Upgrading RAM on an R4 ?

Hi all,

I have an R4 on the way which will come installed with 2x 4Gb sticks. I want to upgrade to 16Gb.

I would like to minimize the cost and therefore, if possible, keep the existing sticks.

Is it therefore possible to add another 2x 4Gb sticks in the spare slots with no issues ?

If I can, which 4Gb sticks do I need/does Alienware use ?

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

Yes it is possible, just make sure you purchase RAM that runs at the same speed (1600mhz) or the slowest modules will downclock the rest.

 

Thanks.

Do I need to match the manufacturer/model of the RAM already installed ?
What is installed ?

Is there a list of recommended/compatible modules for Alienware ?

 

I don't think you have to match the manufacturer, or even really the ram size. 2x2+2x8 from a combination of Hynix and G-Skill seems to be working well enough for me!

If you want to know what is installed, I'd recommend using HWinfo64 or CPU-Z.

I don't think there is a list, as most RAM should be compatible with these laptops.

 

OK, thanks Dusk Star.

So basically I can indeed mix n' match but if I want to get the same, I need to check what they have installed.

 

It's generally considered best to match everything because then the timings, speeds, etc will all be the same instead of varying by manufacturer. As long as you have matched pairs it isn't really an issue though it's when you're throwing 4 different random sticks in that it actually matters. What I and most people I know do is simply buy whatever amount you want in whatever brand of choice generally Corsair or Kingston then simply sell whatever ram is currently in your laptop to re coupe the extra cost of buying all new ram.

 

It is unfortunate the M17x does not support 1866MHz memory.

 

If I wnet with new sticks, and sold the existing ones, which ones would people recommend that are proven to work well in the M17x R4 without issues ?

I know that on my desktop gaming rig, the motherboard has a list of compatible sticks that are guaranteed to work without issue, hence the question.

 

Corsair Vengeance. I have 2 sets of 8gb and they run flawlessly at 1600. I had ordered one set initially and the computer with 8gb, but they didn't work together at 1600 - so I sold my original ram off.

 

It's always good to match them for stability but not strictly necessary.