Do you know how much computer memory (RAM) your PC's motherboard supports, and which types it supports?
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There are ways to look the information up, for example by taking a look at the manual that came with the computer motherboard (hopefully) but what if you bought the computer fully assembled?
You could open the PC and take a look at the motherboard and the available RAM slots, and run searches to find out about the limits online. Or, you could use a software program that tells you which RAM your computer supports, and which it does not.
Crucial System Scanner
The tool that does this is called Crucial System Scanner. It is a program by the US hardware company Crucial that you can run on your Windows PC to find out if you can upgrade the RAM of your system.
What it will tell you -- among other things -- is what your motherboard supports in regards to computer memory so that you do know exactly how much RAM you can install on it, and which type of RAM you can use.
It is deeply connected with the Crucial store which sells computer memory. While that is the case, the information it displays is valid and can be used regardless of whether you buy there, or somewhere else.
When you start the tool it opens a website in your default web browser after a quick scan that shows you your computer's specifications in regards to RAM, and the motherboard type.
Note: It is a portable program that does not require any installation whatsoever. Just run it and wait for the scan to finish.
It displays the number of RAM banks, the banks that already contain computer memory but more importantly than that the supported DRAM Types, the supported computer memory frequencies and the maximum that can be installed on the computer.
In my case it is DDR2 SDRAM with PC"-5300, PC2-6400 and PC2-8500 frequencies and a maximum of 8192 Megabytes of computer memory.
If the software is not able to detect the information properly you can enter the motherboard information manually to receive the same kind of information for the computer memory upgrade. Oh, and you do not have to buy from their store obviously.
You can get the same type of information manually as well. Run a tool like Speccy to find out the make and model of the computer's motherboard. Once you have that, run a search for it on the Internet; this should lead to the manufacturer's website where you find a download link to download the motherboard manual, and often also the specs directly on the site.
Verdict
The program is easy to use and if you are running Windows, is a good option to display information about your computer's RAM support without having to look up motherboard information before.
If you are not running Windows, you can still head over to the Crucial website to enter the motherboard information manually on the site to receive the same kind of information.
I was just looking at Crucial the other day! Previous to this, I had looked at the ‘Kingston’ memory website, and it seems both of them are giving the same results (when I select my laptop model from the list) It was a bit depressing to find I can only get max 1.5gb of ram in total though…
This is just awesome, exactly what I was looking for, thanks.
I was just looking at Crucial the other day! Previous to this, I had looked at the ‘Kingston’ memory website, and it seems both of them are giving the same results (when I select my laptop model from the list) It was a bit depressing to find I can only get max 1.5gb of ram in total though…
if you don’t want to connect to their store.. try cpu-z
yeah its nice, even though it is connected to their store, they have some of the best prices and best service around.
I’ve used it a bunch of times, it’s fantastic.