I want a RAM upgrade for my laptop. Will a 512MB be added to my present 256MB RAM or will it replace it?

Will the final RAM be 512 or 768 (256+512)MB? Mine is a Toshiba Satellite model, bought 2 yrs ago.

Answer:
Depends on what you do next to your laptop. It also depends on how expandable your laptop is. With it being bought 2 years ago, it will probably enjoy a final capacity of any 512mb or 1G; you need to look for the specs and guidelines specific to that model laptop, find out what giving of memory it uses and how much you can upgrade to, to make sure you are not going over the bound.

But if you are putting a 512mb chip in adornment to your 256mb chip; your final RAM would be 768mb (if your computer allows you to go up to that).

If your Laptop is single upgradable to 512mb chip, you will have to remove the 256mb and single use the 512mb or only put in another 256mb chip.
That depends on if you pull out the prehistoric RAM. If you have to remove the weak RAM to install the new, later the final amount will be 512, but if you can simply install the new RAM and keep hold of the old later the final amount will be 768.

Good Luck!
it "can" be 768 if the new memory is duplicate speed as your old. For example: if outmoded memory is ddr2-800 (it should say on the chip itself) next add another ddr2-800 512mb chip and that would work. Different speeds can bring problems though.
most definately replaced.

check this site.
It depends on how many memory slots you own in the computer. If you hold more than 1 they can both be used. If you have just one it would be replaced. Check the model number for how many DIMM's the laptop have. More than one and you have no worries
Added to the 256, 768, why not find a 1 gig module? It would single cost a couple dollars more.
Go to crucial.com, plug in the information for your laptop. It will put in the picture you what the total memory can be and the max for each slot. If respectively slot can handle the 512MB, use that within your spare slot.
Most all laptops come near two memory slots in them, you obligation to determine if your laptop is using both memory slots currently or only one. You also inevitability to look at he specification sheet for your motherboard to determine the correct type of memory to use to add to or replace existing memory sticks. All laptops use memory sticks call SoDIMMs but they still fall into equal catagories as desktop pcs. So every SoDIMM isnt the same as another SoDIMM as they could be DDR, DDR2, SDRAM, etc. If you amenable the cover over the memory, usually on the bottom of your laptop, you will be able to see any one or two memory sticks already installed, if you only own one then it's a 256mg stick and you can make a payment another to it. The numbers add together to make a contribution you your new total regardless if you one and only add one or replace one and include another of larger size; basically it works similar to this, if you only own one memory stick currently and you add another 512mg stick you procure 768mgs, but if your laptop already has two 128mg sticks within it, you will have to remove one and replace it near the 512mg stick thus giving you a total memory of 640mgs. Of course, you could always opt to replace one or both sticks next to 512mg sticks and get any 512mgs or 1gig of system memory total respectively.

The key item to remember is, review the specs sheet for your laptop model and use the recommended memory type listed, usually programmed as either 266mhz, 533mhz, PC2100, PC2700, etc. The other concern when checking the specs sheet is to information what the maximum memory you can install, it would be pointless to by 2 sticks of 1gig system memory if your motherboard only recognize 1gig total, because 1gig plus 1gig equals 2gigs, and generally if it say 1gig total allowed, it usually means it will simply recognize 2 times 512mg.

Step by Step:

1) Check the specs sheet for type of memory used, maximum total memory supported, and maximum size of memory stick individually;
2) Open your laptop cover to see if one or two sticks are already surrounded by use to determine if you will be adding or replacing one or more sticks (sometimes this can be determined on the specs sheet as it sometimes say how many sticks are standardly installed also);
3) Determine how much memory you want total after varying out some or all of your memory already contained by use (128mg,256mg,384mg,512mg, 768mg, 1gig, perhaps as much as 2gigs depending on motherboard capacity);
4) Purchase one or two sticks of the recommended memory type as determined from the specs sheet, not to exceed the total memory amount your laptop will support;
5) Turn sour your laptop, disconnect any a/c power cord if attached to the laptop, remove the battery from the laptop;
6) Open the memory compartment cover, remove one or more sticks if compulsory, install one or two new sticks as needed, the memory will single go contained by one way, align the different stick(s) like any you removed. Typically they slide within at about a 45 level angle until firmly seated, then press down to lock them into place;
7) Close the compartment cover, install your mobile, add the power cord if desired or needed, and power on the laptop, your boot peak should reflect the alien total memory based on how you modified your existing memory above.

The knob thing to remember near system memory is, if your current total is 256mgs and you are running Windows XP, the operating system takes 128mgs of system memory of late to run the operating system, any additional programs that nouns at start up and run in the framework will reduce your total available system memory further. Additionally, most laptops use onboard video graphics which share their memory resources out of the total system memory pool, thus reducing the remaining available system memory even further. So by accumulation more memory, you should note an increase within performance at start up, shut down, or loading and running applications. I hope this help.
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