Acer Aspire 6920G RAM - 3GB or 4GB?

Hi

i've just got an Acer Aspire 6920G and i have a question about the RAM.

The sticker on the palmrest says it has 4GB of DDR3 RAM, as does the box. But the system information on the computer says 3GB, CPUz says it has 4GB.

I've opened it up and there are definitely 2 sticks of 2GB DDR3 RAM, so why does the Windows system info say it only has 3GB?

 

I'm guessing you have a 32bit OS. The reason being is that a 32 bit operating system can't use 4gb of RAM, it can only utilize between 3-3.5gb. This is the limitations of a 32 bit OS. The only way to get round it is to get a 64 bit version of windows.

 

You're probably running a 32-bit OS.
Short answer: Due to memory addressing limitations, 32-bit OS's can only recognize a total of about 3.25 GB (usually including video memory).

 

And the Aspire 6920G uses DDR 2 RAM.

 

Yea, that's what I was going t say. Are you sure it says DDR3?

 

Speaking of the 6920g and DDR3, can it be be upgraded? and if so at what sort of cost? and also would the benefits be worth it?

 

Its not possible. The 6920's motherboard only has DDR2 slots, and DDR3 modules won't fit in 'em.

It is because of the 32-bit OS, that the RAM reported by sysinfo is 3GB. CPU-Z only shows the amount of physical memory installed in the 2 slots, not the amount of memory addressed.

 

ok, thanks man! I thought as much tbh but at least i now know for sure

 

yeh thanks everyone, i dunno why i typed ddr3, maybe because i was looking at graphics cards at the time of writing the post lol

so i have a further two questions; why on earth do Acer install 4gb of RAM when the computer can only accept 3GB? And is the 6920G capable of running the 64-bit edition of Vista?

 

The chipset in the 6920 supports upto 8GB DDR2 memory.
And, the 6920 can definitely run Vista 64-bit without any issues.

 

Intel says 4 is the max.

 

The 965 chipset can take upto 8GB and the 45-series can take upto 16GB. The mobile chipsets have the same memory controllers as their desktop counterparts.

 

thanks a lot andy!

 

I doubt 6920G has BIOS support for 8GB. You should always consider possible BIOS limitations.

 

Yes, BIOS Support for 8GB is unknown at this point. Well, no one has really tried 2x4GB yet.

But the chipset definitely supports upto 8GB.

 

Hi,

Just wondering if the 6920G can support pc2-6400 (800mhz ddr2)? Any noticeable benefits to this?

Also does anyone know if the cpu would be upgradeable with say a T7xxx series with the same bus speed?

...and one last thing I saw something somewhere that certain 6920's could accomodate a second hard drive. Is this fact or fiction?

Thanks,
Doug

 

1. DDR2 PC2-6400 will work on 6920G but will downclock to 667Mhz. Santa Rosa chipset limitation.
2. Yeah T7xxx will work as long as it's a socket P CPU. Now the CPU can and WILL operate at FSB 800Mhz. Be careful because some of the T7xx are socket M and they won't work on your chipset.
3. No idea, I don't have this model

 

1. What ATG said.
2. Why on earth would you go for a T7 series? The T8100, T8300, T9300, and T9500 are compatible, and better purchases. (I went from a T5550 to a T8300 myself)
3. LIES, ALL LIES. There is simply no room for a second hard drive in here without removing the optical drive and getting a third-party caddy.

 

Hi, and thanks for all the great info.

I assumed I could only go to a T7600 based on my socket and bus speed. I noticed the T8 and T9 series cpus you mentioned all use a 800mhz fsb, will they drop to 667 for a 6920-6097?

Are the cpu's soldered in or latched in?

Thanks,
Doug

 

T7600 is a socket M and as far as I know and it will NOT work, you need a socket P CPU!

The chipset in your laptop, GM965 Santa Rosa, does support FSB 800Mhz so if you use T8xxx or T9xxx socket they will work at FSB 800Mhz, the will NOT downclock to 667Mhz.
Be careful because some of the T9xxx are for the new Montevina chipset and have FSB 1066Mhz which will NOT work with your laptop.

So basically you can get T7xxx, T8xxx or T9xxx CPU socket P with max FSB 800Mhz.

 

That is great news, thank you. I may just check in before I make that purchase though

Would you know if the cpu's can be removed via a latch as in a desktop?

If the T8xxx and T9xxx will operate at 800mhz, should I upgrade the memory to 800mhz to avoid conflicts or compromise performance?

 

Ok GM965 Santa Rosa chipset support CPUs with FSB 800Mhz max but for the RAM the limit is 667Mhz! If you buy 800Mhz RAM it will downclock to 667Mhz(keep in mind this isn't the case with the CPUs, 1066Mhz FSB CPUs will NOT downclock, they simply won't work).

For CPU upgrade guide - TehSuigi made a great one with photos and everything, check the index sticky. Basically the laptop's CPUs are locked with a screw and somewhere on the socket there are icons for locked/unlocked. It's easy to upgrade.

Edit: I decided to be nice and make it easier for you, here is a direct link to TehSuigi 6920G CPU upgarde guide:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=320860

 

What ATG said (again). And get the name right!

 

Any heat issues as a result of the upgrade?

 

Actually, since the T8 and T9 series are Penryn cores made using a 45 nm process, they run cooler (at lower voltages) than comparable 65 nm Merom cores (the T5 and T7 series)!
I've had no heat issues at all with mine since the upgrade - just make sure to replace the thermal compound on the CPU and GPU cores before you put the heatsink back on.

 

Has anyone confirmed that 8 gigs works on the 6920G? I really don't want to spend $280 to find out it doesn't

Also, the new 3.06GHz T9900 CPU was announced:

http://gizmodo.com/5275046/intel-t9900-core-2-duo-notebook-processor-breaks-the-3ghz-barrier

Numerous sources on Google say that this is a Socket P - I could go for a 3ghz 6920G with 8 gigs of RAM!

 

Kaidomac, you'll also note that the T9900 runs on a 1066 MHz FSB. That's only supported by the 4 Series chipsets in the Centrino 2 notebooks.
You will NOT be able to use that in the 6920G. The fastest CPU is the Core 2 Extreme X9000 at 2.8 GHz, with the C2D T9500 at 2.6 GHz the next best option.

 

So the T9900 won't work on older RAM period? If not, well, 2.8Ghz doesn't seem as worth it as 3.01GHz over the stock 2.5GHz, you know?

Any word on the RAM? Having 8 gigs in the 6920 would be really nice