Mobile Mayhem - Do You Need 8GB in Your Laptop?

Introduction

Remember when investing in a 2GB DDR1 kit would run a king’s ransom? We do, and it wasn’t all that long ago. Some of you may even still be getting by with an older rig built around the original DDR standard, but more than likely, you’re sporting a system a little more modern. And if you built your machine in recent times, there’s a good chance you hopped onto Intel’s X58 or P55 platforms, both of which take advantage of DDR3 memory.

The first iteration of Core i7 (LGA 1366) introduced us to triple-channel memory (not to be confused with the DDR3 nomenclature, which doesn’t refer to triple-channel), and with it, bigger RAM kits than we’ve ever seen before. Suddenly, 4GB of memory was no longer hardcore, and even 6GB teetered on the ho-hum side of high-end. In the realm of triple-channel memory kits, 12GB has become the new overboard, and 24GB the new ‘Are you out of your ____ing mind?’

Things are little more tempered in dual-channel territory, where 4GB is still respectable, but 8GB separates the power users from everyone else. And with the proliferation of DDR3 in notebooks, an 8GB upgrade isn’t just a statement of your commitment to run with the big dogs, it’s also a costly investment. Outside of bragging rights, is it worth it?

To help us answer that question, we pleaded our case with Crucial and asked them if they’d send out an 8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM kit. Our goal? To find out if it makes sense for an average user to pony up the cash for a monster sized mobile RAM kit, and if not, who would ultimately benefit from a heap of RAM. Crucial obliged by sending out their 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-1066 notebook kit, so let’s have a look at what effect doubling up our notebook’s memory has on performance.

Specifications