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RAM upgrade makes your laptop quick and feel new again if you do it right.
Your laptop might be painfully slow, Chrome might be eating up all the memory, and video editing keeps freezing. You end up wanting to throw the machine out the window.
But before you spend on a new laptop, consider a RAM upgrade. It can dramatically revive your machine. A RAM upgrade will result in up to 41% improvement in multitasking.
But there’s a problem: half the guides online skip checking if your laptop can even be upgraded in the first place. If you skip checking, you will end up with a RAM stick you can’t use.
This guide will walk you through everything, start to finish, the right way.
Step 1: Check if Your Laptop RAM Can Be Upgraded
About 60% of modern ultrabooks have RAM soldered directly onto the motherboard. You cannot remove it, replace it, or add to it. If your laptop’s specs say LPDDR4 or LPDDR5, the upgrade conversation is over before it starts.
Non-upgradeable examples (as of 2026):
- All Apple MacBook models since 2020 (M1 and later)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 through 7
- Most ultrabooks thinner than 15mm
Upgradeable examples:
- Most ThinkPad business laptops (E-series, T-series, L-series)
- Dell Latitude and most Inspiron models
- HP EliteBook and many Pavilion models
- Most gaming laptops (ASUS ROG, MSI, Lenovo Legion, etc.)
To check your specific laptop, flip it over. There’s a sticker on the bottom with the model number. Note it down, then Google it.
Search for example: “Dell Inspiron 15 3520 RAM upgrade” or “HP Pavilion 15-eg3000 RAM specs.” That search will tell you everything:
- Whether the RAM is soldered or removable/upgradable
- The number of total slots
- The DDR generation (DDR3, DDR4, DDR5)
- The maximum supported RAM capacity
- Speed (MHz / MT/s)
A note on hybrid configurations:
Some laptops have a mix of soldered and removable RAM. For example, a laptop might have 8GB soldered onto the motherboard plus one empty SO-DIMM slot. You can add one stick, but you can never go below the soldered baseline. You’d be upgrading to 16GB or max.
A note on speed:
In case you’re installing two sticks, your motherboard will run all installed modules at the speed of the slowest stick. So if you have DDR4-3200 already installed and you add a DDR4-2400 stick, both will run at 2400 MT/s. Buy RAM that matches or exceeds your existing speed.
Step 2: Buy the RAM
Stick with Crucial, Kingston, Samsung, or Corsair. These brands have long compatibility track records and solid warranty coverage. Avoid unknown RAM from unfamiliar sellers, especially for laptops, where compatibility is tighter than desktops.
Also, if your laptop has two slots, always buy RAM in a matched pair (a kit of 2). A “Kit of 2 x 8GB” is better than “1 x 16GB” in terms of performance.
Step 3: Install the RAM
Read all of these steps once before you start. It’ll take 20–30 minutes from start to finish.
1. Shut Down Completely
Shut your laptop down completely, not sleep or hibernate. Then unplug the power adapter.
2. Discharge Residual Power
Hold the power button for 5 seconds after unplugging. This drains any remaining charge from the capacitors and prevents accidental short-circuit during the upgrade.
3. Remove the Battery (If Removable)
On older laptops with a removable battery, pop it out before opening anything. On modern laptops with internal batteries, you’ll skip this but still follow step 2.
4. Open the Bottom Panel
Flip the laptop upside down. Remove all the screws from the bottom panel using a Phillips #0 or #00 precision screwdriver. Some screws may be hidden under rubber feet, so gently peel them back. Use your plastic pry tool to pop the panel off carefully. Start at a corner and work your way around. Don’t force it.
5. Ground Yourself
Before touching anything inside, touch the metal frame of the laptop to discharge any remaining static. If you have an anti-static wrist strap, attach it now.
6. Locate the RAM Slots
Look for the SO-DIMM slots on the motherboard. They’re rectangular slots holding flat chips at a slight angle. On some laptops, the RAM is under a metal shield, so unscrew and remove it.
7. Remove the Existing RAM (If Replacing)
To remove a RAM stick, gently push the two retention clips on either side of the slot outward simultaneously. The stick will spring up to about a 30-degree angle. Slide it straight out. Set it aside on your anti-static surface.
8. Install the New RAM
Hold the new SO-DIMM by its edges. Never touch the gold contacts at the bottom. Align the notch on the stick with the notch in the slot (there’s only one correct orientation). Insert it at about a 30-degree angle and push it firmly into the slot until it’s fully seated. Then press it down flat until both retention clips click into place on either side.
If you’re installing two sticks, repeat for the second slot.
9. First Boot Test
This is an optional but smart step. Before you screw everything down tight, plug in the power adapter and press the power button. If the laptop boots normally and reaches the login screen or Windows desktop, the RAM is seated and working. If it doesn’t boot, power off, reseat the RAM, and try again.
10. Reassemble
Replace any metal shields, reattach the bottom panel, and screw everything back in. Don’t overtighten.
Extra Step: Update Your BIOS (If RAM Isn’t Recognized)
This catches a lot of people off guard. If your laptop doesn’t recognize the new RAM, your BIOS firmware may be outdated.
Manufacturers regularly release BIOS updates that improve memory compatibility, especially for new DDR5 modules. A BIOS from 2023 on a laptop running DDR5-5600 purchased in 2025 may not recognize it correctly.
Check your laptop manufacturer’s support page, enter your model number, and look for BIOS or firmware updates. Download and install the latest version before concluding there’s a hardware problem. This one step has resolved RAM compatibility issues for countless users who thought they had a defective module.
Final Word
A RAM upgrade is still one of the best cost-to-performance investments you can make on a laptop in 2026. The process takes less than 30 minutes, and the results are immediate and measurable.
Just do the compatibility check first. Everything else follows from that.
