ThinkPad W530 Memory Upgrade Questions

Hi,

I have a ThinkPad W530 with 3720QM and Windows 7 Pro. It shipped with 8GB ram (4GBx2) under the keyboard. I have another 16GB ( 8GBx2) of 1600mhz ram on hand.

I have 2 questions:

1. Is memory module size and slot propagation important like it was on previous W models? Lenovo recommended slots 0 + 1 and 2 + 3 for dual channel pairs on the W510, with 0 and 2 being under the keyboard.

2. Any disadvantage to adding all 24GB to the machine? I do light photo and video editing, no VM.

Thanks.

 

1) Sure, if you want to do a 4GB + 4GB and 8GB + 8GB configuration, you could do that, but really there's no noticeable performance difference between that and just putting memory wherever you like.

2) I don't see why you'd honestly need 24GB (I do the same thing on my W520 + a VM with 4GB, have 12GB RAM, and I never go above 6GB unless I'm heavily using said VM). But there's no harm in it either.

 

I believe that changed on the W520 (no particular order required). If you have 24GB of sticks, I would use them if you don't have any other machine to use them in.

 

Yeah, I have the Samsung OEM 4GB stick under the keyboard (forget which slot) and two Mushkin 4GB sticks on the bottom of my W520. W520 doesn't care. Just like a honey badger.

 

Going on what you just said above, there is almost certainly zero need for you to have 24GB of memory in your laptop, 8GB should be more than enough for your current requirements.

In your circumstance, there is more disadvantages in using the extra sticks of RAM than there is advantages. In saying that, the disadvantages may not be great nonetheless they are greater than the advantages.

The two disadvantages I see are:

1) Greater power consumption, due to your laptop having to power the extra modules. This will mean reduced battery life. Is the difference going to be night and day... no, but there is a small difference.

2) Greater chance of memory related issues. As the unit gets older, you will have four memory modules that could go faulty vs the current two. Mathematically this increases the odds of experiencing memory problems, though this is not something to lose too much sleep over,

Now let's look at the advantages:

If you really use your laptop the way you mentioned, "light photo and video editing, no VM" then there is almost certainly none.

You can double check this by looking at how much memory you are utilizing in "task manager" when performing your most memory intensive work.

For now, if it was my system I would put the spare memory in another unit or swap the factory 2x4GB modules for the 2x8GB. This would give you even more head room than you already have while nearly totally negating my points 1 and 2. Then put the 2x4GB modules away for a time when you do need them i.e. your usage habits change.

Even though the disadvantages I mentioned are not what I would consider significant, they are probably more significant than any performance gain you would see from using all 4 modules, hence I don't see the point in simply throwing in more RAM because you have a few spare sticks, especially if there is no noticeable performance to be gained.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I've swapped the 2x4GB modules for the 2x8GB ones, which is (more than) enough for my current needs.

 

I would of done the same in your situation. As you said, 16GB of ram will be more than enough for your current needs and that of most people. I currently use 16GB of ram and run a few VM's for simulations etc.

 

The main advantage of having more RAM, that benchmarks don't typically show, is disk cache. Windows 7 and up do a very good job using the extra RAM. Also, people who like benchmark scores for the sake of benchmark scores play RAM disk games (often pointless, or plain harmful, in terms of practical performance and reliability).

IMO the largest disadvantage is that more RAM = larger hibernate.sys file, which is a concern if there isn't much space on C:\ . Otherwise, the more RAM the better

 

Imo, just stick everything inside.

1. They run in dual channel regardless what slot, so don't worry.
2. Power consumption.. It probably use less power than a notch of the screen brightness.
3. Mathematically, the odd of failure is higher. In reality,chance of 1 in 4 vs 1 in 2 is indifference...(That's my understanding, not going to dig up stat books and wiki ~~)

 

Nor am I but I believe there is a difference.

Every RAM module, HDD etc has a % chance of failure. I guess the easiest way to explain it is like this.

Think of it like rolling the dice and the number 6 represents a failure and each dice represents a ram module. If you role just two dice at the same time, you have less odds of one landing on 6 (failure) than you would if you role 4 or 10 dice at the same time. Like I said, I wouldn't lose sleep over it and had there been a real performance benefit to be had for the OP, I wouldn't even mention it.

However, going by the OP's own admission, he uses his laptop for light work, no VM's etc, hence I see little point in recommending he install 24GB of RAM when the 16GB his installed is already more than enough for his needs. The disadvantages of running the extra modules, no matter how small are actually more than any advantage he would see. If his usage habits change. he always has the option to install the extra sticks.

 

Windows 7 SuperFetch makes best use of the available RAM to enhance system performance.

 

Yes, I know SuperFetch caches the available RAM and tries to make best use of it but that is not in question here. The questions was is there any performance benefit to be had by the OP by increasing his RAM from the currently installed 16GB to 24GB. I am still of the opinion that under his current usage "I do light photo and video editing, no VM." he would see no noticable performance gain by increasing the RAM in his laptop from 16GB to 24GB.

Other experienced forum users seem to support the view that 16GB is more than enough for his usage, but it's a free world, if you really think 16GB of ram doesn't cut the mustard and it's worth the OP installs the two extra 4GB sticks even though the most intensive work done on his laptop is light photo/video editing, then by all means you are free to recommend that.

I however I still believe, judging by the OP's usage, that overall it is not worth installing the two extra sticks.

 

You are explaining in terms of probability which is what I was referring as mathematical, but in a statistical approach, the question here is that if there is significant difference of chance of any stick of ram failure when you have 2 vs 4 sticks.