TouchSmart 520-1047c RAM Upgrade?

[GeezingInVA]

Stock unit. Running Windows 10 Home. Since it has only 6 GB RAM it spends most of its day flushing/retrieving the swap file to its internal HDD. It's really, really laggy when trying to start a new app. I'd like to extend this decktop's life a bit if its BIOS/motherboard can accept bigger capacity sticks, and if so, does anyone know what sticks/flavors would be appropriate if they're even still made? If you think it's issue is more than just too little RAM, (cpu, HDD, etc.), then please let me know that, too. Thanks.

  ...Karl

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Below is the link to the Crucial memory report for your PC.

It supports a max of 8 GB.

https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/HP-Compaq/touchsmart-520-1047c

Adding extra 2 GB and having the memory then running in DDR mode may improve performance a bit.

Here is the link to the service manual...

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03094584

[GeezingInVA]

Thanks, Paul. Very helpful. Cheers!

  ...Karl

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Karl.

[GeezingInVA]

Not sure which (quantity-one) of the three Crucial 4 GB sticks I should order? Would I get a clue from the HP Bios, or maybe labeling on the original 4 GB stick in the first slot? I hate to take the PC apart twice, once to look at the original 4 GB stick and then a second time to replace the original 2 GB stick. One too many times to accidentally static-zap something (even while using an anti-static mat and wrist band in winter's dry air).

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Getting the 3rd one wouldn't be a good idea. 

It is a faster speed (1866 MHz), and your PC can only run the memory at 1333 MHz anyway, which means the memory would have to be able to downclock two speeds.

As far as I can tell (having read the part numbers 3 times over), the first two have the exact same part number, but a different catalog number, so I would have to say either one of those two would be fine.

[GeezingInVA]

Thanks, again, Paul. 👍

  ...Karl

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime, Karl.

[GeezingInVA]

Paul,

Just wanted to close the loop,...

The new 4 GB Crucial stick worked great. Between the service manual link here and a YouTube video, it was really an easy replacement. A minor hiccup, though, when I replaced the original 2 GB stick with the new 4 GB, once I put everything back together the Bios didn't recognize the new stick. It was running only on the original 4 GB stick. I switched the two 4 GB sticks into the other's slot, and then the Bios recognized the (4 GB x 2) total 8 GB. Not sure whether it was a positioning issue or whether I just seated the sticks better on the second attempt. Overall, a very inexpensive band-aid. So far my wife hasn't noticed much of an improvement in starting apps, and I never thought to run a before/after benchmark suite. Regardless, going from 6 GB total to 8 GB total can't hurt, and maybe there will be less HDD swap in/out going on. Cheers!

Thanks, again!

  ...Karl

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Karl.

Glad the memory upgrade worked out well for you.

I would have to say that the memory wasn't seated right on your first attempt.

That has happened to me before as well (on a different model desktop PC), and I swore up and down that I installed it correctly the first time.

After removing and firmly reseating the memory, it worked fine.