laptop Memory

[ShaneTFletcher]

Hi there, I am just curious about something.

I used to work in a computer shop, just generally sorting out computers with viruses and such. 1 day, a customers laptop was slow, only 1 GB memory slow. The computer shop simply upgraded the memory to 3GB (placed 2 GB stick, already had 1 GB stick installed), it was done, working and clocked up the memory in system tools.

However, I wanted to (well already have) upgraded my memory in my laptop. I found that I could go upto 8GB so I did. My partner has a Sony Vaio with a total of 2 GB, I upgraded the 2GB to 4. After searching how much money the laptop could handle, it was only 2 GB max.
So yes, I over loaded the laptop by 2GB.

My question is however, if all of these computer shops upgrade laptops willy nilly, aren't they harming the laptop by maybe overloading it?
And if so, what are the harms of a laptop being overloaded?
Lets bare in mind also, when I overloaded my partners Sony laptop, the system detected the amount of memory installed and users (4GB installed, 3.2/4 (I think) used).

Thanks,

Shane

[Salmon Trout]

A computer is not "overloaded" by having more memory installed than it can use. The only "harm" is the wasted money spent.

[ShaneTFletcher]

So basically your saying that some computer shops are just wasting there customers money on memory which the laptop or desktop cannot even use?

[Salmon Trout]

So basically your saying that some computer shops are just wasting there customers money on memory which the laptop or desktop cannot even use?

All I am saying is that unrecognised memory does not "overload" a computer. What a shop does is between them and the customer. Maybe if they have RAM modules lying around that a customer's PC can partly use, that's OK, I don't know. This is a technical forum. I am not willing or qualified to speak about business ethics.

[soybean]

However, I wanted to (well already have) upgraded my memory in my laptop. I found that I could go upto 8GB so I did. My partner has a Sony Vaio with a total of 2 GB, I upgraded the 2GB to 4. After searching how much money the laptop could handle, it was only 2 GB max.
So yes, I over loaded the laptop by 2GB.

Did that computer run with the 4GB in it or did you have to remove 2GB to get it to run?  Doing the research to determine the maximum amount of RAM in total and per slot before adding RAM is always the best approach.  You can avoid mistakes.  Going to a website such as crucial.com and finding the specific model computer you're dealing with will provide reliable information.

Lets bare in mind also, when I overloaded my partners Sony laptop, the system detected the amount of memory installed and users (4GB installed, 3.2/4 (I think) used).

Now wait, you first stated that the Sony would only support 2GB max and now you're saying the computer recognized that 4GB was installed but about 3.2GB was actually being used.  If 3.2GB was being used, then obviously the computer supports more than 2GB.  I suspect that Sony is a 32-bit system, which will only recognize up to about 3.5GB; however, the physical amount of RAM would be 4GB.  This is normal.