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    Upgrading RAM on SZ6

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by Synthesia, Aug 26, 2007.

  1. Synthesia

    Synthesia Notebook Evangelist

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    I'm thinking of ordering an SZ6 next week but was wondering whether it is easy to upgrade it with my own RAM sticks or not? i.e. do I have to take the whole laptop apart or not.

    Thanks guys :)
     
  2. Synthesia

    Synthesia Notebook Evangelist

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    Oh and which type of RAM standard comes with the SZ6 series:

    DDR2 PC2-4200 or
    DDR2 PC2-5300 or
    DDR2 PC2-6400

    ?

    Edit:/ just found out, its 5300 (667Mhz)
     
  3. examiner

    examiner Notebook Consultant

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    It seems like you could get the 800 speed ram for this laptop given the processor? I think if I had to buy today I would get the lowest available ram on the configurator and just swap it out for either 2 or 4 gigs of the 800 speed stuff.
     
  4. Synthesia

    Synthesia Notebook Evangelist

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    Thats exactly what I'm planning to do, though I think I will upgrade to PC-5300 (667Mhz) instead of PC2-6400 (800Mhz) which seems almost double the price (cheapest I've found so far is about $300 for the 800Mhz and $120 for the 667Mhz one (Corsair) or $180 for 667Mhz from Crucial.

    Now would the physical upgrading be easy on the SZ6?
     
  5. examiner

    examiner Notebook Consultant

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    It looks to me like you can get 2 gigs for about $90-140, and 4 gigs for $274-281.

    It seems like we've heard conflicting reports on whether or not the system could even see the full 4 gigs though. That latest full blown reports on the SZ650 claims that it can see the full 4 gigs.

    If you could find an option for 512 ram on a SZ6xx and then upgrade to 4 gigs for $274, that might be the way to go.

    And you've got to expect those prices to drop quickly as more manufacturers start cranking out the 800 speed stuff.
     
  6. roor

    roor Notebook Deity

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    32bit operating systems can only see ~3.2gigs of ram
    you'll need a 64bit operating system to fully use 4 gigs
     
  7. examiner

    examiner Notebook Consultant

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    According to the only SZ6xx review out right now, that would be incorrect:


    From: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Sony-Vaio-SZ650.htm


    Perhaps the most exciting thing about the Sony Vaio SZ650 is its Intel Santa Rosa chipset. Notebook geeks on the Windows and Mac front have waited expectantly for this evolution of the Centrino line and it's also known as Centrino Pro (corporate marketing name) and Centrino Duo (consumer marketing name). Why? The Intel GM965 Express Chipset is faster thanks to its 800MHz FSB (the last generation Napa chipset ran at 667MHz). It allows for 4 gigs max RAM (the old limit was generally 2), adds support for 802.11n at its final draft stages with the integrated Intel 4965AGN, supports Intel Turbo Memory (aka Robson) and ReadyDrive in Vista for use with the hybrid hard drive, better claimed battery life, and it uses a new integrated graphics controller-- the Intel X3100 which shows huge improvements over last generation's Intel GMA950. There's only one difference between Centrino Pro and Centrino Duo, and that's the Intel 82566 gigabit Ethernet chip. Though Sony doesn't tout the Pro label, the SZ6 series has Intel's gigabit Ethernet (which puts it one-up on the 13" Dell XPS 1330 notebook that it competes with).



    To take full advantage of the 800MHz front side bus, the laptop should have 800MHz PC-6400 DDR2 RAM. However, that RAM is still a bit hard to come by (in fact when Intel finalized Santa Rosa it didn't yet exist), so the Sony has 2 gigs of DDR2 PC-5300 677MHz RAM. There are 2 standard SODIMM slots under a memory door on the bottom of the computer and the machine can address a maximum of 4 gigs of RAM (Windows Vista 32 bit can't see more than 4 gigs of RAM, only the 64 bit version of the OS can). The SZ650N/C has a 2.2GHz Intel T7500 Core 2 Duo processor, and the SZ670 and SZ691 have a 2.4GHz Intel T7700 Core 2 Duo CPU.
     
  8. Jayayess1190

    Jayayess1190 Waiting on Intel Cannonlake

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    Link from another thread, shows how to take apart the computer and put in the ram: http://laptoplogic.com/resources/detail.php?id=43

    On my Inspiron it is so much easier, just open the screw where it says "M," and then the ram is right there.
     
  9. Nanaki

    Nanaki Notebook Evangelist

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    It can support up to 4 GB, but the 32bit Vista versions will only be able to utilise 3.2 GB of that.
     
  10. roor

    roor Notebook Deity

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    ok, so what... my sz330 can use 4 gigs of ram too but my operating system dosent support it. so it dosent matter. and vista 32bit cant use anymore than ~3.2 its not like the new magic processor is going to do something thats not physically possible
     
  11. anixon

    anixon Notebook Guru

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    I ordered an SZ6 with 1GB configuration. I already bought a kit of PC2-5300 to swap in. Is there a noticeable performance difference in between using PC2-5300 and PC2-6400 in the SZ?
     
  12. roor

    roor Notebook Deity

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    does the sz let you use all the 800 or does it clock it down like the previous sz?
     
  13. Jayayess1190

    Jayayess1190 Waiting on Intel Cannonlake

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    It clocks down, not until Penryn will you be able to use 800MHz.
     
  14. anixon

    anixon Notebook Guru

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    Ahh okay. Well then I guess I'll be sticking with my PC2-5300 then :D