Sony Vaio CR220 Ram Upgrade

I just purchased a VGN-CR220 with 2 GB Ram. It says it is upgradeable to 4GB Ram so Im thinking of purchasing a 2GB stick they are about $100 or less. Is there an empty slot right now where the 2GB can go? or do I have to buy 2 2GB sticks and take out the 2 x 1GB stick?

Is there any negatives to installing more RAM? I heard some people get Blue screens when they upgrade RAM in acer models.

Does the brand of the RAM really matter? I read on a site the ram for my laptop is PC2-5300 200 Pin sodimm Ram

Thanks!

 

Usually there are just two slots, for most notebooks.

As far as brands are concerned, stick with a reputable name, like Kingston, Corsair, Crucial or OCZ.

 

but do i get 1 x 2GB or 2x2GB to make it 4GB because my laptop already ahs 2 gb ram i just dont know how its distributed in the slots ie. 2 x 1GB or just 1x2GB

 

Unless you custom built your laptop when you bought it, and specified 2GB modules, it's almost certainly 2x1GB, so you'd have to give up 1GB to add a 2GB module. 2GB modules are quite a bit more expensive, so for a 2GB build most manufacturers will typically supply 2x1GB modules by default.

For example, SonyStyle currently offers the AR670 CTO in a 1GB configuration as either 2x512MB, or 1x1GB for $20 more. However there is no corresponding 1x2GB option for a 2GB build -- only 2x1GB. And they want a ridiculous $660 upcharge for 2x2GB.

BTW I just spent $150 for 2x2GB of OCZ DDR2-800, and before it arrived, the price had dropped to $125 or so. RAM is getting dirt cheap, which is why Sony's $660 upgrade for DDR2-667 is just so wrong.

 

You have 2x1GB sticks. I can't think of any negatives to installing more RAM as long it is installed properly and the sticks aren't faulty. Once you install your new RAM, test it with Memtest.

Here is a good guide: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2612