How to Determine if Laptop RAM Is High or Low Density

Determine the density of your laptop RAM.

When it comes to computer RAM, there are two different forms of RAM density: low and high. The difference is how the random access memory is stored on the card. A low-density card with the same amount of RAM as a high-density card has twice as many chips. This is because a high-density card is more tightly compacted, and each chip in the RAM has a higher concentration of memory.

Things You'll Need

• Computer

Instructions

1. Power on the laptop and then click the "Start" button, followed by "Control Panel." In a moment the Control Panel window will load onto the screen.

2. Click "Systems," and a window will appear with all the system information, including the processor speed and the RAM installed on the computer.

3. Look at the RAM display. It states the amount of RAM on your computer and the value of the RAM chips. The RAM has a number next to an M, followed by either x16 or x8 (such as 256Mx16 or 256Mx8). High-density RAM never has an 8 in the second number; it is always 16. If you see 16 listed, you know the RAM you have installed on your computer is high density. If the number is 8, you have low-density RAM installed.

References

• eBay Guides: MythBUSTED: Density Facts - Low Density vs High Density