Upgrade Memory Module on Dell 640m

Initially i thought replacing memory module for my laptop will be an easy task. I mean, usually for laptop, accessing the memory module is just unscrew that particular memory module cover, unplug existing ram and plug in the new ram. And to Dell 640m, yes, this only apply to one of the memory slot which is dimm B but to access dimm A, you actually need to remove your dell notebook's hinge and keyboard. Now it seems like a big project already and the service manual from Dell actually teach you how to do it step by step.

Since there is step by step guide, i don't want to repeat all again in this blog but just to share with you my experience. For me, removing the hinge is definitely the most challenging part. The reason being, the hinge is a plastic cover that is secured by some catch, so to remove it, you always have the fear on whether will you break it or not and luckily, i manage to remove the hinge without any significant damage but with some minor scratches :(. After remove that hinge, the remaining task is actually very simple, just remove the keyboard, or just flip over like what i did and you will be able to see the memory slot. After finish installing, just power up your laptop and wait for it (it takes some time) to ask you to press F1 to continue.

Finally, the hinge is removed. I must admit is not perfect job and there are some minor scratches.

I just flip over the keyboard and be extra careful especially on the ribbon cable that connected to the keyboard. And you can see from here also, the memory slot.

A closer look.

I am actually upgrading my laptop ram from 1GB (2 x 512MB) to 2GB (2 x 1GB). So some of you might wonder whether Dell 640m support memory more than 2GB as officially the maximum ram that Dell 640m can support is 2GB. However, base on this forum, somebody actually try to install 4GB (2 x 2GB) and it works. However, the maximum ram you can see will be roughly 3.3GB as operating systems will use some of the memory space. So is really up to you to decide. For me, i happy with 2GB ram and this upgrade should last me at least 2 more years. :)