Thinkpads Forum

I always wondered if genuine memory from Lenovo was any better or worse than 3rd party memory from Kingston, Corsair, OCZ, Patriot, etc... Is there a performance difference? Is there a threat of memory complications of 3rd party? Does it really matter?

I was looking to upgrade my T-500 memory from 4 to 8gb (that means I will have 2 x 2gb's for sale for those interested ). Aside from price, is it best to stick to genuine Lenovo for a Thinkpad or buy a 3rd party brand name?

PC3-8500 1066mhz DDR3

Lenovo doesn't manufacture memory, so Lenovo-branded sticks will use the same chips that are also used by others (Samsung, Hynix, Nanya, Micron, whatever).

The Lenovo brand might be a guarantee that these sticks have been tested to work. But as long as you stick with known brands, the chances for compatibility issues are fairly low already, so if there is a noticeable difference in price (as often there is), I see no reason to go with Lenovo-branded RAM.

Some websites, like Crucial, let you specify the exact brand and model of laptop when you buy memory from them. Used them occasionally, never had a problem.

dr_st wrote:Lenovo doesn't manufacture memory, so Lenovo-branded sticks will use the same chips that are also used by others (Samsung, Hynix, Nanya, Micron, whatever).

Not "the same chips" but "the same sticks".
There are memory chips (that black memory "banks" one can see on a stick in a number of 4 or 8 or 16 etc) manufacturers (Samsung, Nanya, Qimonda, Elpida etc), there are memory stick manufacturers (who package chips on sticks; this is Samsung, Kingston, OCZ etc), and there are "manufacturers" who, just like Lenovo, are purchasing such sticks directly from sticks manufacturer with an appropriate (e.g. Lenovo) logo on these.

You are of course correct. I was imprecise.

Crucial RAM has a very good reputation.

Very interesting. I have found on some forums that some RAM is supposed to work, but in the end does not.

What is deal with the two Lenovo Memory's? When I type in my model number the $450 comes up, but according to their site the low halogen will work and is only $70; what is the true difference and is low halogen the way to go?

Corsair Value Select -- CM3X4GSD1066 -- $60 per 4gb (seems 50/50 on the stability)
Mushkin Essentials -- 991644, $50 per 4gb
Lenovo 51J0493 -- $450 per 4gb -- 3 year warranty
Lenovo 55Y3708 -- $70 per 4gb (low halogen) -- 1 year warranty

I thought installing RAM bought from Lenovo into a Lenovo laptop has the RAM assume the warranty present on the system?

No idea on assuming warranty, but that would be nice. Anyone have an idea on the difference on the two Lenovo ram's?

Bandana Boyz wrote:I always wondered if genuine memory from Lenovo was any better or worse than 3rd party memory from Kingston, Corsair, OCZ, Patriot, etc... Is there a performance difference?

Nope.

Is there a threat of memory complications of 3rd party?

Nope.

Does it really matter?

Not at all. If it does the spec and passes memtest86+, it's good. If not, it's faulty. That's about all there is to it.

Aside from price, is it best to stick to genuine Lenovo for a Thinkpad or buy a 3rd party brand name?

Cost/GB should be pretty much the only metric to consider. That, shipping speed, and the return policy (in the event that the RAM is bad.)

If someone else were paying, I like Mushkin. If I'm paying, I get whatever is cheapest

Terrific. So far I found that Lenovo ram's prices are approx. 40% more or $70 vs $50 than other brand names. I will keep an eye on pricing and make a decision.