I am trying to purchase a new laptop and want to put in more RAM manually and the model I'm looking at (Here's the link) says the memory is nonexpandable.
I assumed this meant that there isn't some easily accessible slot, so Toshiba doesn't want you messing around with it. But with a little know-how and a small enough screwdriver, you can get at the slots and upgrade.
However, when I asked the gentleman at best buy, he said that the advertised 4GB RAM is the maximum the motherboard can handle. So I'm not sure if that's true or if that's just something he has to say. Reviews online say that people put in more memory just fine so I'm very confused and don't want to buy it if I can't put at least 8GB of RAM in.
How can I know how much "a motherboard can handle"?
Best Answer
Most Notebooks are cheap because they are exactly what they say they are.
First, you do due diligence by going to the manufacturer's website and look up whether the on-board memory can be upgraded. Non-expandable means that it already comes with maximum memory and there's not anything you can do to increase that. Toshiba specifically says:
Next, you have to find out what special means these reviews online are using to double the memory and if it's even applicable to your device. You don't want to be desoldering chips since you likely don't have the technical expertise. Several of the people who've tried find that aftermarket memory suppliers don't have any memory specs and therefore don't provide anything specific for this system and those who've tried to plug in 8GB have found it flat doesn't work. One mentions possibly upgrading it to the maximum of 6GB, but where he came up with that is unknown and might only be wishful thinking.
Just buy a laptop that's capable of running with 8GB and you'll be fine. This one's a pass.
Toshiba IS upfront about this so there's no reason to complain about it.