Is 32GB RAM possible in an HP Envy?

[nabble]

I would like to upgrade my HP Envy laptop to 32GB RAM. This product, CT204864BF160B looks like it will work, but i can't find anywhere that says so for sure. Any opinions on this? Has anyone upgraded their laptop to 32GB? Any help is appreciated!

FWIW, I have a HP Envy M4 14" 1015-dx. It currently uses 8GB RAM. After my last Win8 OS updates i get out of memory messages when Eset scans run. The OS doesn't free memory up once the scan is finished. I have to reboot to reclaim resources.

regards,

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I do not know of any HP consumer class notebook that can handle 32 GB of memory.

The memory slots take a max of 8 GB per slot, and only a very few of the business class notebooks have 4 memory slots.

Chapter 1, page 1 of the m4-1015dx service manual states the max is 16 GB (2 x 8 GB).

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03600883

[nabble]

Yes, thanks for your help!   i read this, but it doesn't give any reason for the limitation.  If there were only 32 address lines the limit would be 4GB per stick (8GB total). That implies this isn't the issue. When the guide was written this capacity memory stick did not exist. Perhaps this is just the documentation?

i've put 64GB SD cards in devices where the manual says the limit is 32GB (or even 16GB) and they worked.  Hoping this is the case here.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The 16 GB limitation is due to the lack of memory slots.

The processor and chipset can address 32 GB of memory.

Please feel free to try a 16 GB chip in the slot, but I am pretty sure it won't work.

Personally I have defied the specs in the service manual and other sources using the same logic you have, and successfully installed 2 x 4 GB of DDR2 memory in an HP 6910p business notebook.

All the specs anywhere stated the max was 2 x 2 GB.

The T7300 processor and Mobile Intel 965 chipset could handle up to 8 GB of memory, according to the specs on those pieces of hardware.

So, I risked $65.00 and bought 2 x 4 GB of PC2-6400 memory and it worked perfectly, just as I thought it would.

Reason...there were no 4 GB DDR2 modules in production at the time the specs were written.

I would be the last person to be upset if you proved me wrong, as long as you understand the risk.

My theory is that the memory slots can't handle the load of 16 GB each, not the rest of the hardware.

[djdunjle]

I got in touch with a vendor named Intelligent Memory about 6-8 motnhs ago; Intelligent also sells 16GB SODIMM that would fit in the HP Envy slots, and could theorectically take it to 32 GB. But they said at the time that the BIOS in the notebook won't allow addressing more than 16 GB - although it is apparently a fairly simple change in the BIOS code to increase that, if you like to work with such things.

If a more recent offical HP BIOS release has changed to allow 32 GB then I think a compatible 16 GB SODIMM pair should work for 32 GB. I would talk to Intelligent as they seemed to be aware of such things.

Cheers,

Dan

[nabble · Accepted solution]

i tried the memory mentioned above. It installs properly but when i try to boot i never get any indication the system is working. All that happens is that the caps lock LED blinks rythmically. I believe this is a system hardware error indication.

The same behavior happens with the F.03 and F.18 BIOS versions.

The same behavior ocurrs with 1 (16GB) and 2 (32GB) memory sticks installed.

i looked at Intelligent Memory products. They don't have anything that sounds compatible with this system. They claim their products will work in any 5th generation CPU family system . i do not believe this. imo, the proper wording is that the memory may work, not that it will work.   In any case the 1015dx uses a 3rd generation CPU.

[HPcpqc2issue]

Just wondering was the BIOS on these ever updated to handle 16gb chips?

[Huffer]

No still 16 gigs max

[HPcpqc2issue]

OK thanks for the quick reply

[ErickWill]

Does @HP is aware of this useless limitation? Also, that they can facilitate customer lives just updating our bios to support 32gb.. C'me on HP..