Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z RAM Upgrade Step-By-Step

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z is a high-performance laptop that boasts an array of impressive features. With a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, it offers a vibrant and sharp viewing experience. Under the hood, it is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Hexa-Core processor, which ensures smooth and efficient performance. The laptop comes with 8GB DDR4 memory and a 256GB NVMe SSD, providing ample space for all your files and applications.

However, even with all these specs, it's possible that it can fall short for power-users, mainly because of the relatively limited RAM. Sure, 8 GB is enough for an average user but for users who use resource-intensive applications it can quickly fall short and you may run into the dreaded "lags in performance".

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of upgrading the RAM on your Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z.

We will start by helping you understand the type of RAM that is compatible with your laptop and how much RAM you can install. Then, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to upgrade the RAM. Finally, we will show you how to check if the RAM has been properly upgraded. Let's get started!

What Type Of RAM can I Install on the Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z? How much RAM can I Install?

Alright, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of RAM compatibility for your Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z. This laptop is compatible with DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz Non-ECC SODIMM memory. Now, that's quite a mouthful, isn't it? Let's break it down:

DDR4 stands for Double Data Rate 4, which is the fourth generation of memory that offers higher speeds and efficiency than the previous DDR3.
PC4-25600 refers to the total bandwidth of the memory module, in this case, it's 25600MB/s.
3200MHz is the speed of the RAM. The higher the MHz, the faster your computer can process information.
Non-ECC means it's Non-Error Correction Code memory. ECC memory is usually used in servers where data accuracy is critical. For most consumer laptops, Non-ECC memory is more than sufficient.
SODIMM stands for Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module, which is the form factor of the memory module. It's smaller than regular DIMMs and is typically used in laptops due to its compact size.

Your Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z comes with 8GB of this type of memory pre-installed. But here's the good news: it has 2 slots for installing memory. What's more, is that the maximum amount of RAM compatible with this laptop is technically a whopping 32 GB (two compatible 16 GB modules). That's a whole lot of memory for multitasking, running heavy applications, and even some light gaming.

However, since the onboard RAM is quite hidden away we would recommend you don't go all out and install 32 GB, since if you upgrade to 16 GB by adding a single compatible 8 GB module you'll also notice a substantial improvement in performance from the get-go.

Typically we would recommend you swap out the onboard RAM but unfortunately, in this particular case Acer has decided to have the onboard RAM tucked away with only one clearly and easily accessible RAM slot therefore we would just recommend you do the upgrade of adding another 8 GB for a total 16 GB of memory.

Step-By-Step Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z Memory Upgrade

For this process, you're going to need a screwdriver and we would recommend you get your hands on a prying tool of some sorts - you can get yourself a whole kit here, they are extremely cheap -. Most people use guitar picks, for example, but some people will also use their driver's license to help them pry open the laptop.

Step 1: The first thing you want to do is power down your laptop - not hibernate - and disconnect it from the power source. It's also recommended for you to disconnect any peripherals that you may have connected to the laptop such as an external mouse or a webcam.

Step 2: Once your laptop is completely turned off place it on its back and start removing the screws that attach the bottom case to the rest of the laptop.

All the screws are the same length so you don't need to draw up a diagram to remember which one goes where for when you re-assemble the laptop as it happens with other notebooks.

Step 3: Once you've removed the screws here's where the prying tool comes in handy to remove the bottom case like so:

Step 4: Now that you have removed the bottom case you'll easily be able to locate the available RAM slot to perform the upgrade. Here it is:

Step 5: Now that you have located the RAM slot you're going to grab the compatible RAM module you've gotten and you're going to insert it at a 45-degree angle making sure both the pins on the module and the slot, as well as the notch in module and slot align perfectly. Once that's done slide it in.

Step 6: Now that you've got your RAM slided in you're going to gently but firmly press down on the RAM module. You'll hear a clicking sound, that's the sound of the metallic levers located on the sides of the RAM slot attached to the module.

Step 7: Now that the RAM is in place all you need to do is to re-attach the bottom case by inserting the screws you removed at the beginning of this tutorial. Turn the laptop on and launch "System Information" - you can just type it into the search box at the bottom left - you should be able to see the new amount of RAM.

And that's all, you have successfully upgraded the RAM on the Acer Aspire 5 A515-45-R74Z. With double the RAM, you'll be able to multitask to your heart's desire and work on much more resource-intensive applications without fear of the system lagging behind. Congrats and enjoy the upgrade!