# Can i add memory slots to my mobo?



## ToeKneeNose (Aug 10, 2017)

I have a motherboard with only 2 Slots for memory. Now i was _just _thinking, could you sauter wire to another memory slot on some circuit board and expand your motherboard max capacity? I know in resource manager it says 2/4 dimms occupied so I know my chipset certainly isn't limited to only 2 mem slots.


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## Toothless (Aug 10, 2017)

Logical answer is no.


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## Nuckles56 (Aug 10, 2017)

There isn't any way to wire up extra memory slots as far as I know, you are much better off just going out and buying higher capacity memory sticks instead


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## Komshija (Aug 10, 2017)

No chance. You are stuck with two RAM modules if you have two slots. Check maximum amount of supported RAM memory by your motherboard and buy two higher capacity sticks.


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## TheLostSwede (Aug 10, 2017)

That's not how memory controllers work. You can't simply add another memory slot in series or parallel. On top of that, the wires would have to be very short, due to the high speeds that DRAM operates at today, or you'd get memory corruption. 
As others have said, no, it's no possible to solder extra memory slots to a board.


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## R0H1T (Aug 10, 2017)

You could always try, post the results after you're done experimenting with that mobo.

edit ~ *j/k* in case anyone gets *offended*.


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## qubit (Aug 10, 2017)

No, you can't add more slots. Check your mobo manual to see if you can add higher capacity RAM.


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## R00kie (Aug 10, 2017)

It's pretty much a PCB limitation, if there is no physical space to accommodate them, there is nothing you can do about it.


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## dorsetknob (Aug 10, 2017)

Even if the OEM board has the position for more ram slots ( and some Budget OEM Boards do) you cannot Solder ram Carriers to the Board as modern boards can be up to 7 layers thick ( and then you would need a Relevant compatible new Bios)
As Others have said see if you can install higher Density Ram ( more Gigs)


qubit said:


> Check your mobo manual to see if you can add higher capacity RAM.



Your only other Alternative is to source a better motherboard with more features


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## qubit (Aug 10, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> Your only other Alternative is to source a better motherboard with more features


Yeah, I'll second that.


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## Devon68 (Aug 10, 2017)

Even if you can put the ram slots on the board somehow your memory controller wont run them properly.  For all the hassle you would need for this to do, it would be better just to buy a board with more ram slots.


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## Frick (Aug 10, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> Even if the OEM board has the position for more ram slots ( and some Budget OEM Boards do) you cannot Solder ram Carriers to the Board as modern boards can be up to 7 layers thick ( and then you would need a Relevant compatible new Bios)



Honestly I've been toying with the idea of trying this out. As you say, some motherboards (at least in the olden days) looked like they had all the wiring done for more slots, but they just skipped the slots. IIRC there was a dude that soldered a PCIe expansion slot to a server motherboard and that worked. Don't take my word for it though, it's been awhile since I read about it.

Is it worth it though? Absolutely not. But it might make for an interesting project if you have the skills.


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## dorsetknob (Aug 10, 2017)

I have a foxcon P55A ATX Board (1156 CPU)  That has the Placeholder on the motherboard for an IDE interface ( never fitted )
Bios on that board shows the interface but greyed out
So in that Respect i suppose its possible to retrofit the IDE interface ( foxcon site has Bios for the Board  Variant with IDE)
But its not worth Potentially wreaking a working Board

One Day if i am Boored and Drunk/stupid enough i might attempt it

Ps if someone gives me an Working 1156 MATX Board
Then i have nothing to lose trying the mod out apart from a few grams of solder


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## DRDNA (Aug 10, 2017)

You may have some options to help in a different way for a lack of memory, one thing you can do is add a small SSD drive like say a 32GB or 64GB SSD and then set that up as a Page File only drive and then increase the page file size to match the SSD drive. I think I have seen a PCI-e slot Ram card before in our R&D department but can't comment on how they do. Oh yeah it was not a PCI-e Ram card it was a PCIe DRAM SSD, sorry about that.

What motherboard do you have anyway?


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## jboydgolfer (Aug 10, 2017)




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## qubit (Aug 10, 2017)

Frick said:


> IIRC there was a dude that soldered a PCIe expansion slot to a server motherboard and that worked.


Something tells me that it would be fused off somewhere on a modern mobo, all done in the name of fun and profit.


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## DRDNA (Aug 10, 2017)

jboydgolfer said:


>


Thats a memory slot extension right? NICE! Wonder how the performance is on it.


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## jboydgolfer (Aug 10, 2017)

DRDNA said:


> Thats a memory slot extension right? NICE! Wonder how the performance is on it.



 It would all be dependent on the cpu/MoBo.  Certainly not an elegant solution ,but a solution nonetheless. . It does make you wonder though ,  how much would it take to saturate a dimm slot 

 If I recall correctly they have one that plugs into the PCi-E lanes too. Apples been doing this for years ,that's how they've always installed there ram with some kind of offset card slot system, but extending for the op's purpose is different


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## DRDNA (Aug 10, 2017)

jboydgolfer said:


> It would all be dependent on the cpu/MoBo.  Certainly not an elegant solution ,but a solution nonetheless. . It does make you wonder though ,  how much would it take to saturate a dimm slot
> 
> If I recall correctly they have one that plugs into the PCi-E lanes too. Apples been doing this for years ,that's how they've always installed there ram with some kind of offset card slot system, but extending for the op's purpose is different


Right on, I could have sworn I saw a PCIe one in our R&D but it was a bit ago and my old memory (pun) needs a upgrade.


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## dorsetknob (Aug 10, 2017)

Found this and it may be of interest to the OP and others

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19659527









jboydgolfer said:


> If I recall correctly they have one that plugs into the PCi-E lanes too.



Are you sure your not confusing your brain with PCI  Ram disk Cards ??


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