Tecra M4 Max Memory

**dblank** · 06-15-2005, 10:21 PM

I'm planning on ordering an M4 soon, but I want to upgrade the ram myself to save money. However before I order the ram I need to know if the M4 uses dual channel or not. Also I need to know the maximum amount of RAM the M4 supports since I've read that adding more ram than a computer can support will not only be wasteful, but may also cause the computer to slow down and potentially though rarely may cause damage to the hardware. Atleast that's what it says on crucial's site. However since this tablet model is pretty new I can't find any information about how much RAM it supports. Toshiba's site has a max upgrade of 1.5 gigs, but I'm not sure if this is the max and also not sure if it's dual channel since this upgrade seems to point otherwise.
If anyone has any info on this please help.

**Barry J. Doyle** · 06-15-2005, 11:53 PM

The Tecra M4 uses DDR2 SDRAM and supports a maximum of 2048MB which would be 2 x 1024MB SODIMMS in each slot.

**Brian** · 06-16-2005, 07:04 AM

2GB is overkill though, I'd get two 512 chips and call it a day.

**SuperRob** · 06-17-2005, 06:52 PM

It's hardly overkill for a machine like the M4. I've got 2GB of RAM in my 3GHz desktop (standard DDR, dual-channel), and it's a blessing to never have to worry about running out of memory, regardless of what I throw at it.

That said, I'm in the later stages of researching Tablets, since I start my Junior year of College in the fall, and I have just about settled on either a Toshiba Portege M200, or a Toshiba Tecra M4. I'm heavily leaning towards the M4 at this point, by virtue of the larger screen (I'll be taking a LOT of notes in class), higher end PCI Express graphics, and Sonoma chipset.

However, the IBM has me thinking twice, sporting everything but the high resolution and graphics support I think I'd enjoy. The prices are roughly equivalent, so any recommendations from you guys, since you've tested them both?

Rob
http://superrob.blogspot.com

**Brian** · 06-18-2005, 07:28 AM

Rob -

I'll rephrase. It's overkill for 90% of the people who will be buying this machine. Most won't be using programs that require or could even make use of more than 1GB RAM.

**Barry J. Doyle** · 06-19-2005, 10:27 AM

Rob, while you are carefully considering your options, I wanted to clarify a few things based upon my own experience witht the Toshi and IBM. The Tecra M4 and Ibm X41 Tablet are two completely different animals. I would think of the Tecra M4 as a larger, heavier and much more powerful semi-desktop replacement. The X41 on the other hand is an ultralight, low-power portable. The IBM is geared towards portablility and extended battery life. In contrast, the M4 will kick ass and take names in performance over the X41. However, this is at the cost of minimal battery life (probably about 1.5-2 hours average) and a larger, heavier lode to carry. Both of these models are top of the line options in their respective classes and deliver exactly what they were designed to do very well. Consumers just have to decide what exactly it is that they are seeking in a Tablet PC.

**stl99** · 06-29-2005, 08:49 PM

Someone mentioned to me some of the Toshiba latops cannot have the memory upgraded. Is that true on the Tecra M4? Because if I bought one, I'd prefer to purchase my RAM thru a different means.