Upgrading memory in HP Pavilion g4 1164ca

Question

So I'm looking to upgrade my 4GB to 8GB, and I was looking for some high performance good quality memory. I was looking at the Corsair Vengeance:

http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-8gb-high-performance-sodimm-memory-upgrade-kit-cmsx8gx3m2a1600c9.html

I was wondering if it is compatible, and how you determine if a specific type of memory is compatible with a specific laptop. Where would you go to determine the compatibility?

Also, does installing higher-performance memory have any battery life impact?

Answer 1

Most RAM manufacturers have some sort of memory finder tool on their website that helps you find the correct RAM for your computer. For instance:

• Corsair: http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore
• Crucial: http://www.crucial.com/store/drammemory.aspx
• Kingston: http://www.kingston.com/en/memory/search/devices?DevicesType=Desktop

I can't seem to find your particular model on Corsair's site, but Crucial gives the following result:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Pavilion%20g4-1164ca&Cat=RAM

According to Crucial, your laptop supports DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) and DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) RAM. The Corsair Vengeance RAM you linked to is DDR3-1600, so should work fine in your laptop.

As for battery life - going from 4 GB to 8 GB is going to have a slight impact on battery life. Also, higher-performance RAM usually requires higher voltage, which also negatively affects battery life. The Corsair Vengeance RAM you linked to runs at 1.5 V, whereas this Crucial RAM runs at 1.35 V, not to mention is significantly cheaper.

Answer 2

Search for the laptop information from the manufacturer's website. It should provide information regarding what kind of memory it will take. If the manufacturer's website does not have this information, then the manufacturer of the motherboard for that laptop will have the information...but it should be in the product specs listed by the laptop manufacturer.