M17x r4 coming soon. Would like to upgrade to 16GB ram. Can i just add 2x4gb sticks to the current 8gb ram?

Hi, my m17x r4's coming in around a week.
i7 3610qm
2gb AMD 7970m
8gb ddr3 1600mhz - standard brand whatever comes with the system
750gb 7200rpm hd
full hd screen
killer wireless
3 years warranty + 3 years accidental damadge

Basically i found this online

Corsair CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9 NB Vengeance Performance 8GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Two Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Can i buy it and add it to the ram slots under the keyboard even if the ram is a different brand? So i have 4 x 4gb ram sticks in total?

Even though i know a fair bit about computers, is it hard to install the ram inside the 2 additional ram slots?

I do sometimes have several tabs open in chrome - 150+ and have around 25 open at a time on average, also might open full hd videos in several tabs. So I think it'll be a viable investment.

 

You can certainly install more ram but if they are different in terms of speed/timings, the whole lot will run at the lowest speed/timings. If you mix 1866 with 1600 modules, they will all run at 1600mhz. It's always advisable to have all modules the same but as long as you are aware of the fact they will default to the lowest values of the installed modules, it will still work. If you are looking at the Corsair ram you linked to, and the stock ram is Dell 1866, the Dell ram will run at 1600, so in that scenario, it's a backwards move in terms of ram speed.

Regarding installing them, it's not that complicated. You can view a teardown video here: Alienware M17x R3 R4 complete teardown / how to take apart / disassemble - Hidevolution.com - YouTube

Above all, just take your time and be gentle - the most fragile part is removing the bezel around the keyboard.

 

What a silly mistake i made! It is 1600hmhz ram with the laptop. I was just worried about mixing the brands of ram, with corsair and the ones supplied, should that be okay?

 

Like I said, it's advisable to have all modules identical to avoid stability issues. Although the speed (1600mhz) is the same, the ram timings may be different. The Corsair stuff is timed at 9-9-9-24 and the Dell stuff may differ which could potentially cause problems.

With the price of memory being so cheap right now, I would recommend just pulling the stock Dell ram out and storing it (incase you need to have the laptop returned for repair at any time, you don't want to send it to Dell with your upgraded ram) and buying x2 kits of the stuff you want to use. That way, you are assured of no problems, other than a faulty module which could be exchanged by the manufacturer.

The "golden rule" of memory is where possible, do not mix and match modules - it's asking for problems. Others may disagree with me but that's my take on it. If you Google "mixing ram with different timings" or "mixing brands of ram" you will see that whilst it would increase your total memory, it isn't recommended to mix anything if possible.

Other modules you may want to consider are these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004Y4XA...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004Y4XAAK - My Kingston modules work perfectly and never had an issue, I have seen owners on the forum with Corsair Vengeance memory running into problems.....just a heads up.

Hope that helps.

 

You'll also want to see if your 8GB came as 2 X 4GB sticks or, like my R3, with 4 X 2GB sticks. If it's the latter then you'll only gain 4GB (total of 12GB) worth of memory since you'll have to replace 2 of the existing 2GB sticks with those you bought.

 

I just bought the 8gb ram linked. There are 2 slots free. If it causes issues then I will return or just buy 8GB more of that corsair

 

I'm so indecisive. I then ordered 16GB ram, and cancelled it, ordered an SSD, cancelled it due to me not needing 20 second boot time and the hassle of installing one.

I think I'll just leave upgrades for now and if I feel like I need more ram, will upgrade later on.

 

Hahaha. To be honest, installing a SSD is not hard - infact very straightforward really. If you were to do one upgrade, that would be the one I would choose over going from 8gb to 16gb - you would notice the benefits a lot more than more than upgrading the memory.

 

do not mix hynix ram with vengeance.
i just upgraded a r4 of a friend with that combo and the ram speeds drops to 1333mhz and over time you get issues.
after a while replaced all dimms with crucials and worked fine. mixed crucial and hynix was a pain..

 

Thank you guys. I'll look into getting an SSD and Ram in a few months time if needed. Most likely just more ram. Thanks for your help, and i'll make sure I don't mix the ram brands, and just buy 16gb corsair 1600mhz ram if i need to

Thanks again!

 

When I put the Vengeance in mine, it also dropped to 1333. Just going to replace it all with Vengeance and be done with it.