I have an IdeaPad 3-17ALC6 laptop (Type 82KV) that officially supports a maximum of 12GB of RAM. I originally bought it with 8GB in dual-channel mode and I replaced one of the 4GB sticks with another 8GB stick. I've come across several users with the same laptop who managed to install a 16GB RAM stick, giving them a total of 20GB. I've heard that this setup also allocates 2GB for VRAM since the laptop doesn't have a dedicated GPU. I've asked around 20 people who made this upgrade and no one reported problems. Are there any risks involved in doing this? The performance boost would be huge for me, especially since my warranty has expired anyway.
1 Answer
From what you've shared about your research and the experiences of others, it sounds like upgrading your RAM to 20GB is likely safe. Just keep in mind that it could potentially impact your battery life slightly, though I can’t think of any major downsides. It might not be a significant issue, especially if you're looking for that performance boost!
But wouldn't more RAM actually help with battery life because the system can finish tasks quicker? The only thing to watch out for is that the new RAM is compatible, and maybe check if your BIOS is updated before you make that switch.