Lenovo T430 Ram Slots

broken image


Here's the interesting thing about adding RAM to the T430: its two RAM slots are in quite different places with different levels of difficulty to access. The second RAM slot — where the factory-installed RAM goes — is under the keyboard, and getting to it takes a little more work. My guess is that Lenovo's engineers expected most users. Performance Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz 2 4 GB DDR3 RAM 128 MB Graphics Design 13.3 inches (33.78 cm) 1280 x 800 pixels 1.8 Kg, 33.7 mm thick Storage 160 GB HDD SATA 5400 RPM. Powered by a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i5-3320M CPU with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 7,200-rpm hard drive and an Intel HD Graphics 4000, the Lenovo ThinkPad T430 turned in solid performance. Here's the interesting thing about adding RAM to the T430: its two RAM slots are in quite different places with different levels of difficulty to access. The second RAM slot — where the factory-installed RAM goes — is under the keyboard, and getting to it takes a little more work. Lenovo ThinkPad T430 Lenovo ThinkPad T430. Two PCI Express Mini Card slots Some. 2.50GHz, 3MB cache), Intel HD Graphics 3000, memory,. ThinkPad T430 2342.

The oldest-model computer in my stable is a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 (pictured above). Released in 2012, it's a business workhorse powered by a dual-core i5-3230M processor running at 2.6 GHz (suitable for writing TPS reports and even playing older 3D games) that's still issued to worker bees at offices everywhere. I acquired mine in 2013 in lieu of payment owed to me from a deadbeat, and since then, it's been performing yeoman service in its role as a backup machine for tasks that specially require Windows or Linux.

T430

It came with a stock 4GB RAM, which has caused me to run into some limitations, especially with heavier-weight development tools such as Visual Studio and Android Studio, the video capture and recording tool Camtasia, and to a lesser extent, graphic design and audio tools. It was time for that most effective and universal of computer upgrades: more RAM!

The T430 takes two 1600 MHz PC3-12800 SO-DIMMs and supports up to 16GB memory. I ordered a pair on NewEgg for less than $100, which came with two-day free shipping. The DIMMs arrived via FedEx Friday morning, and like any geek with a new tech toy, I took out my set of teeny computer screwdrivers and got to work on installing them right after they arrived.

The first step was to remove the battery. ThinkPads from that era (I'm not certain about present-era ones) followed the old-school philosophy to batteries and kept them external and easily swapped out:

I remembered seeing a RAM upgrade on one of these computers years ago, so I knew that there was a RAM slot located on the bottom of the machine, just underneath the central panel…

…and only two screws stand between you and a RAM upgrade…

…and until you realize that there's just one RAM slot there. Upon seeing this, I looked around, confirmed that there was only one RAM slot under that panel, and then checked the online specs for the T430. It says two SO-DIMM slots. Where's the other one?

Here's the interesting thing about adding RAM to the T430: its two RAM slots are in quite different places with different levels of difficulty to access.

The second RAM slot — where the factory-installed RAM goes — is under the keyboard, and getting to it takes a little more work. My guess is that Lenovo's engineers expected most users to buy a single DIMM to expand their machine's RAM, and that they'd install it into the easier-to-access slot at the bottom of the machine.

Even if you have no plans to add or remove RAM from the more easily accessed underside, you still need to open the central panel at the bottom of the machine to access the RAM under the keyboard. That's because there are two screws inside the central panel that you have to remove in order to get under the keyboard:

These two screws anchor the keyboard, and if they're in place, you won't be able to access the RAM slot underneath it.

When you've removed those two screws, you can remove the keyboard. Pry it up gently, starting with the edge closest to the trackpad. I used a metal ruler to help me with the process, taking care not to scratch the casing:

Lift the keyboard. You'll see that it's connected to the motherboard by a short strip of ribbon cable. There's a thin piece of dark, slightly translucent plastic to the left of where the ribbon cable meets the motherboard; the RAM slot is underneath it:

To make it easier to pop in the RAM, I disconnected the keyboard. You might not have to do it in order to insert the RAM, but it was pretty easy:

I flipped back the panel, where the factory-installed 4GB DIMM lived…

…and replaced it with the new 8GB DIMM.

With the RAM installed, I reversed my steps, fired up the ThinkPad, and checked my RAM the fun way: by asking Cortana using my voice. Here was her response:

Success! The ThinkPad is back in action, and ready for development work. In the short time with maxed-out RAM, I've found that Visual Studio, Android Studio, and Camtasia work wonderfully, and video performance is improved as well (my model has integrated graphics, which relies on system RAM).

If you prefer a video walk-through of the ThinkPad T430 RAM upgrade procedure, try this one:

The oldest-model computer in my stable is a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 (pictured above). Released in 2012, it's a business workhorse powered by a dual-core i5-3230M processor running at 2.6 GHz (suitable for writing TPS reports and even playing older 3D games) that's still issued to worker bees at offices everywhere. I acquired mine in 2013 in lieu of payment owed to me from a deadbeat, and since then, it's been performing yeoman service in its role as a backup machine for tasks that specially require Windows or Linux.

It came with a stock 4GB RAM, which has caused me to run into some limitations, especially with heavier-weight development tools such as Visual Studio and Android Studio, the video capture and recording tool Camtasia, and to a lesser extent, graphic design and audio tools. It was time for that most effective and universal of computer upgrades: more RAM!

The T430 takes two 1600 MHz PC3-12800 SO-DIMMs and supports up to 16GB memory. I ordered a pair on NewEgg for less than $100, which came with two-day free shipping. The DIMMs arrived via FedEx Friday morning, and like any geek with a new tech toy, I took out my set of teeny computer screwdrivers and got to work on installing them right after they arrived.

The first step was to remove the battery. ThinkPads from that era (I'm not certain about present-era ones) followed the old-school philosophy to batteries and kept them external and easily swapped out:

I remembered seeing a RAM upgrade on one of these computers years ago, so I knew that there was a RAM slot located on the bottom of the machine, just underneath the central panel…

…and only two screws stand between you and a RAM upgrade…

…and until you realize that there's just one RAM slot there. Upon seeing this, I looked around, confirmed that there was only one RAM slot under that panel, and then checked the online specs for the T430. It says two SO-DIMM slots. Where's the other one?

Here's the interesting thing about adding RAM to the T430: its two RAM slots are in quite different places with different levels of difficulty to access.

The second RAM slot — where the factory-installed RAM goes — is under the keyboard, and getting to it takes a little more work. My guess is that Lenovo's engineers expected most users to buy a single DIMM to expand their machine's RAM, and that they'd install it into the easier-to-access slot at the bottom of the machine.

Even if you have no plans to add or remove RAM from the more easily accessed underside, you still need to open the central panel at the bottom of the machine to access the RAM under the keyboard. That's because there are two screws inside the central panel that you have to remove in order to get under the keyboard:

These two screws anchor the keyboard, and if they're in place, you won't be able to access the RAM slot underneath it.

Online slots win real money free spins. Free spins are pretty sweet - you can play slots to try and win real money online without risking any of your own! Here, you can view no deposit free spins casinos that we've reviewed. Find over 400 free spins no deposit for 2020 in total, all at sites with no deposit required. Unsure how to claim free spins on sign up? A promotion with bonus spins is your best chance to play slot machine games, discover new titles and perhaps also win real money for free. Almost every online casino, at some point, will use free spins bonuses to convince you to sign up and have a look at their games. Free spins no deposit bonuses are one of the most popular means of attracting new online slot players to a casino because they provide players with the opportunity to try out the casino, especially the slots, and possibly win real money payouts that they can use to enhance their bankroll. Win Real Money at Top Casinos Many casinos offer players free spins, but trying to find a casino that does offer this type of promotion can be a daunting experience. With that being said we have complied a list of the best casinos where you can win real money on free slots. Here are the top ten casino sites that offer free spins as a bonus. The difference between free bonus no deposit slots and play money slots is this - the slots you can play with no deposit free credits or free spins are genuine real money games where you can withdraw what you win. Play money slots (also known as demo or practice play slots) are fun versions of their real money counterparts.

When you've removed those two screws, you can remove the keyboard. Pry it up gently, starting with the edge closest to the trackpad. I used a metal ruler to help me with the process, taking care not to scratch the casing:

Lift the keyboard. You'll see that it's connected to the motherboard by a short strip of ribbon cable. There's a thin piece of dark, slightly translucent plastic to the left of where the ribbon cable meets the motherboard; the RAM slot is underneath it:

Thinkpad T430 Memory Slots

To make it easier to pop in the RAM, I disconnected the keyboard. You might not have to do it in order to insert the RAM, but it was pretty easy:

I flipped back the panel, where the factory-installed 4GB DIMM lived…

Lenovo T430 Ram Upgrade Instructions

…and replaced it with the new 8GB DIMM.

With the RAM installed, I reversed my steps, fired up the ThinkPad, and checked my RAM the fun way: by asking Cortana using my voice. Here was her response:

Success! The ThinkPad is back in action, and ready for development work. In the short time with maxed-out RAM, I've found that Visual Studio, Android Studio, and Camtasia work wonderfully, and video performance is improved as well (my model has integrated graphics, which relies on system RAM).

If you prefer a video walk-through of the ThinkPad T430 RAM upgrade procedure, try this one:





broken image