Add RAM to Acer Extensa 4620-6456

I got this laptop for my father-in-law. He's a lite user, and XP was a better choice (he's not quick to adapt to new things and he doesn't need to re-learn on Vista)

Anyhow, the 4620 was what we picked out.

Current config:

Core2Duo T5600
1GB RAM (1 stick of 1gb/PC5300 DDR2)

Desired Config:

Add 1GB Ram (second stick of 1GB/PC5300)


I opened the bottom of the case and found the 1 stick. It is in a bay labeled "DIMM 1"

All the research I can find says there's a second DIMM slot (DIMM 2) but I cannot locate where this on the laptop.

I have removed the HDD, and the slot is not below it. I have (painfully) removed the keyboard, thinking the slot would possibly be there (like it is on Dell units)... and there is nothing under the keyboard either.

The Acer manuals don't have anything about self-maintenance/support, so now I'm here.

Reading through, I'm sure someone else has done this, and maybe it's so obvious to everyone else no one has explicitly said "oh, by the way, to get to DIMM 2, it's _here_"

Thanks in advance, and thanks to the users who give back in forums like this.

Best
AM

 

Welcome to NBR.

For what I could found out Extensa 4620 has only one memory bay...will try to find out some more info though.

Are you sure there isn't a room for another memory module there? There should be 2 memory slots...Can you take a picture of the bay?

 

Crucial.com reports the 4620 can support up to 4gb memory. 2x2gb.

If you have a look at this picture (this is from my acer aspire, but may be the same), the bay is a bit like a step so to speak:



the bottom bay juts out. Yours may be like this, one bay is hidden by the other.

 

Thanks guys - I put the cover back on, so no picture yet. I will snap one if this saga goes on too long.

I did think about stacking the slots... I pulled DIMM 1 out, and there is assuredly no second socket in this location. The retainer clips: (the ones that reach up the edge and lock into the notches) there is only one set in here.

That's what led me to believe the second slot would be in an alternate location.

I ran CPU-Z which reported "slot1" and "slot 2" - with information for Slot 1 populated, and Slot 2 showing empty.

Would it be possible that the motherboard circuitry can accommodate two slots, but the folks who designed the laptop around the mobo and case intentionally left off one of the slots? Like the pins are there, but they didn't put a socket on to save room? That "kinda" makes sense because the advertised max memory for this laptop is 2GB... One X 2GB DIMM? Naah. They wouldn't do that, would they?

 

On laptops, memory slots are one "over the other". Here's a pic.

 

It could be possible that you only have one slot for the memory.

There is a thread in the hardware section with someone asking the same question on a different machine. On the picture you can clearly see one slot, but where the other slot should be is blank so to speak, why this is I don't know.

Anyway, here's the link, post 6 shows the picture, quick warning though, the pics are pretty large:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=371295

Check your memory slots and see if they are like these.

 

Thanks gents.

Knowing that any further disassembly will require more than the resolution of my eyes can provide, I have conceded that this laptop is likely a situation where the mobo reports two slots, but the second slot just isn't there...

And, I will just get a 2GB single chip stick to get this memory upgrade in place.