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Upgrading RAM and Solid-State Drive (SSD) on your Desktop PC

Computer Hardware

9/17/2023

When your work or hobby has a high computational demand on your PC you might consider upgrading your hardware.

A high level of computation is required in gaming, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), simulation (e.g. Finite Element Method), streaming, movie rendering, and image processing (especially in large raw format).

Whether you do it yourself (DIY) or have it done by a professional PC repair shop is a secondary question (I will return to later).

It starts with the analysis of the current state and the goals you want to achieve. Ask yourself what the impeding factors are when using resource-intense applications, e.g. stuttering, lag, poor graphics. Be sure to segregate problems that originate in the network connection from real PC issues.

Analysis of current performance status of my PC:

  1. 16 GB RAM (Windows 11) is not sufficient for rendering videos and raw photos
  2. 500 GB of storage (SSD) gets quickly used after installing various software packages and temporarily storing videos and photos locally, for further moving them to and editing in the cloud or on an external drive

Hardware Baseline:

  1. HP Elite Tower 600 G9 Desktop PC
  2. Microprocessor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700
  3. Up to four memory modules (DIMMs): DDR5-4800 SDRAM UDIMM
  4. Motherboard offers two solid-state drive connectors (one is in use, so there is a spare one specified as M.2 SSD 2280, PCIe®)

Important prerequisites for the installation:

  1. Clean your table so that you have an uncluttered work area
  2. The table should be electrically isolated from the floor
  3. Unplug all cables, especially the power cord, from the PC (it will take 30 s before the power is down to zero on all components). Don't open any panels before being sure that the main power is disconnected!
  4. To avoid Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) use a dedicated wristband connected to the grounding rod or the PC case. (Some, instead, recommend touching the metal case every 10 s or so, to equalize the voltage potential between your body and the PC case)
  5. Carefully acquaint yourself with the removal of the side panel and the front panel. You might have to unplug some cables or remove the fan to expose the sockets on the motherboard you will work on

RAM installation:

It is important to familiarize yourself with the DIMM configuration of your PC, especially when you use a RAM kit (two equal RAM modules). In my HP manual, it says: "Sockets DIMM1 and DIMM2 operate in memory channel B. Sockets DIMM3 and DIMM4 operate in memory channel A."

Multiple-core processors can make use of dual-channel RAM. In order to maximize the performance channels A and B have to be populated by the RAM kit such that they are either placed in DIMM1 and DIMM3 (like in the above figure on the left) or in DIMM2 and DIMM4.

Since mixing different types of RAM is not a good idea, I removed the existing single RAM module.

Note: DDR4 sockets are not compatible with DDR5 RAM, and vice versa.

Note: be sure to find a RAM that has the right speed (in mine it was 4800 MHz), and that each RAM of the kit has the same specifications (vendor, speed and either both DDR4 or both DDR5). I checked the compatibility of the "Crucial RAM 64GB Kit (2x32GB) DDR5 4800MHz" (170 Euro at Amazon) both on Crucial's and HP's websites.

The installation is fairly straightforward (see instructional youtube video). Without touching the pins insert the RAM module into the socket having open latches. Press the RAM module down and, if the orientation is correct, the latches will start closing by themselves. Close them manually by exerting some pressure and be sure to have the latches firmly in place close to the RAM module.

M.2 SSD installation:

After some research, both in the HP manual and on Crucial's website I located the following compatible extension to the existing C:\ SSD drive: "Crucial P3 Plus 2TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe" (89 Euro at Amazon).

This provides space for all my photos and a limited amount of videos, for the purpose of fast response in the editing work done in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.

Note: if you have a slightly older PC, you might only have SATA SSD. In that case, remember to purchase a SATA cable as well. If you have M.2 SSD compatibility, which is the newest technology, you will have less work in the installation than with SATA SSD.

Note: some M.2 slots have a higher bandwidth than others, so consult your manual.

Once you have located the extension socket in the manual and on the motherboard (see the top figure on the right) the installation process can start. Here is an instructional youtube video to follow along.

Insert the M.2 SSD drive into the socket at a slightly elevated angle and use the in-built stand-off of the PC case and a screw (as part of the package) to fixate the other end of the M.2 drive to the case.

Finally, after reassembling the PC and turning it on you can check in the BIOS/UEFI if the new RAM configuration is captured. You can also go directly into Windows 11 where under "System" you can find the "Installed RAM".

The SSD still needs to be configured. Go to "Disk Management" and initialize the SSD, whereby it will be formatted. You can also give the new volume a suitable name. After completing this process you should see the new volume in Windows Explorer, and you are ready to go.

Limiting factors:

Be sure that the fans have free access to cool air in and outside the case. For a high load on the RAMs and the SSDs, it might be necessary to use heat sinks or a more powerful fan to have the heat dissipated effectively.

DIY vs. using a PC repair shop

In case you feel unsure about your capability and experience to accomplish the upgrade, and if you have a trusted workshop close by, definitely consider this more expensive option. It has the advantage that you will not suffer from mistakes a beginner will inevitably make, causing underperformance or even damage to the PC (or yourself, e.g. sharp edges).

Doing it yourself offers you the great possibility to learn about PC hardware and its configuration. Another important exercise is locating documentation and supportive material on the Internet. Be aware, though, that any warranty or maintenance contract with the PC vendor will expire (if they are strict) when you DIY.

Of course, don't do it on a PC that is mission-critical (e.g. on the next day in the office). Give yourself time, don't rush, and always expect setbacks that require your undivided attention.

Always have your data backed up to the cloud or to an external drive before starting the upgrade, in case something serious happens on the way.

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