Installing Laptop RAM Into a Desktop
In some rare cases, a single module of RAM may be able to be installed in either a laptop or a desktop computer. Every computer has a certain limited range of RAM types that it can accept, so in order to install laptop RAM into a desktop, you must make sure that the desktop in question can accept that particular type of RAM.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Look up the available RAM modules for your specific desktop system. (You can check this at websites that sell RAM. A link to one such site can be found in the Resources section.) When you get search results detailing your RAM options, leave that window open.
-
2
Look at the label on your laptop RAM, which should contain information including the pin count of the module, the voltage and a code beginning with "DDR2." Compare the information on the RAM label to the corresponding details of each compatible RAM module in your search results from Step 1. If your laptop RAM's details do not match any of the modules in the search results, the RAM is not compatible and cannot be installed in the desktop. If there is a match, you may proceed to the next step.
-
-
3
Shut down the desktop, then unplug the power cable from the power source. Touch a metal surface to ground yourself, discharging any accumulated static energy.
-
4
Open the side of the desktop's case. If necessary, refer to the manual that came with the desktop for model-specific instructions on how to do this. On most desktops, this is a simple matter of applying pressure to a removable panel on the side of the case and sliding it off to one side.
-
5
Locate the memory slots on the desktop's motherboard. The appearance, location and configuration of these slots vary among desktop manufacturers, so if you can't find yours right away, look in your owner's manual for their location.
-
6
Remove the existing RAM. To do this, grasp the metal clips on either side of each installed RAM module and push them to the sides, away from the modules. Then press down in the center of each module; it should click and then pop up at about a 45-degree angle. Finally, grasp each module by the edges and pull it out of the slots.
-
7
Install the new RAM by basically reversing the removal process. Look for notches in the pin-sides of the laptop RAM modules and make sure you line these up with the plastic spacers in the RAM slots of the desktop. Then push each module into the slots at a 45-degree angle, and when they're all the way in, press straight down in the center of each one. They will click into place, after which you should push the metal clips on either side toward the center until they also click into place.
-
8
Replace the removable panel of the computer case by reversing the process used to remove it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Don't forget to discharge your body's static energy before touching the inside of your computer. If you discharge that energy into sensitive components, you can damage them.
