Upgrading a dv6000 to 4gb ram

[joelew2010]

Hi there,

I have just dug out my old HP and would like to get a few programs running that are not available on Mac. Most of them need 4gb ram however and my laptop, according to Crucial's system scanner can only support 2gb. I am no expert on upgrading a laptop and need to know the easiest way to enable my computer to accomodate 4gb ram. Would it involve swapping the motherboard, if so what is a good, cost effective alternative? Thanks

edit: more info on my laptop...

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Your processor is a 32 bit processor so you will not be able to fully utilize 4 gigs of RAM even if you could install it. The first thing to do is update the BIOS to the latest version:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-90466-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&...

I assume the laptop still has Windows Vista on it which is good becasue you should not try to install the BIOS update from Windows 7.

I do know that the dv6000 series will take 3 gigs of RAM, but not 4 for some reason. So you can buy a 2 gig and a 1 gig and they will work. If the programs you want to run really require 4 gigs I am afraid that laptop cannot supply it. 

[Mumbodog]

System info says its a DELL bios??

You sure its an HP?

[joelew2010]

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@Huffer wrote:

Your processor is a 32 bit processor so you will not be able to fully utilize 4 gigs of RAM even if you could install it. The first thing to do is update the BIOS to the latest version:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-90466-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&...

I assume the laptop still has Windows Vista on it which is good becasue you should not try to install the BIOS update from Windows 7.

I do know that the dv6000 series will take 3 gigs of RAM, but not 4 for some reason. So you can buy a 2 gig and a 1 gig and they will work. If the programs you want to run really require 4 gigs I am afraid that laptop cannot supply it. 

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Thanks for your response.

I have succesfully updated my bios so am I right to think that I can now install a 2gb and 1gb ram to make a total of 3gb?

Also my laptop is definitely HP, not sure why it says Dell as no hardware has been swapped since I bought the laptop.

[joelew2010]

I am looking at buying the RAM below. Should this work? I have succesfully updated the BIOS but Crucial systemscanner still tells me that I can only have 2GB ram installed?

[Huffer]

Yeah 3 gigs is kind of a guerilla thing. A lot of people have reported success with it so I pass that along. Officially, the max is 2 gigs. Yes that is the type of memory that the system needs and should work. I would not hesitate if it were mine or my mother's laptop to try and install 3 gigs.