Will it harm the system if I install more memrory than the motherboard can support

I installed 2gig memory on my Sony vaio PCG-K27, specs shows max upgrade is 1gig only (it says because of limitations on north bridge chip on the motherboard).So only 950MB is recognized.
I would like to know, Is it ok to leave the extra memory in or will it harm the sys?
Pl help and oblige.

 

You will be fine.

 

As long as it POSTs and boots, you'll be fine.

 

Thanks for your replies.
Is there any benefit of having extra memory? (Like page file size etc.)
In other words does it help the sys in anyway or no?
The reason I'm asking its going to cost $40.
Thanks

 

Run memtests a while to see if it causes corruption.

 

Generally you can't physically install more memory than the motherboard can support. On an Old dell the max you could have was 1Gb. It wouldn't take 2 single 1Gb sticks only 2 512Mb sticks, or 2 256Mb sticks for 512Mb.

However if you can install more memory than your mobo can support what's the point? It wont make a difference to your system, you wont get any of the extra memory to work. It'll just sit in your motherboard getting hot and not doing anything, why not just leave it out?

If you're installing a 2Gb stick just for an extra 1Gb (half) of that stick then it's not going to be a problem no. But honestly to me it sounds like you should just get an upgrade.. and buy a new mobo.

And honestly, $40 isn't much... you'd spend more money going to McDonalds twice.. I couldn't even buy a good t-shirt for $40.

 

Depending on how exactly the limitation is done, then no, there's probably no real benefit in having extra memory that can't be accessed. If it's possible to access the unused memory, then, in theory, you can create a RAMDisk out of the unused memory and use it, but that depends a lot on exactly what's causing the memory limitation in the first place.

 

He could always try Readyboost?

 

And honestly, $40 isn't much... you'd spend more money going to McDonalds twice.. I couldn't even buy a good t-shirt for $40.[/QUOTE]
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Well its an old laptop and kids are using it for home work and carry it around the house for internet.I was trying to increase the performance by upgrading little bit.
It takes ddr-2700 which is almost obsolete now so its expensive (& $40 is actually $85 with mail in rebate and it does not work well always - thats the reason I wanted to know if it is worth tying more money)




For Judicator : I'm not sure how the limitation is done but I read somewhere its because of northbridge chip -

 

Well it wont hurt it. If it fits then it'll be fine. It just might not dedicate all of it.

 

Have you tried upgrading your laptop's BIOS?
If not, perhaps you might give it a go and see if the laptop will recognize and use your full 2GB.

Leaving the extra 1 GB in the system shouldn't do any harm... but it's useless to keep it in there in the first place since it's not being used.

 

Can you install more than the 1GB (2 sticks of 512MB) limit?
In short, NO you cannot

Usually older notebook motherboards (even desktop motherboards) will not see ram chips that are too large in capacity (I have a P4 desktop motherboard that won't see any 1GB stick or ram I have- and know is good; I would bet that the notebook wouldn't even see the [2x 1GB sticks, or 1x 2GB stick?] you are looking at. Do you have a link?)


Anyways, I don't know what OS you are running on there, but 1GB of system memory would be more than enough to run a version of Linux (free, easy to use, light on resources, and it works all the time) though I don't know how well it supports that particular notebook

 

Out of interest, & without wishing to derail the conversation too much, what chipset is that?

Must be an extremely early/budget one; my home firewall is a Compaq P4 2.0, on an Intel 845 chipset I think, and that has no problem running 2 x 1GB for a total 2GB. Don't think the BIOS has even been flashed since it was bought or anything.

 

Not sure what chipset it has (I haven't had it running for a long while, it is in pieces) but I know it has 4 ram slots, and it won't take anything over a 512MB stick in each (bringing it to a max of 2GB) I didn't buy it, I just garbage picked it; free computers are always welcome


But we are talking about the OP's laptop (hardware is a huge limiting factor on laptops) and I wouldn't be surprised if it could only hold 1Gb ram total (2x 512MB) just as the manufacturer lists. Besides, the benefit of that extra 1GB ram wouldn't be that great (if it can even use/ see a single 1GB chip, let alone 2 1GB sticks)

If anything I would recommend saving that money, and $200-400 more, and just buying a decent netbook/ notebook with a decent Core 2 Duo (ie: a used/ pre-owned one); IMO that would be a better at being a at home computer (or even a desktop if it doesn't need portability)

 

Ah, OK, the four slots thing is probably why. Agreed it's entirely irrelevant, just piqued my curiosity! (& mine is a retired work PC from a batch I took home a few years ago, they're pretty small & quiet so I have a few dotted about doing various things that a P4 2.0 has no problem with).

I think you misread the OP's original post though - he has already got the RAM, and the computer is only using half of it, and he was asking whether this would cause it any harm. It won't, it will boot and just use half the RAM, and that's quite possibly a better solution for him than trying to source a DIMM of the right size with the prices that get charged for obsolete RAM.

 

To put it really simply and finish this topic. If the OP installed Memory thinking he would get more and he isn't then the best bet is to take it out.

i.e. Op installs extra ram because he thinks it will help, ram is seen in bios and OS but says it isn't being used. Just take the ram out. No it wont hurt your system but it will heat up the RAM necessarily and well... just take it out. You get the point.

If it's using half the ram then keep it in, or take it out. Your choice. Simple as that.

 

Yes, I updated the bios but most of it was for LAN, DVD and other driver issues.(Sony VAIO PCG-K27)


Thanks to you all for taking time to reply, I appreciate your support and advice

 

My sister, who is a basic user, runs Windows 7 on 1GB of DDR2 in her Dell Inspiron 6000.

BTW: You can find laptop DDR memory on eBay for very cheap.

 

it depends on how much the chipset will support
take my 8930g acer say the max is 4gb, but the chipset max is 8gb
with 8gb it wont boot but runs with 6gb

 

Depends, if they are double density chips then the power difference will be 0.