operating system and edition. Examples of operating systems and editions are: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows XP Home and Mac OS X.
6. Check the website for your operating system, such as Microsoft.com, Apple.com or Linux.com for the RAM limitations. Otherwise, use XPfree.org (see Resources) and scroll down until you find your operating system. For Windows users, the second reference link below directs you to a table with every Microsoft Windows operating system release on Microsoft's official website.
7. Find your operating system's maximum RAM capacity. For example, with Microsoft 7 Home Edition, the 32-bit version has a maximum RAM capacity of 4GB and the 64-bit version can handle up to 8GB. (See References 2) This is the maximum capacity for memory that your operating system allows, regardless of how much your laptop itself is equipped to handle.
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