[SOLVED] installing new ram into my old laptop

[laptop-Tech]

So my 6 year old laptop is struggling to handle CNN news sites for some random reason I'm using almost a Gigabyte worth of ram in CNN news site on chrome. I find this Atrocious, But there's the upside I have an old junked laptop with similar ram there both SODIMM DDR3 This laptop clocked at 1600Mhz the old laptop 1333Mhz and I looked it up and for DIMM if you have 3200Mhz and 2400Mhz (or any ram clock) and you could mix and match speeds because the faster ram would have to slow to keep pace with the slower stuff so dose it work with SODIMMS Ill give the brands in the chat. And I am mixing modules an 8gb and a 4gb ill post the brands later.

 

[SamirD]

What's your question?

Browsers and sites are bloating out of control. This is where using a linux live cd/usb from a few years ago will give older hardware the ability to still safely go online--live cd are just an os running in ram, so nothing can affect them. You can't save anything either, but you can use an otherwise unusable system.

 

[Third-Eye]

So my 6 year old laptop is struggling to handle CNN news sites for some random reason I'm using almost a Gigabyte worth of ram in CNN news site on chrome. I find this Atrocious, But there's the upside I have an old junked laptop with similar ram there both SODIMM DDR3 This laptop clocked at 1600Mhz the old laptop 1333Mhz and I looked it up and for DIMM if you have 3200Mhz and 2400Mhz (or any ram clock) and you could mix and match speeds because the faster ram would have to slow to keep pace with the slower stuff so dose it work with SODIMMS Ill give the brands in the chat. And I am mixing modules an 8gb and a 4gb ill post the brands later.

As long as the modules are the same type, they will both either run at the spec of the lower end module or both drop to minimum default spec for the laptop. Mixing ram isn't always going to work, but DDR3 seems to have fewer issues when mixing compared to to DDR4. Also, because you would be running 12GB with an 8GB and 4GB module, you will only have dual channel mode up to 8GB used ram and then it will drop down to single channel mode past 8GB, but I doubt you will have any problems or notice any difference since you are likely already running single channel mode.

What is the model of your laptop? Your laptop may only have a single ram slot, so you might be limited to 8GB.

 

[laptop-Tech]

As long as the modules are the same type, they will both either run at the spec of the lower end module or both drop to minimum default spec for the laptop. Mixing ram isn't always going to work, but DDR3 seems to have fewer issues when mixing compared to to DDR4. Also, because you would be running 12GB with an 8GB and 4GB module, you will only have dual channel mode up to 8GB used ram and then it will drop down to single channel mode past 8GB, but I doubt you will have any problems or notice any difference since you are likely already running single channel mode.

What is the model of your laptop? Your laptop may only have a single ram slot, so you might be limited to 8GB.

Thanks for the response its an HP Envy 15 Notebook pc I have confirmed I have checked and i do have another slot of ram. The ram I will be upgrade ram I will be using is:

NANYA

model (i think): NT4GC64B8HB0NS-CG 11.36 TW
4GB 2Rx8.PC3-10600S-9-10-F2.13333

 

[geofelt]

Since you have the parts, why not go ahead and try it?
Then
Run memtest86.
It boots from a usb stick and does not use windows.
You can download the free edition here:
https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

If you fail, go to a ram site like crucial or kingston and access their ram upgrade app.
Enter your laptop make/model and you will get a list of supported upgrades.

And... if you have not yet done so, install a ssd for windows c drive.
It will make all the difference in the world for performance.

 

[SamirD]

If you fail, go to a ram site like crucial or kingston and access their ram upgrade app.

If it fails, it will mean more than likely that a module is bad. I would boot to your bios and see if all the memory is recognized. If so, than more than likely it will work, but that the module you have is bad.

Generally in my experience in pushing the limits of memory upgrades like this either the system will post or not post and you'll know right there. Usually you'll get beeps and nothing on the screen when it won't work, but this can also happen with bad memory modules, so it's not conclusive.

 

[Third-Eye]

Thanks for the response its an HP Envy 15 Notebook pc I have confirmed I have checked and i do have another slot of ram. The ram I will be upgrade ram I will be using is:

NANYA

model (i think): NT4GC64B8HB0NS-CG 11.36 TW
4GB 2Rx8.PC3-10600S-9-10-F2.13333

Wait... you are putting 4GB into the laptop? I was thinking you already had 4GB installed and were adding 8GB. If you are running 8GB and having problems with Chrome, I would say you more likely have a CPU issue or some other issue.

What is the exact model of the HP Envy 15? You can usually find it on the bottom assuming the stickers are not destroyed yet. The model number will tell us what specs the laptop has when sold.

Download CPU-Z and get the system info from that program if you don't have the specs or model number stickers. You could upload screen shots of the CPU, Mainboard, Memory and SPD tabs if you don't want to type it out. Make sure to select the slot the ram is installed on the SPD tab. https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Check CPU temperature with a program like Core Temp 1.16. https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

 

[SamirD]

I was starting to see memory maxing out in 8gb and moved all my systems to 16gb--the browsers hog every drop of ram they can get...

 

[Third-Eye]

I was starting to see memory maxing out in 8gb and moved all my systems to 16gb--the browsers hog every drop of ram they can get...

Personally, I stopped using Chrome and switched to Brave browser (based on Chrome) as it's replacement and cut my ram usage almost in half for the same amount of tabs. I run Brave and Firefox together and rarely see more than 3.5GB total usage now with around 30-35 tabs open between browsers. Even with Chrome and Firefox, I still never went over 4.5GB with both browsers running. Although, I use addons that stop videos, audio, Flash and HTML5 objects automatically running, so that may be part of the reduced ram usage.

 

[SamirD]

It's an endless battle...you needed 16mb of ram on win3.1 to run IE, and then it wasn't great unless you had an isdn line for 'fast' 128k Internet...and today you need 16GB of ram for a browser to eat gigs of ram. And for what? The same web pages...made bloatier because someone thought it was a good idea. I bet the creator of html is shaking his head at the complicated, weaponized monstrosity the modern internet is.

There were always 'lite' browsers out there and tricks to lean things down, but ultimately there is some site that 'needs' whatever you have shut off and you 'need' that site, so you appease the masters with what they want...

It's why I really try not to rely on anything anymore--too many other people designing systems to capture people into their agenda.