3 Things to Know About Laptops With Soldered RAM

You cannot add external RAM via USB or Thunderbolt System memory must be connected directly to the motherboard. Plugging RAM into a port won’t work—soldered 8GB stays 8GB.

Virtual memory or swap is not a replacement for physical RAM Using your SSD as overflow storage is much slower than actual RAM. It’s a crutch, not a solution.

If you need more than 8GB, avoid laptops with soldered memory Buy a laptop with upgradeable RAM slots instead. Soldered RAM locks you into whatever capacity you bought, so be sure it’s enough for your needs.