I have a Toshiba Satellite A45-s120 notebook and I want to upgrade the memory
I have a Toshiba Satellite A45-s120 notebook and I want to upgrade the memory. How do I take the unit apart to put it in?
I have created a guide for replacing hinges in Toshiba Satellite A45 laptop. You can use the same guide to remove or replace memory modules. In this model memory modules are locate under the keyboard and you have to remove the keyboard first. You do not have to go through all steps. To access the memory slots, follow steps 1,8,9,10,11 and 17.
November 29th, 2006 at 11:23 pm
I have a sattelite p15 and want to upgrade the memory. do you have a diagram that would help?
thanks,
November 30th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Dana,
I don’t have a diagram for upgrading memory in this particular model, but it’s very easy. You can access both memory slots from the bottom of the laptop if you remove the memory cover. The cover is located in the middle, right beside the fans. All you have to do is remove 2 screws and remove the cover. I believe Satellite P15 memory is expandable to 2GB in both slots (Slot A + Slot B = 2GB) and you can use
PC2100 DDR RAM, PC2700 memory should work too (it will run at PC2100 speed).Check the laptop specifications before you buy new RAM module. I just discovered that different Satellite P15 models use different memory types. For example, according to Toshiba specifications Satellite P15-S409 uses PC2100 DDR memory, but Toshiba Satellite P15-S479 uses PC2700 DDR memory (I think it might be a typo, but not really sure).
January 19th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Dear laptop freak,
I have a similar question – I’m also looking to upgrade the RAM on my P15 and you are right, although I heard it goes up to 2gb max, not 2gb each slot? but anyway….
I don’t want to pay the silly price the local pc shops want so is it simply a case of buying a 1gb stick (which is what i’m after) of PC2100 DDR and plugging it into the slot on the bottom of the laptop? Currently, there are 2 x 256mb plugged in, so should i put the 1gb in slot A or in slot B or does it not make a difference? From your post above it seems you recommend PC2100 DDR over PC2700 DDR so I will look for the PC2100 modules.
Many thanks.
January 21st, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Martin,
I just edited my previous comment. Satellite P15 notebook might use either PC2100 or PC2700 DDR memory, it depends on the model you have.
The total amount of memory you can have is still 2GB. It’s maximum, so one slot will accept not more then 1GB. Slot A + Slot B = 2GB total.
It shouldn’t make any difference, you can use either slot.
PC2700 memory is backward compatible with PC2100. For example, if your laptop was designed to use PC2100, you can install either PC2100 or PC2700. BUT if you laptop was designed to use PC2700, you can install only PC2700. Check the laptop specifications with memory you should use or give me the full model number and I’ll find it for you.
February 7th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
What if I have a PC-2700 Powerbook G4 and put in PC-2100 ?
May 21st, 2007 at 5:34 am
Hi, I have an Eisystem 3083 and want to upgrade the RAM from 512mb to 1GB. However, When i opened the pannel there was only one space for memory which seated the current module. I’m stumped for ideas because I don’t know if there is another pannel under the keyboard or not, and I don’t want to take the keyboard apart. Another thing is I googled this problem and a website told me that this laptop has 512mb memory but it is in 256mb x 2 form, I dont know how to check this?
The manual says: “one expansion slot of 200pin, expandable up to 1GB”. So does this mean that there are two spaces or just the one? As I say, I could only find the one slot unless the other is under the keyboard.
Please help!
Rebecca
September 5th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Hi, i have an Acer Aspire 1671 and i am trying to upgrade ram to 1GB. I have found the first slot which is under the fan flap, but where is the second slot and how do i open my laptop to put it in?
Any help you can give would be great as Acer have not replied to my emails.
Regards Stu.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:16 am
I have a Toshiba Satellite 1415-S173, and I would like to upgrade my memory. It is so slow, and I want to know if it is easy to do on this model, or would I have to take apart the keyboard first? And, do you know the maximum capacity I can use? If I install the maximum, will it also make it faster? Thank you
February 25th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I have the same problem as Stu above: I want to install an extra memory on my Acer TravelMate, but can’t find a slot. Manual doesn’t help, and the tech phone service is in another country – hence quite expensive (and who can spend time on that during a busy day?)
Please help! I’m sure it’s very easy, but I don’t want to poke around too much inside this thing.
Cheers
Asle
Arendal, Norway
March 19th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Hi,
Just wondering if you can use a 256MB stick and a 1GB stick in a Toshiba A50 Satellite as well.
Is it the same deal, thanks.
Matt
March 19th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Matt,
If you have two memory slots, you can use two memory modules with different sizes. You can use 256MB with 1GB, 256MB with 512MB, 512MB with 1GB. Most important that both memory modules are the same type. If you have PC2700 memory module in one slot, you should use PC2700 in the second slot.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I have followed the outlined steps and both upgraded my memory as well as cleaned my heat sync. I cleaned off the CPU and reapplied some arctic silver before reinstalling the heat sync, then when I pushed the power back on, the power light came on, but nothing started up. I didn’t get a beep for RAM error or anything.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
i have a toshiba laptop it is a205 i was wondering how much memory i can upgrade to and if i need to ghange the bios on it when i upgrade the memory i heard i can go as high as 4GB of memory is this true
April 25th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I have the 1415-S173.
Max memory is 512MB. There is 256 onboard and one slot underneath for additional 256MB. You do not have to take the keyboard out – it goes in from underneath. Makes it a little faster but not a new machine!
May 31st, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Hi Guys!
I need a help…I have a toshiba satelite a45-s120 and i want to change the motherboard into a new one.Where can i get the parts?Anyone with idea where i can get a mobo..i intend to make it into aa gaming laptop
thx for help
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:46 am
Hi all,
This is my first post so I am gonna make it a goody.
I am willing to sacrifice my laptop if necessary to overclock it to its limit.
We’ll start with the current setup:
Original Model:
toshiba satellite pro M40.
Upgrades:
Ram 1 gig 533 ddr2 4-4-4-12
CPU pentium m 1.73 533 FSB
Current OC:
2.5 Ghz CPU using clockgen 100% stable @ stock volts
GPU 400Mhz using powerstrip no artifacts.
So, the clockgen runs up to 190Mhz FSB on the internal clock with no ill effects.
External clock: remains at 133MHz. (up from the celeron which is 100Mhz)
Because the GPU is pre-dominantly bottlenecked by the RAM interface speeds (external clock) I want to be able to raise this particular clock. When I raised the FSB by changing out the processor I got a 66% increase in graphics performance. This means that if I can raise it more I should actually be able to get this baby to run some good games.
PLAN OF ACTION:
I know that all of the clocks in a system use a PLL (phase locked loop) component to reference the system clocks from. It is through manipulating these that tools like clockgen, setfsb, etc. work.
I need to know which PLL to replace on the motherboard. All I have to do is Identify the right one and replace it with one that has a 25% higher frequency.
The system specification for the Xpress200m chipset (RS400M/RC410/RS480, SB400, NB400) states clearly that the board itself is designed to go up to 667MHz FSB. So the mobo can handle it. The RAM is hard set to asynch (unlinked mode) so will not be affected by the change. The GPU and the CPU are already OCed WAY past 25% so they can handle it.
Essentially the only thing stopping it from working is setting it up.
Please could someone with real knowledge of motherboard help me identify which one to replace.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I apologise if it has gone over your head. Please ask your most hardcore OCing buddies if they can help.
Cheers,
Brian
December 30th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I have a toshiba satellite ps240u-00umrx and its memory max is 512 MB, according to specs it requires DDR PC2100 266 Mhz SODIMM. I was told its max is 1 GB memory, but it would not take 512MB PC2700 DDR 333Mhz.
Is there a way to raise the max memory?
January 1st, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Steele,
According to Satellite 2405 specifications, this laptop will take up to 512MB RAM. I don’t think that you can upgrade this laptop to 1GB.
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:01 am
I have a A75-s229 Toshiba – I purchesed a 1 gig Ram stick from Crucial. Where do I intall this? Somewhere I read this has a non removable ram….Could this be correct?
November 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I have a failed chasis fan for my Toshiba Satellite A45-S1202.
I need instructions for getting to it and replacing same.
i.e. disassemble instructions – with pictures possible?
November 6th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Rick St Thomas,
The cooling fan in mounted deep inside the laptop, under the motherboard. It will be necessary to disassemble the whole thing and remove the motherboard.
Following steps 1-20 in this guide you’ll be able to remove the top cover. After that you’ll have to figure out how to remove the motherboard, I don’t have instructions for that. But it shouldn’t be very difficult.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
I currently have a A45-S120 Toshiba Satellite laptop computer, with
256MB of PC2100 266 Mhz Ram, and a
Celron 2.6 Ghz Processor,
I believe the FSB is 400 Mhz
I want to upgrade the Ram. I am running Windows XP home addition.
It has only 2 Ram slots, I intend to buy 1GB of Ram
1) Does PC2700 333Mhz make much of a difference over PC2100 266Mhz?
Based on 333 vs 266, I would assume it to be 25% faster like 125% vs 100%, is that right?
2) Since my 256Ram is at PC2100 266Mhz, the PC 2700 would only run at 266Mhz. Which is better, 1GB of PC2700 333Mhz Ram, or 1.256GB of PC2100 266Mhz Ram?
3) Do they make PC3200 400Mhz Ram for laptops like this? Since apparently the FSB is 400Mhz.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
coolguy,
I believe this laptop designed to work with PC2100 RAM. If you install a PC2700 module, it will work but will run at PC2100 speed. So, there will be no difference between PC2100, PC2700 and even PC3200 modules. They all will run at PC2100 speed.
Whatever is cheaper.
By the way, you can mix PC2100 and PC2700. For example, you can have 256MB PC2100 module and 1GB PC2700 module. The laptop will recognize 1.25GB total, but memory will run at PC2100 speed. Hope it’s clear.
More memory is better, so go for 1.25GB.