-: In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to install,
upgrade, and replace memory modules inside of a laptop.
For this demonstration, I'm going to be using a Lenovo Wifi 40,
but you can use any laptop
and it's going to be a very similar process.
Now, soldering memory to the motherboard
is not considered a common practice in the world of PCs,
but it is something I've seen a lot
inside of Apple machines.
So you want to keep this in mind
and always check your manual
before attempting to do the upgrade
to verify that you can upgrade that system
and the process for doing it.
Now on our system, our memory is actually hidden
behind this little shield right here.
So to get that up, we're simply going to use our pry bar
and we're going to place that in there and we're going to
pull underneath it and it just clicks up out of place.
At this point, I'll do this on both sides
and that entire shield is going to pop up
and come out of the way.
I'm going to go ahead and put that over here
so it's out of my way.
Once I remove that shield,
you're noticing that there are two memory modules.
This is because this system uses 16 GB of RAM
using a configuration of an 8+8 configuration,
operating in dual channel mode for faster speeds.
So I have 16 GB of RAM, but they're operating
together in tandem in that dual channel mode
allowing me to go instead of using a 64 bit space
into using 128 bit space for my data bus.
Now, to be able to take out one of these pieces of memory,
you're simply going to go and take your fingers
and press alongside these little retainer clips.
And as soon as I do that, you'll notice it popped up.
Notice the memory module is now at a 45 degree angle.
Whenever you're installing or removing a SODIMM chip,
you're always going to be doing this
at a 45 degree angle and then laying it flat to the board
where it'll clip into place.
So now that that module is unlocked
into that 45 degree angle,
we'll simply grab it by the sides and pull it out.
Notice our memory module does have a notching
that will allow it to only be installed in one direction.
If I tried to turn this over and install it,
it's no longer going to fit because my notch is here
and my notch on the memory module is here.
So we're going to have to flip that over
until we get it into the right spot.
Once you get that memory module out of the slot,
you're then going to replace it with your new memory module
by doing the exact process but in reverse.
To do this, I'm simply going to line up my memory,
making sure the notching is proper.
Put it in at a 45 degree angle until it stops moving
and then simply push it down
and you'll notice those clips go into place automatically
and grab that memory module.
At this point, the memory is now installed.
Now in this system, because I'm running
in dual channel mode, I do need to make sure
that my memory modules are the same in both channels.
That means I have two 8 gig modules
and both 8 gig modules are operating at the same speed
and they're purchased from the same manufacturer.
To make sure you don't mess this up,
it's a good idea to always buy these things in pairs
and oftentimes, you'll find them sold in a two pack
that's set up specifically for this dual channel set up.
Now if I want to do the same thing for the other side,
I'll simply go in there,
push myself to the side with those clips.
The clips are now released.
Pull that module out, take it out,
then I'll replace that with the new module by lining it up
at that 45 degree angle, pushing it in until it stops
and then pushing it flat to the board
until you hear that clip
and those retaining clips are now in place.
At this point, we would've finished this
upgrader installation by simply putting in
those memory modules, clipping them into place,
and now we would be able to put this system back together,
putting all the screws back up,
powering on the system and verifying it detects
both of those 8 GB modules,
giving us a total of 16 GB of RAM.
If I replace those with 16 GB modules,
I would turn on the system and expect to see
32 GB of RAM, showing that I've now doubled
the amount of memory in this system.
Remember, memory upgrades are one of the cheapest
and easiest things you can do
to increase the performance of a system.
If you have a laptop that's running pretty slowly,
you may want to take a look at how much memory's installed.
If there's only 8 GB or 16 GB, you can bump that
up to 16 GB or 32 GB pretty easily.
It's also important to check your manual
before you buy parts for this system.
Now, the reason for this is some manufacturers
will have 16 GB of RAM in a laptop
and they'll have that as a single module like this.
If this is the case and you want to upgrade to 32,
you simply need one 16 GB module to do that upgrade.
But if you have a system like mine
where it already came installed with two 8 GB modules,
I'm going to have to take both of those out
in order to upgrade to 32 by putting in two 16 GB modules.
Keep this in mind as you're working on memory upgrades
with SODIMM on your laptops.