Memory Upgrade For Lenovo W520

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pcaddict2

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Oct 21, 2010
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Hi,
I just acquired a nearly new Lenovo W520 laptop which has only 8Gb memory installed in it.
I'd like to upgrade it to either 16 or 32 Gb. However, I am really confused by all the different brands of RAM available and how these would enhance or show only a marginal improvement in performance!

Here is a brief spec of my laptop

Manufacturer Lenovo
Model ThinkPad W520
Type/Service-Tag 4284-HZ5
Processor Intel Core i7-2860QM Processor 2.50 GHz (8M Cache, up to 3.60 GHz)
Memory 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard drive 500 GB SATA
Optical drive DVD-RW
Display Size 15.6"


Memory Specifications
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 32 GB
Memory Types DDR3 1066/1333/1600
Max # of Memory Channels 2
Max Memory Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
ECC Memory Supported ‡ No


I will not be overclocking it! This laptop will be used exclusively for music recording & production.
I will be extremely grateful to hear from anyone who has done a similar upgrade and recommend a brand & type memory would give me the best possible upgrade!

Thanks.
 
Solution
MakoRuu
It's generally a rule of thumb that you should always purchase the highest grade components that you can afford. (Whether that's five dollars, or five hundred dollars remains on the part.)

I'm not sure which voltage you should get because of the motherboard in your laptop. Check the current RAM you have now and get that voltage.

You can check using CPUID.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
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MakoRuu

MakoRuu

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Jan 8, 2013
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Hmm. I'm inclined to suggest that 8 GBs of memory would be enough for recording audio and producing music.

But if you feel like you need more, any type of DDR3 laptop memory is sufficient.

Laptop memory differs from desktop memory in that it's physically smaller and has fewer pins (204 vs 240). But all DDR3 modules are universal.

The only compatibility issues that you need to worry about is whether or not the motherboard will support the clock frequency of the memory itself.

Judging by this list you've given, it goes up to 1600 Mhz.

Even if you purchased 2100 Mhz memory, the motherboard would simply clock it down to 1600 Mhz and it would work just fine.

Most laptops have only two memory DIMMS, so I'm assuming both are full with 4GB sticks to give you that 8 GBs total.

However, if it's only a single 8GB stick you could buy another for a total of 16.

Otherwise, you'll have to replace the entire memory set.
 
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pcaddict2

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Thank you MakoRuu for Your reply. I am sorry if didn't explain myself properly or was not very specific in my first post! Yes, I do know about most of the things you've pointed out. What I really wanted to know were the following;

-Latency .....the best CLA 9, 24.?
-Bandwidth
Reliabilty

I am particularly interested in brands which some forum members may be using & could recommend based on their experiences! I, like many first thought about well known brands such as Corsair, Crucial, Kingston ....etc, but then wondered if lesser known brands ( at least to me) like PNY, G-Geil, ADATA..would be as good if not better than in performance & reliability?

Thanks
 
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MakoRuu

MakoRuu

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The difference between 9 and 11 CLA memory is not humanly discernible, in spite of what overclocking enthusiasts may tell you.

The improvements only show up in hard core benchmarks. The same can be said for any other spec of the ram aside from speed.

You will notice a different between 667 Mhz RAM and 1600 Mhz RAM. But not between 1066 Mhz and 1600 Mhz. Anything beyond that is arbitrary.

Cheap memory is always a good way to frag your PC. While it won't cause any actual damage, it can keep you from being able to post and cause all kinds of mischief that you'll wrack your brain at trying to figure out. (Most people simply don't take the memory out and check it, assuming it's an more important component like a graphics card or a hard drive.)

I've used so many brands of memory that I've lost track. Currently have Samsung, I think. Pretty sure it's samsung. lol

I've had Mushkin, Corsair, Crusial, Kingston, the list goes on and on.

Go by what you read in reviews on the site you're buying it from. I hear good things about G.Skill.
 
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pcaddict2

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Thanks again; Totally agree with all what you've mentioned. Yes, I will do some more research & read some more test reviews.

B.t.w, which voltage RAM should I buy? 1.35v or 1.5v?
DDR-3 1060, 1333, or 1600MHz?

Thanks
 
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MakoRuu

MakoRuu

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Jan 8, 2013
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It's generally a rule of thumb that you should always purchase the highest grade components that you can afford. (Whether that's five dollars, or five hundred dollars remains on the part.)

I'm not sure which voltage you should get because of the motherboard in your laptop. Check the current RAM you have now and get that voltage.

You can check using CPUID.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
 
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