Can I put in more memory into my laptop myself or do I have to take it to a computer store?

Question

I have a Gateway laptop and it's lacking in enough memory. It's been very slow even after I've defragged and run antivirus and spyware and I'd get messages that my system was low on memory. I have a big game installed on my laptop (Sims) that takes up lots of memory and I'd like to put in more memory myself if I can, assuming there is an extra slot left.

Where can I go to buy this and is it safe to do it myself?

Answer 1

You can go on line and look up the specs specific to your laptop and find the memory chip 1g is usually about 30$. If you have 1 gig in now its probably 2 512's.

Now, its really easy to do if you have ANY experieince with comps in the past. There are tutorial vids online to show you exactly how.,BUT there is always the possiblity of a s***w up, I feel that ONLY you know for sure, try to find a friend you trust or take it to a shop ang get some labor prices.

Answer 2

If you know how to do it, do it yourself. If you do not, take it to a PC store. You don't want anything to go wrong.

Answer 3

My best advice is that you should take it to a computer store for them to help you install the memory.  If you do not know how to install the memory, for example, once you unscrew the laptop is very hard to put it back together.  Sometime if you mess up, it will damage your keyboard on the laptop.  The best place to take the laptop is to Best Buy.  They will help you do a check-up to see if you need any additional hardware to keep your laptop running faster.  You need to take it in the morning and you will be getting the laptop back at night.  Don’t try to unscrew the laptop and install yourself because you will never be able to put in back together.  Trust me on this.        

Answer 4

It's so simple to do, that once you've done it, you'll be doing it for friend's and family! All you have to do is remove a small cover on the bottom of the laptop. Usually it's held in place by a single s***w. Now, I must give you some technical advice of sorts. Your body contains STATIC electricity. You develop it in many ways. Just walking across carpet, taking a shirt off, or other articles of clothing. Running your hand through your hair, sliding off of the couch. A woman who is wearing pantyhose, will generate a BUNCH of static just walking, or shifting in a chair.Just a few ways. Static will silently 'kill' delicate computer parts. Computer hardware components operate on milliamps, and static contains WAY more than this! (Milliamp. Approximately one millionth of an ampere. Your household receptacles, tie into a breaker that has 20 amp's.) How to avoid static from possibly ruining your ram stick/s,or your laptop? De-static yourself. With a desktop computer, all you have to do is have it un-plugged, and touch the metal frame of the computer case. With a laptop, you should use an ESD wriststrap.

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antistatic_...

2.http://www.radioshack.com/sm-anti-static...  (As you can see they don't cost much. Connect the alligator clip to a good ground source. Metal leg, on the table you're working on? How about a large metal cup? As long as it's iron, and not aluminum. )

Work on a tabletop, not a bed, a couch, or directly on a carpet floor. STATIC!

You have to know a few variables, for purchasing ram for your laptop.

A.What is the Maximum Total amount for the laptop?

B.What is the Maximum amount for EACH ram slot?

C.What type, and what speed of ram does it use?

D.How many ram slots do you have, and where are they located?

E.How do you access these slots? Some laptops have a ram slot under the keyboard, as well as one, or two slots, under the cover on the bottom of the laptop. You have to remove the keyboard to access this style.

If you go to this site, Crucial.com, and use their Crucial System Scanner Tool,(On the homepage just click on the 'Scan My System' button), it will tell you A through C. Gateway laptop/Support will tell you D through E.

(Or you can email me the Gateway model number, on the bottom of the laptop, and I'll email you back the pages that tell you, with a direct link. It will also show you how to install ram on this laptop)

Basically you open the cover,(With your ESD wriststrap connected to your wrist), Ease a spring metal tab, or plastic tab, to the outside of the ram stick, on both sides, and ease the ram stick up to a 45 degree angle, {NOT a 90 degree angle. (Straight up) The ram stick comes out at a 45 degree angle}, and ease it up out of there. Installing is just a reversal of this.

Edit: Don't unscrew the laptop because you will never put it back together! Say WHAT? ONE s***w? This must have been a laptop that had one of the ram sticks under the keyboard! You have to ease the corners of the sides, of a plastic strip that is above your keys, on your keyboard. This plastic strip pops-out. It's right under the LCD monitor screen.

Then you have to remove two, or four screws from a small metal plate in this same area. Then usually two screws to take the keyboard loose, and tilt it up at a 45 degree angle. Ease it up past the plastic tabs that hold it, and then push back a lock on the wire connector. Remove the connector from the keyboard. Now you should have access to the ram, in the ram slot. Various models have subtle changes from this. The screws are about the size of a BB! lol! (That's what s***w trays, good eyes, and proper lighting are for!)

Edit 2: Here are two places besides Crucial, that I trust.

1.Tigerdirect.com

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...

(See to the left where it has the Memory/Subcategories headings? Click on 'Memory Configurator'. Same as the Crucial tool. By the way. On any of these tool's, it doesn't look at your personal stuff, you're not required to buy from them, no malware junk, or ad's will be attached, and they are FREE!)

Laptop memory: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...

2.Newegg.com

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.asp... (Their page that has their Memory Configurator.)

Laptop memory: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory....

Let's go to the Gateway laptop Support page:

http://support.gateway.com/support/supin...

Since I don't know what model of Gateway laptop this is, I'll just pick one for an example,

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/2008...

Here's the PDF download for the Component Replacement Manual. Page 9 deals directly with replacing ram modules,('Sticks') on this laptop.

http://support.gateway.com/s/Manuals/Mob...