AIBU to upgrade the RAM on my work laptop without permission?

[HomeMuffin]

Hi

I've just started a new role and have been given a notebook to use that is slow (4GB ram). I am used to using a very very fast laptop and I'm struggling with the slow one I have been given.

I have asked IT if they can upgrade it for me and I've been told they can't. AIBU to upgrade the RAM myself without asking anyone's permission?

(I don't mind paying for it. I'm so fed up of how slow it. I haven't asked my line manager but I suspect he will say everyone has the same and is managing fine, why aren't you? The company is huge (public sector) and doesn't seem to realize that slow or sluggish laptops massively reduce productivity!)

Can you do it without admin access? Our work laptops are locked down so we can't install anything.

You could try but do you need administrator privileges? It is explicitly against our company’s it policy to amend hardware or software without the IT help desk doing it so it would be a disciplinary in our firm if ever discovered.

@JuniperBeer gosh didn't think of the disciplinary thing ...

@Girlsnightin I think the RAM just automatically installs as far as I am aware. But good point, it's worth checking before purchasing anything

This couldn't happen on our IT hardware, it must go through our IT manager, it would def be disciplinary if someone went around our policies as it affects our security & control.

Unless you're working with some unusual programs, it's highly unlikely adding more ram will make a big difference anyway.

4GB should be enough RAM for general usage and adding more isn't going to do anything surely?

Better off with an SSD or better processor...

What software are you using that needs more than 4GB RAM? More likely to be suboptimal CPUs and there's a chance that they have the laptops on a contract that doesn't allow them to change hardware themselves without breaching the terms.

What operating system are you using? And is it 32bit or 64bit?

Can you access BIOS?

You can't just press a button and upgrade RAM.

Are you a tech engineer?

You don't know what you're doing. Leave it alone.

I'd just do it - and have done in the past. DP has too.

Even if (as is usual these days) the laptop is locked down, that doesn't matter for this specific upgrade. There might possible be a bootup message about "RAM size has changed - press F1 to continue" and that'll be it. It'll just work.

What's with everyone assuming you don't have the skills to do it? It's easy stuff. Buy the right stuff from Crucial (they have a lifetime warranty and "if it doesn't work in yours we'll swap/take it back" policy). Couple of unscrews, open a panel or pop out the keyboard, maybe take out the old RAM and put in the new.

That said, it might be shit slow because your IT dept have no idea how to run a fast Windows setup, and have six layers of terrible antivirus and group management software running on it. And Adobe Reader. Or they're using laptops with hard drives not SSDs.

You can swap a hard drive out for an SSD... they're suddenly cheap now too. It's a lot more involved than a RAM upgrade, since you have to clone the old to the new. If the old is encrypted it may not be possible at all.

Are you a tech engineer?

@YouTheCat
LOL! It's literally inserting a piece of plastic into a slot. How much engineering know how do you think is involved?!

@YouTheCat I've just spat my tea out - thank you!

There's no button pressing - a screwdriver and a new RAM card, yes, but no more than that!

TeeHee!

PS - I'm LOVING how many women are jumping on a tech question! Where are you all hiding?! We need a women in tech group on here @MNHQ ! X

Definitely no SSD. I can easily change the RAM myself but wouldn't even consider SSD.

It is on Windows 10 and I think on 32 bit. It's sluggish and i can really feel the difference after I've used my own very fast one.

I'm also inclined to wonder if it's really the RAM slowing you down. Haven't worked on a windows machine in a long time, but there used to be a utility you could run that showed you memory usage - might be worth checking before you shell out cash.

Putting in new RAM is an easy enough tweak that only a very sophisticated and on the ball IT department would be likely to notice. But if you did get caught I think there's a risk altering company hardware could be considered a reason to end your employment. How big a deal is security to your employer?

You can but I would advise against it. Where I work (not public sector) our PCs routinely send audit information to a central server for auditing purposes. This includes the hardware configuration, software licensing, logs etc.

My company takes a dim view if unapproved changes occur.

Looks like it's not worth taking the risk sadly .

If it's anything like my laptop, it's the crappy mechanical hard drive always being at 100% if a program so much as looks at it anyway. But I'd say 4 GB of RAM is miserly nowadays and if a PC's miserly on RAM chances are it's poor on other specs too.

I agree that a big company is likely to take a dim view of you tinkering with the hardware.

PS. I'm not sure how much good it will actually do, but can you get a fast USB stick and enable ReadyBoost on it? Worth a try at least. But no good if the computer settings or the IT policy disallow USB sticks.

For Windows 10 if you are running 32 bit you cannot run more than 4GB RAM so would need to upgrade to a 64 bit system also. Probably not worth it from your employers perspective anyway

Yes, being 32bit Windows kills the prospect. Oh well. Sorry OP!