Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumLaptop Hardware Components and Upgrades

A field technician is dispatched to a remote office to upgrade the system memory on several corporate laptops. The procurement department provided 32 GB DDR4-3200 unbuffered 288-pin module kits. When attempting to install the memory, the technician discovers that the modules are physically too long to fit into the memory slots on the laptop motherboard. Which of the following explains why these memory modules cannot be installed?

  1. The procurement department ordered standard desktop 288-pin DIMM modules instead of 260-pin SO-DIMM modules engineered for laptops.Answer
  2. B
    The motherboard requires an internal display inverter board installation to adapt standard memory modules to lower system voltage levels.
  3. C
    The memory slots require USB Type-C expansion interface cards because modern mobile systems rely exclusively on bus-powered external RAM.
  4. D
    The laptop battery must perform a full deep-discharge calibration cycle to mechanically unlock the motherboard memory retention latches.

Answer

The procurement department ordered standard desktop 288-pin DIMM modules instead of 260-pin SO-DIMM modules engineered for laptops.
Laptops utilize Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Modules (SO-DIMMs) rather than full-sized DIMMs due to space limitations inside the mobile chassis. DDR4 desktop DIMMs have 288 pins and measure approximately 133.35 mm in length, whereas DDR4 SO-DIMMs have 260 pins and measure approximately 69.6 mm in length. Ordering standard DIMMs results in a physical mismatch.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical form factor difference between desktop memory and laptop memory.
Standard desktop memory uses full-length DIMM modules (such as 288-pin DDR4 DIMMs), whereas laptops use Small Outline DIMMs (SO-DIMMs, such as 260-pin DDR4 SO-DIMMs).
Laptops have tight chassis space requirements that necessitate smaller physical components.
2
Compare the provided parts against laptop motherboard socket specifications.
The procured 288-pin DIMMs are significantly longer than the laptop's SO-DIMM slots and cannot fit physically.
Keying notches and overall module length prevent inserting desktop DIMMs into SO-DIMM slots.
3
Determine the necessary course of action for the technician.
Exchange the standard 288-pin DIMMs for compatible DDR4 SO-DIMMs.
Only SO-DIMMs match the mechanical form factor and electrical pin configuration of the laptop motherboard.

Key Concept

Laptop Memory Form Factor (SO-DIMM vs DIMM)
Rate this question

Topics

Laptop Hardware Components and Upgrades

More questions from this topic