Thinkpads Forum

I'm a bit over excited as I've just seen my X200 can "unofficially" take 8GB ram rather than the 4GB I have in it. I have 4GB as the Crucial website told me that was the max.

Could someone please advise me if there are any catches to this? Can I just go off and get two 4GB PC3-12800 sticks or is there a certain type or setup needed please?

Thank you very much for any help!

You most certainly can install 8GB in the 2x4GB format in these systems.

I would stick with 1066MHz RAM, though. Faster offerings may or may not work.

Yes thank you it seems to be 2x 4GB PC3-8500 that works best (according to fervent Googling on my part!).

Hi,

I very recently upgraded my X200 to 2x4GB RAM.

The memory sticks I installed were: Crucial CT51264BF160B (4GB DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800 CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V/1.5V). These should be widely and cheaply available at the moment.

Important: CT51264BF160B is different from CT51264BF160BJ (note the J at the end)! The variant with J at the end will not work in X200 in 2x4GB configuration.

Using 2 x CT51264BF160B, the BIOS and Windows 7 (64bit) correctly detected the full 8GB RAM, and my system passed Memtest86+. I have BIOS version 3.14 but I don't think it matters. The memory runs at 1066 mhz, as expected for the X200, with the timings 7-7-7-19 (selected automatically).

Happy upgrading!

Oh cripes!! I stuck on order into Amazon yesterday for this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008 ... ge_o00_s00

I know it says Mac but I assumed it would still work in the X200? Please do let me know before Amazon dispatch!!

'Mac' memory should work absolutely fine. Only very old computers seemed to have problems with this. I bought 16GB (2x8) 'Mac' memory sticks for my W530, and they have worked without issue.

Oh phew! Thank you! /relief

I thought I'd add that whether a 4GB memory module is compatible with the X200 shouldn't have anything to do with the module being rated for more than 1066MHz (PC8500) speed per se. Memory modules are designed so that they are able to run at slower speeds if the computer requests it.

As I understand it, the important part is how the 4GB RAM module is organized internally: 4GB RAM modules for the X200 must be organized in the fashion "2Rx8" (2 rank times 8 chips), i.e. they must be "dual rank" not "single rank" and will have 16 chips in total.

VanZan wrote: I know it says Mac but I assumed it would still work in the X200? Please do let me know before Amazon dispatch!!

When we upgraded my wife's Macbook Pro to 8GB RAM, I took her 2x2GB chips and dropped them into my X200 - no issues as I type on it.

Does the X200 use DD2 memory? I was looking at X201 models. Do they use DD3 memory or DD2? I know their max memory is also 8gb of ram.

Hans Gruber wrote:Does the X200 use DD2 memory? I was looking at X201 models. Do they use DD3 memory or DD2? I know their max memory is also 8gb of ram.

Both X200/s and X201/s use DDR3.

Thanks, I have a lot of DD3. I assume they run 1066mhz DD3.

Hans Gruber wrote:I assume they run 1066mhz DD3.

Yep, 1066MHz is correct.

it can be a little confusing / intimidating, because Crucial has at least 4 part #s for the exact same 2x4gb kit.

there are 2 different part#s "for pc" (or generic) and 2 different part#s. explicitly labelled "for MAC"

aside from maybe the adhesive sticker, and the retail packaging - they are all identical. as are the single 4gb sticks selling separately apart from the 8gb kits.

my x200t is 100% happy with the "Crucial 8GB Kit (4GB x 2) DDR3/DDR3L-1066 MT/s (PC3-8500) CL7 204-Pin SODIMM Memory Upgrade for MAC CT2K4G3S1067M / CT2C4G3S1067M" I installed last year.

Crucial attempted to explain that it has something to do with their inventory tracking vs sales/marketing. (and I think also because Apple customers + retail stores + repair shops + toaster ovens + medium-sized dogs + etc. etc., all feel about a million times better, and love, when RAM and HDDs and USB mice have the words "MAC" somewhere in the title/description. this may also be a holdover from the pre-Intel days when things were a little less-standard.)

apologies I don't have the "PC"-kit part#s offhand. but if you look in e.g. the amazon reviews you can find people listing all of the 4 (4+? there may be more, ha) part#s.

basically: don't be afraid, and order the less-expensive one (between all the different part#s, I have seen the kit prices typically in USD10-20 variance. sometimes even ~30 bucks (why do you think I ended up buying the "MAC" kit for my thinkpad, ha?)

q2dm1 wrote:Hi,

I very recently upgraded my X200 to 2x4GB RAM.

The memory sticks I installed were: Crucial CT51264BF160B (4GB DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800 CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V/1.5V). These should be widely and cheaply available at the moment.

Important: CT51264BF160B is different from CT51264BF160BJ (note the J at the end)! The variant with J at the end will not work in X200 in 2x4GB configuration.

Hello.
Yesterday I bought Crucial CT51264BF160B . Unfortunately, it does not work neither in X200 nor in T400. I can see that computers start but I have not any BIOS screens
Still black so anything I can do is to switch computers off.
I thought that something is wrong with this memory module but I put it to my doughter laptop ( not thinkpad but from Lenovo too ) and it works there without problems.
Have You any idea what is on ?

BTH. Levovo says, X200 supports maximum 4GB RAM. You really have 8GB ?

Regards
__jacenty__

__jacenty__ wrote:BTH. Levovo says, X200 supports maximum 4GB RAM. You really have 8GB ?

This generation supports 8GB RAM, I have several X200/X200s with that config working with no issue (many other users too).

Regarding RAM, I'd suggest to stick with DDR3-8500 or DDR3-10600 modules. X200/T400 are picky with 12800 ones

Thanks for response. You may be right they are picky . On the other hand Crucial , on its www site, recommends
4GB PC3-12800 ( CT5303405 ) to T400 . Theoretically its basic parameters are the same as not working CT51264BF160B.
Anyway I have no other way out as to check slower RAM's

Regards
__jacenty__

Originally T400 were to support 10600 and 8500 modules. I'm not 100% sure but I think the 12800 RAM became popular later...

Requires 2Rx8 sodimm ddr3, that means 16 chips per module. up to DDR3-1333. Will run at 1066.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

Hi.
Are You sure that only RAM modules with 16 chips work with T400 or X200 ?
I have never heard about such requirements to any laptop...
Yesterday I put certain 2GB DDR3-1333 to X200 and T400 and it worked.
I will check how many chips it has.

Regards
__jacenty__

Someone is saying 4GB per module and had problems. They were probably using 8 chip module.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

Also some cheaper lines from well known brands don't work well with ThinkPads.

I normally recommend to avoid the "Value RAM" line from Kingston and the "Value Select" line from Corsair. As well as any no-name brand from eBay, Amazon and similar eshops.

I ordered this :
http://www.goodram.com/content/uploads/ ... _256x8.pdf

It has 16 chips. It is well known company in Poland.
What do You think about this module ?

Regards
__jacenty__

Never heard of it before...

Make sure they accept returns in case the RAM doesn't work. Other well known brands I successfully used are:

Samsung
Hynix
Elpida
Kingston (not the Value RAM line!)
Crucial
ADATA
Corsair (not the Value Select line!)

Whenever buying ram for Thinkpads, I usually buy Apple compatible ram. Have not yet had a problem where it won't work. This is probably over a couple dozen Thinkpads in the last 15 years or so. Course I usually shop around or wait for it so be on sale somewhere, otherwise Apple compatible ram is usually outrageously priced.

Crucial (no value type) = Micron parent company of consumer line of crucial. Good one as well but not the value.

Have to be very specific on what successes and failures because very rare modules with 8 chips is arranged as 2Rx8 but most safest
purchase is 16 chips per module (2Rx8) and their photo of specific module on websites is *not* a actual item as shown! Also the part number or info is their info lapse as you need to know about those details I outlined above.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

so, only this morning (yeah the vendor was a bit of a jerk and lied about shipping# and took forever. ah well.) - I installed a new 2x4GB kit of CT2K4G3S1067M / CT2C4G3S1067M - the exact same kit I have ordered many times in the past - into emeraldgirl's X2001 - works perfectly. the BIOS and '/usr/bin/free' look slightly anemic (like, both at 7.9GB) but I will chalk that up to stolen graphics memory or something.

but the point is - low power 1.5V PC3 parts and it works. again, just look for the cheapest Crucial DDR3/8500 you can find, and it really should ought to just plain work.

Hi again.
As summary of my ram upgrade I would like to say that RAM I mentioned about few posts earlier :

http://www.goodram.com/content/uploads/ ... _256x8.pdf

work ok in my T400 both alone and in my current configuration ( 6GB ) with original 2GB
Micron module MT16JSF25664Hz-1G1F1 ( PC3-8500S-7-10-F1 )

Regards
Jacek

My x200 is running well with this ram: G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory-Unbuffered- F3-8500CL7D-8GBSQ

tagumcity wrote:My x200 is running well with this ram: G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory-Unbuffered- F3-8500CL7D-8GBSQ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

Or this one. This is the 1333mhz version of the G Skill of the same Dimm's. I have these myself and they have worked on every laptop listed in my signature. I have a x200 coming in the next week myself. I will update this thread with the above memory 2X 4GB sticks of this G Skill when it arrives.