T530 memory upgrade kit

I am thinking to yank out the 4gb card out of my new T530 when it arrives and replace it with 16gb kit. My profile is that I am a programmer so speed is important but so is battery life. I am not sure if 1.35v memory will make that much of a difference in battery to warrant the speed trade off and perhaps it is all neglible but I just want to be informed. I also have have the i7 and 180GB SSD so I am kinda there (did not get the quad core though). Looking again for suggestions/recommendations on the best kits.

 

The 1.35V savings in battery consumption is negligible, especially in the context of the LCD backlight.

People can get hung up on brand names, but I have used Mushkin and G.Skill RAM modules without any problems. Quite recently, I got 2 x 8GB DDR3 1600 by ADATA Premier, on special for $50.

 

I agree with Kaso, not really worth worrying about low voltage RAM.

All I can say from personal experience and feedback from other online users is, stay away from Geil Memory if you can. I did the same as you and removed the 4GB Hynix factory chip and replaced it with 2 x 8GB Geil sticks I had on hand. I started getting random BSODs and reboots then when I run Prime95, boom computer screen went completely black and I couldn't even boot anymore, pressing the power button just gave me a black screen.

I removed one 8GB stick of Geil memory and nothing, still black screen, removed the remaining stick and swapped it with the other 8GB module and all was good, Laptop started as per normal.

I returned both Geil memory sticks and replaced them with 2x 8GB Strontium's, they use high quality Micron (Made in USA) modules which are the same as what Crucial use. Computer is running perfect now.

Any brand of memory can produce a faulty stick of RAM, it's just that I've heard the testing methods at Geil are not as high as some others like Corsair, Kingston etc. You only need to look at the online forums.

Mushkin and G.Skill are also good. I like Crucial, G.Skill, Corsair and Kingston, Strontium also seem to use high quality modules and are well priced.

 

Thanks guys for your input. If I can one (or two) things. What about the latancies? Should I care about those numbers? Also, if you have any part #s that would also help.

 

For 8GB DDR3 1600 modules, CAS latency is usually 10 or 11. Consider this G.Skill pair or this Corsair Vengeance pair.

 

I purchased CAS 10 DDR3 1600Mhz RAM but I honestly don't think you would notice much of difference between CAS 10 or 11 in day to day use.

I hear good things about Corsair Vengeance memory, plenty of people here seem to use them on their Lenovo laptops without issues. I believe they are CAS 10.

 

Thanks guys for your input - I went ahead and bought the Corsair from AMZ - Amazon.com: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory (CMSX16GX3M2A1600C10): Computers & Accessories - it got plenty of raves from Thinkpad owners(as well as many Mac) and $90 -seemed very reasonable. One more silly question - the memory will arrive before the laptop. Should I boot the laptop first with the factory memory or is it ok to install it to the maiden boot? And should I keep the factory for warranty purposes or does it matter? I mean if I need to send it to get warranty I can just flip in the original 4GB card or will they be ok with the upgrade I done.?

 

Hey, if you can afford it, the Corsair Vengeance is a great pair!

I would boot the notebook with the stock 4GB RAM stick, take a look at the WEI, then install the two 8GB RAM sticks, re-run the WEI, and take another look, just for the thrill of it.

If you ever need to send your notebook in -- and I wish that you will never have to -- remove ALL user-upgraded parts (like RAM, SSD, UltraBay HDD, Blu-ray drive, whatever) and put back the stock parts.

I always keep the stock HDD, the stock RAM stick and the factory recovery discs in the shipping box. (Don't forget to make factory recovery discs.)

 

Good choice with the Corsair Vengeance kit.

Doesn't matter if you perform your first boot with the original 4GB of RAM or the upgraded 16GB, both will work just fine.

I removed the factory installed 4GB under the keyboard and replaced it with my 16GB kit before performing my first boot and everything worked perfect so it comes down to personal preference. Like Kaso said, always keep the factory parts safely stored away in case you ever need to make a warranty claim. Did you get the 1yr on-site warranty upgrade? It's normally only $35 and well worth it in my opinion, it just means you don't need to send the laptop back to Lenovo if anything ever goes wrong a tech come out and replaces the faulty part.

I think if you didn't already purchase it you can add the upgraded warranty, just call Lenovo sales, give them your quote number and ask to add the on-site warranty option.

Word of advice, be careful when removing the little screws to remove the keyboard or any of the panels. I wish Lenovo had used Hex screws, small Phillips head screws are so easy to strip so make sure you use a good fitting screw driver and don't over tighten them when you close everything back up. If you have some spare time while you wait for your laptop to arrive you can pop down to the local hardware store and get some low strength purple 222 Loctite which is designed for small fasteners and made so you can easily remove them, just gives you that added security without having to over tighten the screws but it's by no means required. Most important is that you have a good fitting screw driver.

Also don't be worried about removing the keyboard, I hear some people get worried about it but it's really very easy. You don't even need to disconnect it, the connecting ribbon is long enough to allow you to simply move it out of the way while you replace the RAM and most of all enjoy! your new laptop.