Dell Inspiron 1525 - memory up grade

Location: New Zealand

I am the type of guy that tends to stay well clear of the guts of computers but when I brought my laptop with not enough RAM to do much more than start up (thanks Dell for letting me do that)

one day I just had to do something about it - since they were going to charge me about 700 bucks for parts and labour, I figured id have to find a way to do it my self... particularly since every one told me it was a piece of piss!

A search of Instructabledidnt reveal any one else who had done this model number... So here it is

Step 1: What you need..

Well...

--Firstly you are going to need your new RAM chips (modules I believe they are called)

Every computer has a maximum amount of RAM you can add, in my case it is 4.0Gigs, so since I had two RAM slots, I needed 2x 2.0 Gig RAM chips
(If you dont know your maximum... and you dont your max - have a look at the dell web site you can find out there)

Since I know nothing about computers I wrote down the all the numbers and took them to the PC shop: 2 x 2.0 Gig "So Dimm 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM" chips please....

--you also need a small + head jewelers screw driver to fit the screw holes in the case.

STATIC, now halve the people i talk to say you dont really need to worry about static - ( transfering from you to the computers delicate guts and zapping it..) and i certinaly observe people in pc shops not seeming to give a darn about it.. The other halve of people reckon you should worry about it and so put on an anti static braclet which they clip to the metal frame of the pc.

once when i was installing a drive in to my desktop, i did create my own such static device by soldering a nice metal alligator clip to the end of a lenght of insulated copper wire, i clipped the alligator clip on to the metal frame of the PC. stripped off a good lenght of insulation on the other end and taped it around my wrist... so up to you ? - any comments from those in the know?

Comments

[mike patterson]

get hold of an old, one piece, velcro watchband, weave the copper wire through so it touches skin several times and then run the insulated part to a large clip--cheap anti static device.

Nice instructional---I will be dong this to my 1525 as soon as I find the memory chips cheap enough....

[agatornz]

yes thanks.. i used a length of copper wire ,. tapped it round my wrist and soldered a clamp on the other end.. mind you all the computer techs i observe just reckon its crap and do nothing.. so who knows... lol

[Wesley1]

I have worked w/ IT guys before if you Only touch the plastic tabs and the sides of the RAM module you can do the operation w/o the fancy anti-static gizmo's always touch ground before doing any electronic work.

[agatornz]

thanks.. yes i had heard that - and most the IT guys i know dont wear any thing the only troulbe for me is i produce a lot of static -come shake my hand in summer youll get a big jolt lol

[guillaumetell]

Does it work? You must find a way of making clearer pictures - are you using your mobile or the camera? Do you have one of those anti-static widgets that clip onto the wrist and to the chassis of the computer?

[agatornz]

Yes the laptop worked.. i thnk i was just about suprised as any one.... yes i was using a my phone cam, and in bad light, i was halve way through the install when i thought to do the instructable... no i didnt use and anti static widget.. all the people i talked to who thought this install was easy, didnt seem to care for the antistatic widgets, suggesting if i held the chip in the manner indicated in the instructable i would be fine... when i was installing a new drive in to my desktop however i made my own widget by taping some exposed copper wire around my wrist, and soldering a alligator clip to the other end which i clipped to the metal case of the pc before i started... interested to hear from any people that know computers.... was i lucky ::