How to Upgrade Your RAM: Step by Step Guide

Can your computer take a RAM upgrade?

Most desktops can, and many laptops can, but not all of them. Before you look at kits, find out three things: the memory type your board takes, how many slots it has free and the maximum capacity it supports. Those three answers decide every later choice. If you are upgrading a notebook, our laptop RAM page lists every SO-DIMM kit we track with this week's price.

Some systems cannot be upgraded at all. Many thin laptops use LPDDR memory soldered to the board, and on Apple silicon Macs the memory sits inside the M-series chip package, so Apple says it cannot be upgraded. A newer option is the CAMM2 module, a JEDEC standard from December 2023 that replaces soldered LPDDR with a removable module in some notebooks. If your laptop's spec sheet says "onboard" or "soldered" memory, a RAM upgrade is off the table.

To find the details, look up the exact model of your motherboard or laptop and open its spec page or manual. Kingston's online Configurator also shows the maximum memory a given system can use. On Windows, the Task Manager (tab Performance, then Memory) shows how much memory is installed and how much of it you use.

What to check before you buy

Corsair's upgrade checklist is a good list to work through before you order. Write down:

• the motherboard model and the CPU;
• the maximum RAM the board and CPU together support;
• the memory type the board takes (DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5);
• whether there are free slots;
• the height clearance under a large CPU air cooler, since tall heat spreaders can hit it;
• the type, number, capacity, speed, latency and brand of the modules already installed.

The memory type matters most. DDR4 and DDR5 are not interchangeable: the notch sits in a different place, so a DDR5 module will not go into a DDR4 slot or the other way round. The board decides which one you need, not the processor alone. Intel 12th to 14th gen Core chips work with both, depending on the board, while AMD AM5 and Intel Core Ultra 200S boards take DDR5 only. If you are weighing the two, our DDR5 vs DDR4 comparison sets them side by side.

Form factor is the second check. Desktops use full size DIMMs, laptops and small form factor PCs use the shorter SO-DIMM. The two do not fit each other's slots, and our prices track them separately for that reason.

Which kit to buy for your upgrade

Buy one matched kit that fills the slots you plan to use, rather than adding a single stick to what you have. Mainstream desktop platforms are dual channel, so two modules give full bandwidth, and a 2 x 16GB kit beats one 32GB stick. Corsair says replacing all modules with one kit is the only way to guarantee the modules work together; adding a second kit is cheaper but can fail, especially above the speed the CPU maker certifies.

Four sticks are possible on most desktop boards, but they make high speeds harder to hold. AMD's official spec for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shows the gap: DDR5-5600 with two modules, DDR5-3600 with four. If you need 64GB, a 2 x 32GB kit is the cleaner route than four 16GB sticks.

For capacity, Newegg's 2026 tiers are a fair guide: 16GB for browsing, office work and most 1080p gaming, 32GB for gaming with a browser and chat open or photo editing, and 64GB for serious video work, 3D rendering or local AI models. The table below shows the cheapest kit we found this week for the most common upgrades.

Prices are excluding sales tax and come from Adorama, Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Best Buy, Corsair.com, Newegg and Walmart, checked on November 2, 2026. Every desktop kit in the most popular size is on our 32GB RAM prices page; laptop buyers can go straight to DDR5 SO-DIMM prices or DDR4 SO-DIMM prices.

How to install RAM in a desktop

Shut the PC down fully and switch off the power supply before you open the case. Static discharge can damage components, so Kingston advises touching a separate piece of bare metal before you start, and an anti-static wrist strap is better still.

Then follow these steps, based on Corsair's install guide:

1. Lay the case on its side so the motherboard faces up.
2. If you are replacing modules, open the clips at the end of each slot and lift the old sticks out.
3. Check the slot order in your motherboard manual. Boards differ in which slots to use for two sticks, so follow the manual rather than a general rule.
4. Open the clips on the slots you will use.
5. Line up the notch on the module with the notch in the slot. The notch sits in a different place on DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5, so the wrong generation will not go in.
6. Press down firmly on both ends of the module until it clicks and the clips close on their own.
7. Repeat for the second module, close the case and plug the PC back in.

How to install RAM in a laptop

The steps are close to a desktop install, but the slot works differently. With the laptop off and the power adapter unplugged, open the bottom panel or the memory access cover as the service manual describes.

SO-DIMM slots usually lie flat, unlike the upright slots on a desktop board. Corsair's steps: if there is more than one slot, start with the bottom one. Line up the notch, slide the module in at an angle until the connector is fully seated, then push it down until the metal clips on both sides snap into place. To remove a module, release the clips and pull it out.

If your laptop has one module installed and one free slot, match the type, capacity and speed of the stick that is already there. Do not go over the maximum the laptop supports: Corsair warns that too much memory can stop it from booting.

After the upgrade: check speed and capacity

Start the computer. Once Windows is running, open the Task Manager and confirm the total memory matches what you installed.

Next, look at the speed. A DDR5-6000 kit typically boots at a lower JEDEC default such as 4800 or 5600 MT/s. To run it at the speed on the label, enter the BIOS and enable the Intel XMP profile or, on AMD AM5, the EXPO profile. Both are overclocking profiles that Intel and AMD mark as outside the official spec, and the speed on the box assumes the profile is on.

If the system does not start after you enable the profile, go back to the BIOS defaults and try a lower profile, or check the board's list of tested kits. Our guide to what RAM is explains speed and latency in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Buying the wrong generation. DDR4 and DDR5 look alike in photos. Check the motherboard before you order.
• Buying desktop sticks for a laptop. A laptop needs SO-DIMM modules, a desktop needs full size DIMMs.
• Adding one stick to an old kit. Two modules that were not sold together may not run at their rated speed, or at all.
• Filling four slots for capacity. Four sticks often run slower than two. A 2 x 32GB kit is usually the better buy for 64GB.
• Skipping XMP or EXPO. Without the profile, a fast kit runs at its slow default speed.
• Ignoring cooler clearance. Tall heat spreaders can collide with a large CPU air cooler.
• Ordering for a laptop with soldered memory. Check the spec sheet first; some models have no slot at all.