Changing RAM in the Dell 1520

i have seen a video that shows changing the ram on a laptop is a simple task but is it easily done on a Dell 1520 and what type of RAM is compatible?

My laptop has;

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7100 Processor (1.8GHz,800MHz,2MB L2 cache)
1024MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512]

i want to increase the ram to 2GB can you give me any advice?
thanks for the help in advance

 

Check out the Hot Ram Deals thread for DDR2-667. To upgrade to 2gb you will need 2 sticks of 1gb and i believe one of the slots for the ram in the E1520 is located under the keyboard.

 

Your Dell uses PC2-5300 SDRAM (667MHz DDR2). You will need two 1GB SO-DIMM modules as a single 2GB module will not allow for the improved bandwidth of dual-channel mode.

Since the 1520 only has two SO-DIMM slots you will have to remove both of the modules that came with your system and replace them. Dell's instructions are here. Popping out the hinge cover and removing the keyboard may be touchy if you haven't done it before. If you don't feel comfortable with it you may want to have somebody else perform the upgrade for you. I can think of few things that rate higher in terms of absolute dreadfulness than breaking a brand-new notebook.

The RAM itself is about $80-90 here in the U.S. Look for modules with lower CAS latencies which will give you marginally better better performance. A quick glance at Newegg shows mostly CL5 modules. That seems a bit high to me, but then again I haven't looked at memory since the glory days of DDR400. For all I know that's par for the course with DDR2.

 

There are two aspects: Getting the right RAM; and putting it in.

For peace of mind on the RAM selection you can use the Crucial system scanner. I would expect that you will be recommended either this 2 x 1GB or this 1 x 2GB. Crucual's prices are good at the moment (and include delivery) although you can find slightly lower prices elsewhere in UK.

The procedure for changing RAM is described in the Owner's Manual page 146 onwards. As already noted, one RAM module is under the keyboard so access is slightly more difficult than the module under the cover on the bottom of the notebook. If you are worried about removing the keyboard then get the 2GB module. Ignore all the hype about dual channel. I've tried various RAM combinations and can get no more than about 10% improvement in RAM speed by having two modules the same compared to two modules of different size. 2.5GB will run faster overall than 2GB.

John