T61 increasing RAM memory to 8GB

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dickybilly · #1 Post by **dickybilly** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:39 am

I can't seem to find a how to upgrade T61 RAM from max 4G to max 8G using 2 x 4G sticks.
How do I search for 4G sticks ?? who sells them ?? thanks

brchan · #2 Post by **brchan** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:44 am

You can find 2x4GB sticks on ebay or amazon, though they are relatively expensive (even used). The T61 takes DDR2-667 SODIMM or DDR2-800 SODIMM ram sticks. DDR2-800 sticks will only run at DDR2-667 speeds, however.

For actually installing the ram, you can reference the hardware manual on lenovo's website or this forum. All you need to do is remove the palmrest (4 screws IIRC) to access the ram slots.

ajkula66 · #3 Post by **ajkula66** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:50 am

You may want to consider whether the price of upgrade is worth it on such an old system as well. You're looking at $140 or thereabouts for anything with a brand name, as I've had less-than-stellar experiences with generic and "value-brand" RAM on these machines.

Don't get me wrong: I have 8GB RAM in my T61 along with a 512GB SSD, and I'm loving it. With that being said, with the amount of $$$ I've put in that machine I could've easily bought a W510.

My $0.02 only...

dickybilly · #4 Post by **dickybilly** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:04 pm

If I kept a std 2GB stick and a new 4GB stick would the combo work ?? or must I put 2x4GB sticks in as a pair ??
thanks

brchan · #5 Post by **brchan** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:06 pm

That should work fine.

dickybilly · #6 Post by **dickybilly** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:41 am

thanks for all the help, much appreciated....

after all these years with my original purchased new T61 it's hard to even consider a replacement machine.
I've repaired/replaced the heat sink and fan a few times. I can quickly open, fix, close it blindfolded....lol

Prices are reasonable so I'm purchasing a T61 as backup machine (cheap insurance policy...haha)
I'm finally after years of putting it off upgrading from vista32bit to win7ultimate 64bit with a clean install.
Having 8G ram will be a luxury after I've watched ram use creep up over the years making my HDD a page swapping workhorse.

I'll have win7U 64bit 8G on my original T61 T7700 and win7pro 32bit on the backup T61 T7500 4G
and have the peace of mind brought by a backup machine considering both their ages.
worse case one dies, the other is available with a primary HDD swap.

Norway Pad · #7 Post by **Norway Pad** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 12:27 pm

dickybilly wrote:If I kept a std 2GB stick and a new 4GB stick would the combo work ?? or must I put 2x4GB sticks in as a pair ??
thanks

2+4 is the combo I run in the Frankenpad. 4Gb sticks were so expensive that I decided to wait and see if I actually needed a full 8Gb of RAM before I bought another 4Gb stick. It hasn't been needed so far. If 6Gb is enough RAM for you depends fully on what you use the computer for, but give it a thought.

dickybilly · #8 Post by **dickybilly** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:56 pm

thanks,
I'm convinced now to start running 2G+4G vs 2x4G.
It's less expensive/more practical for me to buy one 4G new or used and move RAM between laptops to make a 6G and 4G pair of T61

I'm looking for a used patriot signature PSD24G6672S with lifetime warranty (LOL) ... new or used they're expensive.
Otherwise I might go cheaper generic no-name 4G new for less money which carries no warranty.

ajkula66 · #9 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:01 pm

dickybilly wrote:Otherwise I might go cheaper generic no-name 4G new for less money which carries no warranty.

Please don't...it's not like generic RAM is 1/4 of the price. Some patience is required, but one can still find good brand-name DIMMs for these machines...

ac12 · #10 Post by **ac12** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:34 pm

I have 8GB in my T61. My resource monitor shows me using 5.6GB right now. So I am glad to have put 8GB in mine.

ajkula66 · #11 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:40 pm

ac12 wrote:I have 8GB in my T61. My resource monitor shows me using 5.6GB right now. So I am glad to have put 8GB in mine.

Curiosity on my end: what OS are you running?

ac12 · #12 Post by **ac12** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:09 pm

[quote="ajkula66"][/quote]Win7

I also have a LOT of browser windows opened, which adds to the load.

ajkula66 · #13 Post by **ajkula66** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:44 pm

ac12 wrote:I also have a LOT of browser windows opened, which adds to the load.

Something like a hundred and twenty?

I've never seen my usage that high just from browsing, and I'm good for 30+ tabs...

#14 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:41 pm

It really pays to spend time in other sub-forums here and read the threads!
This one should take care of your ridiculous browser-appetite: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=116497

ac12 · #15 Post by **ac12** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:40 am

RBS
Thanks much !!!
Yeah I really need to get my browser windows appetite under control.

ac12 · #16 Post by **ac12** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:42 am

ajkula66 wrote:Something like a hundred and twenty?

23 windows. Don't know how many tabs in total. But with 23 windows, I figure a few/several hundred tabs in total.

Yeah, I know, I gotta get my windows appetite under control, and put more of them on bookmarks rather than open windows.

T61 increasing RAM memory to 8GB

T61 increasing RAM memory to 8GB

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