Selecting RAM for your Laptop

**TheMatt** · 11-26-2006, 11:25 AM

Introduction:

The type of RAM a laptop takes can usually be determined by what processor it has. The processor is always easy to tell, to find out, download a free utility called PC Wizard. This utility will tell you your information about your computer, including your CPU and its model number.

One thing to keep in mind is that laptops don't use the same kinds of RAM as desktops. Desktop DDR RAM, for example, would be 184 pin, and laptop DDR RAM would be 200 pin. If you try to put desktop RAM into a laptop, it simply won't fit.

Determining your CPU:

Almost all laptops have a sticker on them with the logo of the CPU. But you will need the model number to know what RAM to get. To obtain your CPU model number, follow the instructions below.

1. Download and install PC Wizard.

2. Open PC Wizard.

3. Click on the top right icon. This will bring up a bunch of information on your CPU. All you need, however, is on the first line. An example of what it might say would be Intel Pentium M 740 or Mobile AMD Sempron 3000+. A screenshot of what it should look like can be found here.

4. This will be used to select your RAM. Refer to the list below.

RAM for Intel Based Laptops:

Intel Pentium 3-m Processors:
PC-133 MHz SD RAM 144 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Pentium 4-m Processors:
DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Celeron D-m Processors:
DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Celeron M 3xx Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Celeron M 3xx Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Celeron M 4xx Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Pentium M 7x0 Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Pentium M 7x5 Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core Solo T1x00 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core Solo T1x50 Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core Duo T2x00 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core Duo T2x50 Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T5x00 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 Processors:
DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 Processors:
DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 Processors:
DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 Processors:
DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Intel Core 2 Extreme X7800 Processors
DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

RAM for AMD Based Laptops:

AMD Athlon XP-m Processors:
DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

AMD Turion 64 MT-xx, Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

AMD Turion 64 ML-xx Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

AMD Turion 64 MK-xx Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-xx Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Mobile AMD Athlon 64 Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Mobile AMD Sempron Processors:
DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Mobile AMD Sempron Processors:
DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs

Questions About The Guide:

1. Why are there two Mobile AMD Sempron and Celeron M 3xx entries and how do I distinguish between the two?
There are two entries because newer Semprons take DDR533, while the older Semprons take DDR333. Older Semprons had model numbers like 3100+ and 3300+, and a number that is exclusive to the newer Semprons is 3200+. Some numbers, however, are shared by both generations, such as 3000+ and 3400+.
Some laptops with a Celeron M 3xx series processor and a 400 MHz FSB that have an Intel 910GM/PM or 915GM chipset can have either DDR333 or DDR533 SO-DIMMs. To determine which your laptop takes, use the method described in the paragraph below.
If you are still unsure of which you have, you can use PC Wizard. Click on the top right icon in the hardware section. Look at what it says for Physical Memory. If it says DDR2 in the parentheses, then you have the newer generation, and the second entry applies to you, and if it simply says DDR without the 2, then you have the older generation and the first entry applies.

2. What if my processor doesn't appear on the list?
If your processor doesn't appear on the list or you are having trouble finding out the model number of your processor, feel free to post in the Laptops forum. You can also use some scanners and selectors that will scan your laptop to find out what RAM it takes or that will allow you to select your notebook and will tell you what RAM you need. Here are some scanners:
< Crucial System Scanner > < Corsair Configurator >
<OCZ Configurator> < Memory Ten Configurator >
<Patriot Configurator> <Mushkin System Scanner>

3. The guide didn't mention what brands would be compatible, how do I know?
The majority of laptops aren't picky about brand, and you can use just about any. The brands I recommend are Corsair, Kingston, OCZ, G. SKILL, Patriot, Crucial, and Mushkin.

4. What do those little x's in the guide stand for?
The x's in the model numbers of the processors take the place of any number. So, for example, the Intel Core Duo T2x00 entry stands for a T2300, T2400, T2500, or T2600 processor.

If you have any more questions about the guide, feel free to post in this thread. If you still have questions about what RAM your laptop needs, please start a new thread in the laptops forum.

11-26-2006, 11:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
TheMatt Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,615 OS: Windows 3.1, 98, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Selecting RAM for your Laptop Introduction: The type of RAM a laptop takes can usually be determined by what processor it has. The processor is always easy to tell, to find out, download a free utility called PC Wizard. This utility will tell you your information about your computer, including your CPU and its model number. One thing to keep in mind is that laptops don't use the same kinds of RAM as desktops. Desktop DDR RAM, for example, would be 184 pin, and laptop DDR RAM would be 200 pin. If you try to put desktop RAM into a laptop, it simply won't fit. Determining your CPU: Almost all laptops have a sticker on them with the logo of the CPU. But you will need the model number to know what RAM to get. To obtain your CPU model number, follow the instructions below. 1. Download and install PC Wizard. 2. Open PC Wizard. 3. Click on the top right icon. This will bring up a bunch of information on your CPU. All you need, however, is on the first line. An example of what it might say would be Intel Pentium M 740 or Mobile AMD Sempron 3000+. A screenshot of what it should look like can be found here. 4. This will be used to select your RAM. Refer to the list below. RAM for Intel Based Laptops: Intel Pentium 3-m Processors: PC-133 MHz SD RAM 144 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Pentium 4-m Processors: DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Celeron D-m Processors: DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Celeron M 3xx Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Celeron M 3xx Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Celeron M 4xx Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Pentium M 7x0 Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Pentium M 7x5 Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core Solo T1x00 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core Solo T1x50 Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core Duo T2x00 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core Duo T2x50 Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T5x00 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 Processors: DDR2-667 MHz (PC5400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 Processors: DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 Processors: DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 Processors: DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Intel Core 2 Extreme X7800 Processors DDR2-800 MHz (PC6400) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs RAM for AMD Based Laptops: AMD Athlon XP-m Processors: DDR-266 MHz (PC2100) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs AMD Turion 64 MT-xx, Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs AMD Turion 64 ML-xx Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs AMD Turion 64 MK-xx Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-xx Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Mobile AMD Athlon 64 Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Mobile AMD Sempron Processors: DDR-333 MHz (PC2700) DDR RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Mobile AMD Sempron Processors: DDR2-533 MHz (PC4200) DDR2 RAM 200 pin SO-DIMMs Questions About The Guide: 1. Why are there two Mobile AMD Sempron and Celeron M 3xx entries and how do I distinguish between the two? There are two entries because newer Semprons take DDR533, while the older Semprons take DDR333. Older Semprons had model numbers like 3100+ and 3300+, and a number that is exclusive to the newer Semprons is 3200+. Some numbers, however, are shared by both generations, such as 3000+ and 3400+. Some laptops with a Celeron M 3xx series processor and a 400 MHz FSB that have an Intel 910GM/PM or 915GM chipset can have either DDR333 or DDR533 SO-DIMMs. To determine which your laptop takes, use the method described in the paragraph below. If you are still unsure of which you have, you can use PC Wizard. Click on the top right icon in the hardware section. Look at what it says for Physical Memory. If it says DDR2 in the parentheses, then you have the newer generation, and the second entry applies to you, and if it simply says DDR without the 2, then you have the older generation and the first entry applies. 2. What if my processor doesn't appear on the list? If your processor doesn't appear on the list or you are having trouble finding out the model number of your processor, feel free to post in the Laptops forum. You can also use some scanners and selectors that will scan your laptop to find out what RAM it takes or that will allow you to select your notebook and will tell you what RAM you need. Here are some scanners: < Crucial System Scanner > < Corsair Configurator > <OCZ Configurator> < Memory Ten Configurator > <Patriot Configurator> <Mushkin System Scanner> 3. The guide didn't mention what brands would be compatible, how do I know? The majority of laptops aren't picky about brand, and you can use just about any. The brands I recommend are Corsair, Kingston, OCZ, G. SKILL, Patriot, Crucial, and Mushkin. 4. What do those little x's in the guide stand for? The x's in the model numbers of the processors take the place of any number. So, for example, the Intel Core Duo T2x00 entry stands for a T2300, T2400, T2500, or T2600 processor. If you have any more questions about the guide, feel free to post in this thread. If you still have questions about what RAM your laptop needs, please start a new thread in the laptops forum. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides Last edited by TheMatt : 11-11-2007 at 02:00 PM. Reason: Added support for Core 2 Extreme processors.