Gateway Parts

upgrading RAM in Acer Aspire 7720G Notebook and is the Intel Core 2 Duo a 64bit processor?

PART #1 If I choose to upgrade the RAM in my laptop from 2GB to 4GB, what do I need to look for to get the best out of my purchase. The following quote is from the owners manual: "Up to 2 GB of DDR2 667 MHz memory, upgradeable to 4 GB using two soDIMM modules (dual-channel support)" I assume I'll be requiring 2 x 2GB modules, of soDIMM (which I will get as a matched pair). Should they then be 667MHz aswell or should I change this? I am running Windows Vista 32bit and have 2GB - would 4GB mess it up? PART #2 My processor is an Intel Core 2 Duo which aparently is 64Bit Compatible. I want to install LINUX on a partition after upgrading the size of the hard drive and so I am wondering whether 64Bit compatible (according to "Performance Information and Tools" located under the "Control Pannel" of Vista) is actually 64 Bit or something to make the OS think it is 64Bit... Could I put 64Bit Linux on or is that going to be a problem? Thankyou for your time and help :)

Public Comments

1. PART #1 You are spot on, id say you could go ahead with your purchase of buying 2x 2GB of soDIMM 667MHz ram.. PART #2 Some Core 2's are 64bit compatible and some arnt.. its a simple case of findout out exactly what model your Intel Core 2 Duo is.. you can find this by going to the run box. and putting in "DXDIAG" go onto that window.. if a messege box apears press YES and then another box will appear.. "DirectX Diagnostic Tool" and tell me what it says next to "Processor" Messege me the information you find and i will reply on whether you are using a 64-bit compatable processor.. It is 80% most likly that it is. but theres still that slight chance that it may not be..
2. PART #1: Technically, your laptop should be capable of supporting 4GB of ram, this may however not be the case. Unfortunately when it comes to Laptops and RAM, all are not created equal. In the past I have gone to upgrade a laptop to its motherboards max only to find the laptop unstable and had to back down. An individual on another site has had similar problems when upgrading (see my source for additional information). If you wish to move ahead and purchase memory for your unit, you are correct in what you're looking for (including the 667MHz), just be advised that your laptop may not like the 4GB regardless of what your motherboard's manual suggests. If you choose to buy memory, I was just checking out an Acer reseller and they're selling all Crucial which is a good brand. 32bit versions of windows can run on any amount of memory but anything higher than 4GB is considered a waste as anything past the 4GB cannot be used by the operating system. If you have a dedicated graphics processor with its own memory / RAM, then memory from your 4GB of RAM will not be accessible. PART #2 If you go to your system properties (Control Panel - System and Security - System) and look under the System section, your system type will tell you which version of Windows you're running. If it says 32 bit then that's what's currently installed. If you wish to run Linux off a separate partition (running 32 bit Windows OS and 64 bit Linux OS), you can do so without issue. I'm not sure which version of Linux you're looking at installing, but I've attached a link for dual booting from the Ubuntu website.
3. Yes, you need to buy 2x2 GB soDIMM modules. 800Mhz will do fine. 4GB RAM wont mess up your 32Bit Vista, it'll actually enhance the performance of Vista. A 32Bit OS can only use 3.24 GB of RAM, it cant go beyond it. Technological limitation. So, if you have 4GB RAM ram and a OS is 32Bit, the OS will only use 3.24 GB of it. Core2Duo is a 64Bit processor and a 64Bit version of Linux will run just fine.
4. I have an acer 5620 also upgradeable to 4 GB, it had 1gb ram(2x512mb) so i swapped for 2x1gb and it works fine, i seen a tweak guide online that said a 32bit operating system can not handle the 4gb so you have to swap to a 64bit os, if the ram is 667mhz, dont buy 800mhz because it may not be compatible. download CPUZ for free to see your hard drive, ram and processor speed, size and other details To run a 64-bit version of Windows, your computer must have a 64-bit-capable processor. To find out if your processor is 64-bit-capable, do the following: open Performance Information and Tools. In the System section, you can see what type of operating system you're currently running under System type. Under 64-bit capable, you can see whether you can run a 64-bit version of Windows. (If your computer is already running a 64-bit version of Windows, you won't see the 64-bit capable listing.)