Upgrading memory on X201

I've had my X201 for a year and a half, and whilst I intended on doing this earlier, I figured I may as well upgrade my 2GB memory to 4GB.

Just wondering if there's anything I should 'know' before doing the upgrade? I've found a few how-to guides online so they'll help me, but anything specific to the X201? Should I go for another 2GB memory stick to take it up to 4GB, or is it better to go for a straight-out 4GB memory stick? Or doesn't it make a difference?

Lastly should I but the memory straight off the Lenovo site? (the only memory they're offering is 2GB) or should I go through the crucial website? (which I'm assuming most people are familiar with since it seems rather popular).

Thanks.

 

Lenovo tends to charge a hefty premium on their memory so I wouldn't recommend buying it from them, you can get it elsewhere from other etailers such as NewEgg or Amazon for much cheaper. DDR3 1333MHZ SODIMMS especially 8GB kits (2x 4GB) are relatively affordable these days and are a better investment in the long term for your X201. Most brands should work fine on the X201 such as Crucial, Kingston, G.Skill, Corsair etc. - just look out for ones that offer a lifetime warranty on the modules for peace of mind.

Adding memory should be a straightforward procedure, if you need assistance then you can always look at the X201 Hardware Maintenance Manual for help.

 

Thank you

 

Hearst is right on the money, but replacing the RAM on an X201 is very easy. Just remove the battery and open the RAM access door on the bottom of the machine(the Windows product key sticker will be on there); it's only one screw. You'll be back up and running within five minutes, even if you haven't opened a computer before. Considering the price of RAM, if you have a 64-bit OS you could do an upgrade to 8GB without much more cost if you so desire.

 

Yes, replacing the RAM is easy, but it seems that Lenovo motherboards are more sensitive to RAM compatibility issues than others. I have been using 3rd party RAM chips for years - for many different laptops (Dell, Sony etc). So, when I received my W520, I added 2 x 4GB G.Skill and 1x2GB Hyundai, all the same latency, all DDR-3 1333MHz. After having frequent BSOD I tested it with mem86 and removed the 2GB chip as it could not pass the tests. Note that the same chip passes all tests and works perfectly fine on my other Sony Vaio laptop.

It is not the whole story. I was still getting random BSOD every 5-6 days.... had been checking virtually everything, updated drivers, removed some suspected software and so on. Finally, I temporarily replaced the remaining 2 x 4GB G.skill by other 4GB Corsair chips from my Dell laptop. No BSOD for ten days or so. After all I purchased Kingston system RAM certified for Lenovo. No BSOD whatsoever for a long time.

The same G.Skill RAM works perfectly fine in Dell.

 

Thanks everyone.

So I'm gonna go with the 8GB upgrade, but what do I do with the 2GB already in my laptop? Simply take it out and store it away somewhere? I think there are only two slots anyway.

 

You can try to sell it for a few dollars on eBay, but since everyone already has these low-capacity sticks, it may or may not be worth it.