8GB DDR2 with two RAM slots, what you got?

[Medessec]

It took me forever to get mine for my T60/61 Frankenpad, so I'm just wondering what everyone else has. I've noticed after a brief ebay skim and googling, that a DDR2 laptop RAM module in the 4GB density is quite hard to track down, and it's usually quite expensive($60+ per stick).

I'll have to take pictures of the RAM I have, because I can't find it anywhere else. But the stickers indicate it to be Kingston KVR, 4GB PC2-6400 800MHz, a matching pair that make 8GB when seated in two RAM slots. The RAM also has a sort of heat spreader on it, in black. I don't know if it's bad- but the heat spreaders contact flush when both RAM sticks are seated in the slots of my Frankenpad. I've ran the RAM since the Frankie has been assembled, and I've had zero problems, and an A+ across the board from Memtest86+. The RAM was saved from a bucket of parts salvaged from a ruined Clevo D901C.

I was wondering what brands of RAM that people were using, and their experiences on finding it. I know some nutsos out there have put 8GB of RAM in their T61, or X61. If you did, why did you upgrade? Do you do a lot of gaming? Do you use VMware, or do a lot of programming or use extra RAM for a RAMdrive or something?

[Cigarguy]

My T60/61 and X60/61 Tablet Frankenpads have 2x4 GB RAM. Just because I'm a geek as I hardly ever use even 4 GB.

[Medessec]

Having 8GB of RAM is undoubtedly nice... I've noticed when web browsing with a lot of tabs open, a lot of garbage collection happens that puts the CPU on heat if you have very little RAM, such as 1.5 or 2GB. And doing video editing or playing a game like Minecraft makes good use of all that RAM too.

[Temetka]

I would love to have 8GB of RAM on my Latitude E6500. Too bad it's $180. So hopefully either I don't need to eat for a while (yeah, right) or a I find a donor machine with a 4GB module or 2 in it. Considering how much I love my E6500 and it's 16:10 LCD, I plan on using this machine until I can no longer source parts for it. Then I will cry because I cannot stand the mistake known as 16:9. Where this trend of less vertical height came from I do not know, nor care. I just know it's wrong, movies be [censored]. I do actual *gasp* work on my computer and I need my vertical pixels.

I did have a client who was going to buy me the RAM but instead they gave me a few older Dell's, so I am going to have to sell the machines and get the RAM myself. I'll also be upgrading the motherboard to the Nvidia version for this machine.

[Saucey]

There was an X61T that was configured with 8GB of ram fall of 2013 on eBay.
I wish I bidded on it, I should of put $120 on it, the winner had gotten it "at a steal" of $80.
I was baffled why it was so cheap, but I guess it was because it wasn't an SXGA+ model.

I might get one with 8GB, maybe for bragging rights but for the most part, most of my machines run at 1.5GB of my normal use.
Been thinking of swaping out 4GB from my W700DS just because I accidentally sold memory of the X200.

[RealBlackStuff]

Building T601 FrankenPads all the time usually requires me to equip them with 2x4GB PC2-5300 or PC2-6400.
I'll use Elpida, Hynix, Samsung, G.Skill, Axiom, Mushkin, Micron/Crucial, Patriot, but rarely (if ever) Kingston and never any of the 'wild' junk they try to flog on eBay.

In 9 out of 10 cases 2x2GB would have been enough, but hey...

[Medessec]

Well, 8GB makes the best use of the T61's much higher RAM limit over the T60's abysmal 3GB problem... plus, 8GB is just a huge reliving bit of headroom depending on the sort of work or gaming you do. It can be quite an absurdly excessive amount of RAM though, relative to the machine's actual performance (it's a bit like, putting 32 GB of DDR3 in a new gaming computer today.)

And here's a picture of my 8GB of RAM in my Frankenpad- with all the ID stickers on each.
http://www.medessec.info/m/FrankieKVRRAM.JPG

Interesting you vote against Kingston. Is it considered a poor brand of RAM? The RAM in here has only had good things to give... and the RAM in my roommate's X61/60 Frankie is Kingston as well, but it's cheaper, cruddier PC2-5300 up to 4GB.

I don't like getting parts from ebay either... as I'm currently running an 8GB stick of PC3-12800 DDR3 from ebay in my Clevo that's "off-brand", I'm not having any problems with mine but a completely similar 8GB module from the same seller that we got for my friend's W500 was having countless problems and was causing BSODs, and Memtest86+ revealed the culprit. We had to send it back, and I just got him some Crucial RAM instead.

Best for me is getting parts from cruddy old gaming or workstation machines from my friends or classmates. They ask me to fix them and most of the time, they let me keep them if they're unusable beyond reasonable repair. They don't abuse or overclock their machines, because they're just clueless college students who got the machine from their parents who just think getting a fancy-schmancy laptop for their college is worthwhile. I fix their machines for free and on-call most of the time anyways, so I think it's a pretty fair trade.

Just seems to me that the best way to go with RAM, CPUs, and other components that don't have a pre-defined lifespan, is to buy something that has had a good operational history, rather than a new, less-than-adequate product with lower production standards due to a dwindling market.

[JeffCullen]

I have 8GB in all three of my T61s... one has a Mushkin 996685 2x4GB kit, the other two have 2x Crucial CT51264AC667 modules.

My boss has 2x Corsair VS4GSDS800D2 in his T61.

Everything is working Just Fine...

I can't say much thought went into choosing what to buy -- I just went for whatever I could get ordered in at my local shop for the least ridiculous price.

As for Kingston, I generally find that ValueRAM can be a little hit and miss, while their branded stuff always Just Works.

[EvoT61]

my t61 got 2x2GB kingston ...i need 2x4GB ... more is better even if its unusable

[twistero]

I have 6GB (4+2) in my FrankenPad, don't remember the brand. Got the 4GB stick from eBay for <50$ after hunting for a couple of weeks.

I test all RAM with memtest86+ before using them, and so far haven't run into any defective modules (knock on wood).


The amount of RAM is important for running virtual machines. There are a couple applications I need but don't feel comfortable letting loose on my native Windows 7 installation, so I run them in a Win7 VM, which takes 1.5G memory by itself. Obviously 4GB of RAM would not be enough for this.

[Medessec]

8GB for a T61/X61 is a bit much in my opinion... Unless you do programming or other serious memory-based tasking, you'll never really need that much RAM. I think going for a 4GB stick + 2GB stick is a good combo. 6GB is still plenty of RAM, and takes good advantage of the T61's better RAM cap.

[DaKKS]

My three "main" lenovo rigs are X41 (1x2GB Ram), Frankenpad T4XP (2x1GB Ram) and G580P (2x8GB Ram)

[jdrou]

Of my DDR2 machines my X61, Latitude E6500, Precision M4400 (recently given away) have 2x4GB.
Also have a Precision M6400 with 4x2GB (nice to have 4 slots).

I've bought Crucial, Patriot, G.Skill, Kingston HyperX, and OCZ without problems.

I like to add as much memory as I think I can afford. More memory gives you more options (VMs, RAM drives, caching, etc.) and if you don't need any of those things now you may in the future when old types of memory are harder to find and more expensive. e.g. while you can still get DDR1 RAM, you can't find any of the high-performance modules any more.

[Temetka]

You kept the E6500 and gave away the M4400?

The M400 is a far better machine and I would kill to have one.

Quad core, 512MB Nvidia GPU, better cooling.

[jdrou]

You kept the E6500 and gave away the M4400?

The M400 is a far better machine and I would kill to have one.

Well the main reason I got the E6500 was for the 1920x1200 display; the M4400 is only 1440x900. Also the person I gave it to really needed the GPU performance. The E6500 is mostly for work whereas the M4400 was mainly for gaming (and only dual-core, not quad). The M4400 was replaced by my W520.

[Temetka]

The E6500 and the M400 are essentially the same machine with the primary differences being that the M4400 has a more powerful GPU and can take a Core2Quad.

You could have swapped LCD's between the machines and had a killer M4400. I just did this with 2 E6500's and it took me less than 15 minutes.

Anyway, both are great machines. Hope they serve you and your friend well.