Can you put more RAM into a Laptop than the manufacturer recommends?

I was recently given a Laptop with Vista and at times it seems to be really struggling for RAM, with just 1GB (2x512MB RAM). I haven't used a Vista machine with less than 4GB before.

Googled to find out how much RAM I could install without knowing what model Laptop it was and found on Crucial's website a software 'scanner' that identified what model Laptop it was and said that the manufacturer's recommended maximum for RAM is 2GB. 2x1GB DDR2 PC-5300

I believe you can get 2GB DDR2 PC-5300 memory cards - what would happen if I were to put those cards into the Laptop? Would the motherboard or something else simply be unable to handle it? Would it not work, or work no better? Or could it work better?

The laptop is more than likely going to ignore the extra memory.

What EN said

Yeah, that number is the max amount the motherboard itself can support.

It may not only ignore the extra RAM, it may ignore the RAM altogether. Laptops are fickle in what kinds of RAM they accept. Found that out when I wanted to upgrade an older laptop of mine - the thing wouldn't even boot.

Usually there's a list on the manufacturer's site which tells you what types of RAM the laptop will certainly accept. Everything else is playing roulette :)

Is it the laptop manufacturer's recommended maximum? Like, does the crucial software say that your motherboard can recognise more than 2 GB? The OS may not be able to make use of 4, but maybe 3?

1GB is not enough for Vista. Sounds like an early victim of the "Vista Capable" fuckup. A motherboard that says it can support 2x1gb can not support 2x2gb. That should be obvious.

Brent has a Vista gaming machine with only 2gb of memory, paired with a C2D 6700 and a 4830, I don't notice any bottleneck problems while he is playing.

If you don't trust the software, there should be a sticker on the bottom of the laptop tellng you the make or model, hell almost all of them have a label above the keyboard too.

As I said, its a 2nd hand machine. The stickers underneath are worn out and there's no such sticker on top.

I think I'll just go for 2x1GB. I thought as much, but just wanted to confirm my own suspicions.

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Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro

It may not only ignore the extra RAM, it may ignore the RAM altogether.

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I think it all depends on whether or not you're using a single memory module.