Random Access Memory

In the most simple terms, RAM decides how much of a processor's power you can use at any time. A fast processor with low RAM is useless. A RAM upgrade is probably the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to increase the speed of your computer. Make sure the laptop you buy can be upgraded. Some retailers make this information easily available, some don't. In my opinion, if a seller doesn't think the upgradeability of the laptop is important enough, then they are not getting my money.

Laptop RAM is called SoDIMM

RAM upgradeability is a great place for manufacturers to manipulate the consumer. Let's review some of the common tricks.

1. The Maximum RAM - Each laptop has a maximum RAM that it can support. This information is usually hidden somewhere, and sometimes not even shown. Find out before you buy or else your laptop may be useless sooner than you can afford to buy a faster one, because that's the only way to "upgrade" a limited laptop.

2. The number of DIMM slots - RAM chips are inserted into special slots called DIMM slots. Most laptops have either one or two DIMMs. Having two is better than one because you can buy two small RAM chips for upgrading. The way RAM is priced, two small chips usually cost less than one large chip. So two 256MB chips are cheaper than one 512MB chip. One DIMM machines are more expensive to upgrade. Also, in a 2-DIMM machine, you can still buy one 512MB chip and leave one DIMM slot empty for future upgrades. See point (3) for why this is better.

3. The number of RAM Chips - Let's say you go to a place like BestBuy or Circuit City and you buy a ready-made computer with 512MB and 2 DIMMs. When you want to upgrade in the future, you open it up and see that it has 2 chips of 256MB each. Now you have to throw one away to install a bigger one. The moral, don't just ask how many DIMMs but also how many DIMMs are occupied when you buy. Configure-to-order laptops, like those from DELL give you the option of getting one DIMM with 512MB (with another DIMM empty) instead of 2 DIMMs with 256MB each. Always opt for the former, even if it costs $10- $30 more. When you upgrade, you can buy a cheap 256MB chip and now your total can be 512 + 256 = 768MB.

4. Source of RAM Upgrade - Configure-to-order laptop retailers want you to upgrade your RAM from them, but it is almost always more expensive. You are better off getting a small amount of RAM^† (on one DIMM - to comply with point 3 above) and then buying an upgrade from Crucial.com, whose memory selector guarantees you get a proper upgrade. Crucial.com is known to have the best RAM, but you can also get some good after-rebate deals^* from CompUSA, BestBuy, and Circuit City - especially on Sunday. We list those deals in the Tech Deals section. Installing RAM is easy. The laptop's manual usually shows how, or you can see this step-by-step guide.

OK, so now we've described the most common ways manufacturers and retailers try to trick the consumer -  weird processor numbers and opaque RAM details. Next, we take a look at other components which can change the price dramatically.