Hi all, thanks in advance for any assistance.
My wife has a HP Pavilion X360, model 15-bk163dx that we're looking to upgrade/increase the RAM on. She's been using it for picture editing lately and it's been pretty slow. I'm a little confused by its capability and from searching similar issues on the forum.
The online specs here would indicate it's "non-upgradeable", but I've found several responses to similar setups that say that may not be true (http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05235424):
Memory module Two SODIMM slots, nonaccessible/non-upgradeable
Support for DDR3L-1600 dual
channel
Support for up to 8-GB
maximum system memory in
the following conƭgurDtions
● 8192-MB: (8192-MB × 1)
● 6144-MB: (4096-MB
+ 2048-MB)
● 4096-MB: (4096-MB × 1)
Is the "non-accessible" indicative that they did something silly like solder in a permanent memory chip, or is it just to make the casual user/upgrader second-guess doing any upgrades? I have no problem taking the computer apart and digging into things. It would appear it has two memory slots, but only supports a single one? It has the standard 8GB that came installed in one of the two slots. The second option of 6GB would lead me to believe that both slots should be operational? The Crucial site says it should be good for up to 16GB total, but of course includes the caveat: *Not to exceed manufacturer supported memory. What exactly happens id i put in 2X8GB compatible RAM sets? I'm assuming I would want to go with the "L" designation from other forum discussions to ensure they're the low-power type? Is the memory support perhaps limited by this and the 45w adaptor that comes with the computer? I see some models have a 65w power supply available for them...is there harm in upgrading the adaptor to support more draw? That would be where my personal experience starts to get a little hazy, as I could see it causing issues over the long term, but I'm sure there's something built into the setup to either limit or utilize the proper amount of power coming in?
So, what's the actual consensus on this? Why would they limit the amount of memory you can upgrade? To drive new computer sales? If it's going to be more hassle than it's worth to try and upgrade this thing I'd just re-purpose or give it to a family member and purchase a better laptop. Feels a little disappointing that any manufacturer would sell a computer that is basically as-is for the long haul.
Appreciate any help...the online information for this particular model (and the 15" X360 series in general) is pretty slim. I'm guessing a lot of the users who like to upgrade and tweak things steered clear of these, and now I can see why.
Thanks!