What's the risk in 2x8GB RAM sticks when unsupported?

[GbeTech]

I need a laptop for music and sound production.

I don't have enough money for laptops that support up to 16GB officially.


Some laptops have a specific motherboard, that by itself supports that amount of RAM, but the laptop company doesn't say so.

For example, the Asus K55VD.

Asus claims its up to 8GB RAM, but the chipset itself supports 16GB.




So what are the risks of putting 16GB there?

 

[weaselman]

DDR3 1600 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 8 GB SDRAM
The laptop has two Dimm`s that will each support a memory module of a maximum addressable size of 4GB. Because you only have two Dimm slots in a laptop it is the limiting factor. Not the chipset. You would need four dim slots each with a addressable memory of 4GB memory size to allow a total of 16Gb of memory. Or it may require a bios update of the laptop to be able to address two 8gb memory modules in the two dim slots first. It is likely if you put a 8Gb stick in a dim that it will only be able to address 4Gb total of the memory stick anyway so it would be a waste to buy two 8Gb sticks if the case untill you can check like I said if you can perform a bios update to access the extra capacity of the memory module. As I said though the cause will more likely be the lack of memory slots, as each has its own data and memory bus Channel of a max memory size of a memory module up 4gb in capacity.

 

[GbeTech]

DDR3 1600 MHz SDRAM, 2 x SO-DIMM socket for expansion up to 8 GB SDRAM
The laptop has two Dimm`s that will each support a memory module of a maximum addressable size of 4GB. Because you only have two Dimm slots in a laptop it is the limiting factor. Not the chipset. You would need four dim slots each with a addressable memory of 4GB memory size to allow a total of 16Gb of memory. Or it may require a bios update of the laptop to be able to address two 8gb memory modules in the two dim slots first. It is likely if you put a 8Gb stick in a dim that it will only be able to address 4Gb total of the memory stick anyway so it would be a waste to buy two 8Gb sticks if the case untill you can check like I said if you can perform a bios update to access the extra capacity of the memory module. As I said though the cause will more likely be the lack of memory slots, as each has its own data and memory bus Channel.

Thank you.

I can perform some tests before I purchase the 2 8GB sticks.

What tests will best prove that all of the 16GB are used?

Memtest?

 

[weaselman]

There will not be a test plain an simple, unless you can borrow two 8Gb sticks off a good friend, that will be the test, but because as i said you will likely only have two Dim Memory slots each of the dims will only support a maximum memory size of a 4gb Because you only have two memory channels not four, with each supporting a dim size of a 4gb memory stick. Like I said the end result will be one or two things.
If you put two 8Gb sticks the laptop may still only read it as 8Gb total as it cannot address the rest of the memory capacity of the sticks. Or it will simply not work.
I would hunt down a friend if you can and try just one 8Gb stick to borrow to test the theory if you can first, that way if only 4 Gb is addressed by one memory slot you know its not going to work.

 

[GbeTech]

Alright, assuming I can get my hands on that stick, and I have the patience of the seller.
What test will be sufficient?

 

[weaselman]

In respect you don`t want to have to buy two 8gb sticks of memory to find you can only use 8gb of it anyway, it would be a waste of your hard earned money, and a bit upsetting.
If it only supports 8Gb of memory its cost you nothing extra as a loss if you can return the 8gb stick if bought or borrowed as the test.

 

[GbeTech]

Thanks weaselman.
But I don't intend to buy them at all.
The laptop, with the 2 8GB sticks is the way the store sells it. Off the shelf.

So I'm wondering if just right click on my computer -> properties, and seeing it reads 16GB ram, will do.

 

[weaselman]

It wont tell you that it will only read the amount of memory size already fitted into the memory slots total of 8Gb. It will not tell you it can address two 8 gb of memory sticks till you physically install the memory modules it is the only way you will find out, if its is limited by the two memory dim slots on the laptop to 4gb per memory dim.

 

[GbeTech]

Alright, got it.

Thanks again.

 

[GbeTech]

Best answer selected by GbeTech.

 

[vijaypushkin]

In what OS does your laptop run?
Since 32 bits can address only 4gb... Try upgrading to 64bits and check

 

[mohsenhs82]

Dear GbeTech

I bought the same laptop, core i7-3630 QM,2,4 Gh ,K55VD asus
It is written at asus web page that the max supported ram is 8GB.

but it is totally incorrect, I have win 7 64x and I put an 8GB ram next to 4gb ram and it workes fine, windows shows that I have 12Gb of ram and I tested that amount of ram with several virtual machine in VMware to be 100% sure that every thing works fine, and it did as I expected.

Now I am sure that the K55VD ASUS with following spec( core i7-3630 QM,2,4 Gh ) can support more than 8GB ram (at least until 16 GB-I am not sure about 32GB)

Regards
Mohsen