Dell D830 with 8GB of RAM

Dell Latitude D830 laptops have 4GB memory cap, but I’ve found a way to squeeze 8GB of RAM in there (thanks to some helpful comments from others on the web).  This is an unsupported configuration, but its working great!

8GB gives me lots more breathing room for running virtual machines, especially useful for testing SharePoint 2010 in a virtual environment.  My old laptop may be around a while yet!

If you have a D830 and want to try this, here’s how I did it:

1. You must be running an OS that supports more than 4GB.  64-bit Vista, 64-bit Windows 7, 64-bit Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2.
2. Upgrade the BIOS to A13 (download it from Dell).  I haven’t tried A14 (the latest BIOS version), but I read reports that this only works with A13.
3. Install a matching pair of 4GB SODIMM DDR2 667 chips.  I’m using GSKILL chips I picked up from NewEgg for around $265. 
4. When you reboot the first time, the BIOS will take a while to run through, checking out the new memory.  Verify the new memory, and your system should recognize 8GB when it comes up.  After the first boot, BIOS boots quickly.

I’m running Windows 7  64-bit and Windows Server 2008 R2, booting to a VHD.  No host OS on my PC, just a VHD on my C: drive.  Sweet!! 

Here’s the memory I ordered from NewEgg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231210

Enjoy!