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    Ram choice for Lenovo T400

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by pk_volt, May 13, 2010.

  1. pk_volt

    pk_volt Notebook Consultant

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    I'm sort of new to all this computer laptop stuff, and I would like to upgrade my ram from 3 to 4 gigs.

    I obviously need to rid one stick of 1 GB ram in my computer to make room for another stick of 2 gig, but what type and what brand/model should I get?

    Does brand matter?
     
    pk_volt, May 13, 2010
    #1
  2. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I forgot ATM whether it's DDR2 or DDR3 SO-DIMMs. Check CPU-Z and get the same type of memory. Any brand is fine as long as it has lifetime warranty. Also, don't bother with faster speeds or lower timings as it will yield no practical performance benefit.
     
    sgogeta4, May 13, 2010
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  3. lead_org

    lead_org Purveyor of Truth

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    Brand doesn't really matter that much, unless you want to overclock it, which is not advisable in laptops. Lenovo laptop sometimes ship with different branded ram modules.

    Unless you get 64 bit OS, upgrading from 3 gigs to 4 gigs won't yield any performance improvements. Unless your integrated GPU is giving you trouble.
     
    lead_org, May 13, 2010
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  4. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    Depending on your usage, 3GB to 4GB will most likely not yield any noticeable difference in performance (although 2 x 2GB will give a slight boost to integrated graphics performance, nothing major).

    The Tx00 Thinkpads use PC3-8500 DDR3 RAM (1066MHz), with a CAS latency of 7. As long as those specs match, brand doesn't matter.
     
    MidnightSun, May 13, 2010
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  5. jaredy

    jaredy Notebook Virtuoso

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    I think you're fine with 3 gigs though.
     
    jaredy, May 13, 2010
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  6. afty

    afty Notebook Guru

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    I would say that brand *does* matter, not for performance but for reliability. Off-brand RAM has a tendency to go bad, and it's a pain to troubleshoot because your machine just starts randomly bluescreening. You should go with name-brand RAM that has a lifetime warranty, like Crucial, Corsair, or Kingston.
     
    afty, May 14, 2010
    #6
  7. hitman_36

    hitman_36 Notebook Consultant

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    and all their chips are made by Elpida :D
     
    hitman_36, May 16, 2010
    #7