Upgrade RAM from laptop?

I know this is a bit of a stupid question, but I'm pretty new to this.

I plan to upgrade the RAM of my laptop (Acer Aspire A315 53 35 FQ). This is currently 4 GB of RAM. I want to expand this to 8 GB of RAM.

If I now install a new 4 GB RAM without removing the old RAM, which is also 4 GB RAM, do I have a total of 8 GB RAM?

Or does this not work and I have to buy 8 GB of RAM and remove the old one?

I doubt there are 2 ram slots.

Just swap the 4 for an 8, or as you said it.

But don't think it's worth it.

Why not?

If the notebook has a second, empty RAM slot, this works without any problems. You can then just get a 4GB stick.

Doesn't seem to have a second slot, but it already has 16GB Optane built in, so I'll say that upgrading to 8GB RAM isn't worth it

Your notebook has 1 free RAM slot.

the 4 GB he has are soldered to the mainboard!

I would still buy 8GB DDR4 (soDimm).

Then you have 12 GB.
you can simply slide the 8 GB into the free slot!

Here is the data sheet of your laptop + all information:

https://gzhls.at/blob/ldb/5/6/f/c/846207b3def4306a0364fd6d1ea0407a14d9.pdf

4GB is enough for the thing.

If there are 2 slots you can continue to use the old memory.

Make sure that the new memory has the same clock.

Otherwise the new memory may be clocked down and you have spent unnecessary money on fast RAM.

Can't get RAM with the same rhythm as the old one → take out the old one and only work with the new one!

That brings speed even with the same size.

That will not do. The 4 is soldered on…

the laptop has a free space to plug it in!

Does anyone actually look at the laptop beforehand? The questioner wrote his own model for it…
The laptop does not have any RAM taking out. It's soldered.

Nice to hear that you have time to research everything.

Do you know whether the old RAM can't be deactivated in the BIOS?

Many thanks for your response! But how would 12 GB be better than 8 GB?

1 click on Google + once copy and paste. There's no research.

And it's faster than writing an answer that includes multiple options.

What do you expect?
A knee fall?
Because you were looking

Can the old RAM be deactivated? You still owe this answer…

You have more RAM. Can you e.g. Have more programs open, etc.

i see 8 gb as a minimum these days. Windows visits so that it runs smoothly and stably so around 4.5 GB of RAM. 3.5 is just very little for programs.
Why not take the 12 GB? With sodimm bars there are already cheap 8GB bars.

Nope. He can't.

So yes he can. But only with a lot of work. Take down old transistors. Make new ones etc.

Rather not worth it.

So, according to Acer, 4GB RAM is firmly soldered, that is correct so far, but the Internet also points out that there's still a memory slot available to expand the memory. According to the manual, there's also a storage compartment on the bottom.

https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1lnsCDpBPS.pdf

You can't remove the 4GB RAM that is inside, they are firmly soldered. And yes, you have 8 if you add 4 to it. Probably the appropriate instructions are here https://www.notebookcheck.com/...388.0.html. Accordingly, the free ram slot is located under the smaller cover on the back

With 1x4 and 1x8gb you have annoying flexchannel. That is worse than a real dual channel. For most of them, 8gb is enough. 12GB would always jump back and forth from dualchannel and singlechannel. That is not recommended!

I've read that more than 8 GB of RAM is only really worthwhile for demanding gaming and I'm not a gamer

Not really. You only have the annoying flex mode as long as you use more than 8 GB. Until then you have the usual dual channel.

And then having 4 GB as an addition is more worthwhile than giving up with 8GB.

More than 8GB can be worthwhile, but not if you have to do without dualchannel.

Depends on. If you just write emails and watch YouTube. It won't matter.

but if you have 10 Google chrome tabs open it will be difficult 😂

that with more than 8GB only for gamers used to be the case. Currently, 16 GB is almost a minimum for gamers. Of course, 8GB is still possible. But only with a low budget setup.

Check out my comment. You don't have to do without dual channel as long as you use less than 8GB.
only when the usage rises to over 8 GB.

And then you have the advantage of still having 4GB. Otherwise there would be problems for her.

No, as far as I know, flex mode is not based on how much RAM you need, but which RAM is activated first. If the bigger one is activated first, you don't have a dual channel, if the smaller one is activated first, because there's a lot of RAM available on the other stick. The chance is just 50:50

Not how much you need but how much you have. Read the Intel specification.

It first uses the RAM in the dual channel. And then if more is needed, it addresses the remaining memory in single channel!

I don't know why everyone is always moaning. But you are spreading false facts without checking for yourself.
There's also no 50:50 chance. Intel defined how it runs and that's it.

Are you looking here: https://www.intel.de/content/www/de/de/support/articles/000005657/boards-and-kits.html

At the bottom:

Flex mode

This mode leads to dual and single-channel operation over the entire DRAM memory. The illustration shows a flex-mode configuration with two DIMMs. The operation is as follows:

The 2 GB DIMM in slot 1 and the lower 2 GB of the DIMM in slot 2 work together in dual-channel mode.
The remaining 2 GB of the DIMM in slot 2 works in single-channel mode.

Here again:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-differences-between-single-channel-dual-channel-and-this-thing-called-Flex-mode-when-it-comes-to-RAM

Could you perhaps also tell me where I can find an inexpensive 4 or 8 GB RAM that is compatible with my notebook?

This one for example. At Mindfactory:

https://geizhals.de/...loc=de&v=e" class="text-primary">https://geizhals.de/...loc=de&v=e

Or if you could find out with CPU-z how high your RAM clocks. So the MHz.

if it is 2400 MHz:

https://geizhals.de/1392077?hloc=at&hloc=de&v=e

if it is 2666 MHz:

https://geizhals.de/...loc=de&v=e

if it is 3200 MHz:

https://geizhals.de/...loc=de&v=e

as you can see, they are not that expensive for 20 euro…

The Task Manager says that the base speed is 2.3 GHz, i.e. 2300 MHz…

Not from your CPU. But from the main memory.