X220: max RAM is 8Gb or 16Gb???

[kilou]

Hi,

I've always seen that the max RAM possible on a X220 is 8Gb (2x4Gb). However I came across this post and the person confirmed he installed 16Gb RAM in a X220 tablet...but mentions 12 Gb are recognized in Windows.

Faint Ghosting on X220 IPS screen - Page 37 - Lenovo Community

What's up? Technical sheet of the X220 really mentions max 8Gb but it seems 16Gb are supported "unofficially". Why then would only 12Gb pop up in Windows?? Is this a BIOS limitation? Other sandybridge laptops support 16Gb too so it should work in the X220...
Any info about that? Thanks.

[sniper_sung]

I'm also interested in this, because today I found my 8GB crippled by merely two virtual machines while I was also doing some data analysis in R.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Theoretically all Sandy Bridge laptops support 8 GB per DIMM. 8 GB modules are still crazy expensive. You need Windows 7 Professional or higher to utilize more than 16 GB RAM.

[KCETech1]

you can do 16. I have pulled a pair of 8 GB SODIMMS from my elitebook to try. now that they are less expensive I may do it permanantly.

8 GB dimms are now under 400 as where they were $1200 when I got mine a year ago.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ELPIDA-8...31390061928659

[kilou]

Why then would Lenovo only claim 8Gb max in their tech sheets? And why only 12Gb would be recognized in Windows in the example above? Is this because it might be Windows 7 and not Pro?? weird

[KCETech1]

not sure, my i7 with 7 pro showed 16

[kilou]

not sure, my i7 with 7 pro showed 16

Great! Thanks.

[Thors.Hammer]

Why then would Lenovo only claim 8Gb max in their tech sheets? And why only 12Gb would be recognized in Windows in the example above? Is this because it might be Windows 7 and not Pro?? weird

At the time the X220 started shipping 8GB SoDIMMS were $2000 each. Why bother.

They don't go back and re-certify after the fact and change docs. It's a point in time publication of specs.

[cypherpunk]

They don't go back and re-certify after the fact and change docs. It's a point in time publication of specs.

The same held true for the T61 generation. They were only claimed to support up to 4 GB of RAM, although they can easily support 2x4=8 GB RAM, as can be confirmed not only by me. When the T61's were put on the market, no 4 GB sized RAM modules were available, so there was no point to claim a feature which could by no means be fulfilled back then.

[invisible]

not sure, my i7 with 7 pro showed 16

Ok, apparently my last post was surgically removed. I was only expressing my surprise that it in fact does recognize 16GB RAM, which is a really cool thing IMHO. It helps to future proof your system, which is only a win-win for consumers I think.