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Manuel Jordan avatar Ubuntu

Considerations to upgrade memory RAM with Ubuntu already installed. Correct procedure post-upgrade

kz flag
Manuel Jordan

I have a HP Pavilion g4-2368la with Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 with 8GB of RAM, now according with the following official specs of HP:

The laptop supports as maximum 8GB of RAM.

According with Crucial and MrMemory pages, it supports 16GB. Even more, according with the dmidecode command, it reported 16GB too.

I want to go the Computer store to test if it is true, if works the pair of 8GB is going to be buy it, otherwise removed and returned

The reason of this post:

Question

  • What are the considerations to upgrade memory RAM with Ubuntu already installed?

It mostly due because the current Swap is based on File Swap - and it was automatically established when Ubuntu was installed from the beginning and considering only 8GB of RAM.

The point is avoid get an unexpected behavior such as lost data or the OS itself through the procedures as follows: either if the upgrade works (8 to 16) or if does not work (8 to 16 to 8)

Note

I know Ubuntu is solid, but perhaps I should be notified - by you - about some important consideration before and after to accomplish this upgrade test. So I am taking precautions according with your experience

Extra Question

If the upgrade is successfully - 16GB works in peace - therefore:

  • What is the correct procedure post-upgrade about to upgrade the Swap File?

Remember that It was created based on 8GB - now is 16GB. So for common sense, it should be increased too.

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pl flag
popey
Just for some reassurance. I have had multiple laptops which state a manufacturers maximum RAM, but later in their life it turns out they can take more. My ThinkPad X220 states 8GB Max, I have 16GB in it. My T450 states 16GB max and mine has 32GB. So long as you can find other corroborating users who have the same model, you can have some confidence it will work. No changes needed at the OS level.
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ar flag
user68186
Remember, swap is a slower substitute for RAM. Less RAM means you need more swap. More RAM means less dependence on swap. Unless you have set up your laptop to hibernate or suspend-then-hibernate". Neither of those are default.
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Score:3
vidarlo avatar Ubuntu
om flag
vidarlo

The point is avoid get an unexpected behavior such as lost data or the OS itself through the procedures as follows: either if the upgrade works (8 to 16) or if does not work (8 to 16 to 8)

The risk of that is slim to none if the RAM works. If the RAM is faulty you may experience crashes.

Remember that It was created based on 8GB - now is 16GB. So for common sense, it should be increased too.

Depends on how you use the machine. If you use hibernate (not sleep), you need a swap file that's big enough to hold all used Swap + RAM. If you do not use hibernate, you don't need a swap file big enough to hold all RAM. I have 16GB RAM and a 2GB swap file for instance.

So in short - upgrade your RAM. There's no need to do anything more unless you use hibernate, which is rather rare these days.

+ 1
ar flag
user68186
The case for "hibernate" includes "suspend-then-hibernate".
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