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I currently have 4 GB total RAM and I would like to get some more, to bring it to a total of 8 GB. Is it possible to simply buy another 4 GB and bring it to 8? If so, what kind should I be buying? There is a lot of different possibilities, DDR3, DDR2, clock speed, etc. I am kind of lost among all this.

My current setup goes like this:

  • ACER EG43M mainboard
  • Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz
  • 4 total RAM slots, 2 occupied by 2 GB sticks
  • According to CPU-Z, my memory type is DDR3 (not sure how reliable that is)
  • Full CPU-Z dump
  • Windows 7 64-bit

So basically, I want to know whether it's possible to extend my current RAM to get 8 GB total by buying another 4, and if so, what kind of RAM do I need?

Note that I am not looking for shopping recommendations. I'm worried about the hardware compatibility.

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  • i'd recommend grabbing the manual for your motherboard and looking at what memory is compatible with that model and go from there.
    – josh
    Jun 22, 2012 at 15:05
  • AFAIK DDR3 RAM sticks are little bit different from DDR2 if your system is old and came with DDR2 then you have only one choice to purchase the DDR2 RAM.
    – avirk
    Jun 22, 2012 at 15:06
  • I couldn't find an Acer motherboard with that model number. Is this your motherboard? download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/…
    – techturtle
    Jun 22, 2012 at 15:58
  • @techturtle It appears to be some OEM motherboard variant based off the Gigabyte one (according to some dubious sources). It appears to use DDR3 according to CPU-Z, but we're waiting on physical inspection for that. Acer also should have provided a manual, you should check that if you have one Xeon06.
    – Bob
    Jun 22, 2012 at 16:12
  • It's the work computer, and trying to track that manual is hell. I opened it up though, so I can give out any details needed. Couldn't get a decent picture however. Here's what I gathered: Directly on the circuit board, in white, it says "FC CE ACER", then "G45T/G43T-AM3 V:1.0". Then a bit further off by the RAM slots it says in bold white "DDR3". There is also a sticker with what looks like a serial number on it, and it also says "G43T-AM3(SN)".
    – Xeon06
    Jun 22, 2012 at 16:27

4 Answers 4

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Newer DDR2 and DDR3 modules are physically incompatible due to the notch being in a different location:

enter image description here

3

First you have to find if your motherboard supports up to 8GB of RAM. Then you're OS, for example 32bit can only support up to 4GB while 64bit can support up to a lot more. CPU-Z is pretty reliable, I use it all the time.

OS - 32 bit allocation and 64 bit allocation
Windows 7 Ultimate 4GB 192GB

Windows 7 Enterprise 4GB 192GB

Windows 7 Professional 4GB 192GB

Windows 7 Home Premium 4GB 16GB

Windows 7 Home Basic 4GB 8GB

Windows 7 Starter 2GB N/A

EDIT: Also it's recommended that you always pair memory when buying it. So instead of buying 1 stick of 4GB, you might want to either purchase 2 more 2GB sticks or just get 2x 4GB sticks.

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It seems to be the same chipset as this motherboard and that suggests that you should be using DDR2, not DDR3, and it would support up to 8 gigs. On the other hand intel's docs states the chipset it uses, the G45 can use either

You can confirm thus by reading the markings on the motherboard silk screening that denote the ram slots - DDR2_X or DDR3_X where X is the slot number, as well as through physical examination of the slot location - this chart is AWESOME for parts id and includes both types of ram.

I'd probably suggest, in this case using the memory scanner from a memory manufacturer - this answer mentions a few - to be sure of exact specs.

EDIT: added in mention that the chipset may support both. Original assumption that it MUST be DDR2 is wrong.

2
  • It's the work computer, and trying to track that manual is hell. I opened it up though, so I can give out any details needed. Couldn't get a decent picture however. Here's what I gathered: Directly on the circuit board, in white, it says "FC CE ACER", then "G45T/G43T-AM3 V:1.0". Then a bit further off by the RAM slots it says in bold white "DDR3". There is also a sticker with what looks like a serial number on it, and it also says "G43T-AM3(SN)".
    – Xeon06
    Jun 22, 2012 at 16:27
  • Its ddr3 then, and from everything i can find, it supports up to 8gb of the stuff
    – Journeyman Geek
    Jun 22, 2012 at 23:28
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Go to crucial.com (has to be through IE) and download their memory scanner tool and it will tell you the exact type of memory you need!! PERFECT TOOL!

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