How we check
Every answer on this site comes from hardware reports of real machines, 79,192 of them, covering 5,575 laptops and 1,066 desktops. Nobody guesses a number. When the reports disagree, the page says so.
Where the facts come from
The Linux Hardware Database collects hardware probes that people upload from their own computers. A probe includes the table the firmware keeps about the machine: each memory slot, empty or filled, with the size, type, speed and shape of the stick in it, plus the battery's design capacity. We read the public collection of these tables (linuxhw/DMI, licensed CC BY 4.0) and only publish a model once at least three different machines have reported it.
How a memory answer is made
For each report we note how many slots the machine has, whether some memory is soldered to the board, the stick size (laptop-size SO-DIMM or full-size DIMM) and the memory type. Reports that match on all four count toward the same layout.
- A yes or no needs agreement. A page gives a firm answer only when at least 60% of the reports for that model show the same layout. Below that, it says the answer depends on the configuration.
- Two cases, two answers. Some desktops were sold as a tower and as a micro case under one name. When at least 20% of reports show the other stick size, the page shows both, with a switch.
- Most memory seen working is the largest total installed in at least two machines. A bigger total seen in one machine is mentioned on its own.
- Laptops take laptop-size sticks. Laptop firmware often labels its SO-DIMM sticks as DIMM, the desktop size, so on laptops we count both as SO-DIMM.
- Listed sockets aren't always real. Many laptops list four memory sockets and have two. When a laptop lists three or more but no machine in the reports has more than two sticks in it, the page says "at least 2". Workstations that hide two slots under the keyboard can fall in this group too, which is why it says "at least".
- Same memory in every machine. Some laptops report soldered memory as a stick in a slot. When six or more machines of a laptop model all have exactly the same total, nobody has ever changed it, so the page asks you to check before you buy instead of suggesting a stick.
- The firmware's maximum is shown, labelled as the firmware's claim. It is often wrong: a Dell Latitude 5420 reports a 128 GB maximum, while the most any reported machine runs is 64 GB.
How a battery answer is made
We take the design capacity each battery reports, in watt-hours. Capacities within 2 Wh of each other count as one, and a capacity is listed when at least 15% of the readings show it. A model gets a battery answer only when at least 40% of its reports include a reading. Laptops that run on two batteries at once are left out for now, because the reports don't say which battery is which.
| Rule | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Reports before a model is published | 3 or more |
| Agreement for a firm memory answer | 60% of reports |
| Second case on a desktop | 20% of reports |
| "Most seen working" | seen in 2 or more machines |
| Battery capacity listed | 15% of readings, 40% of reports carry one |
What we leave out, for now
- SSDs, chargers, drive bays and power supplies. The reports don't describe these reliably enough, so they wait for a separate source.
- Apple Macs. Their reports misstate memory. A 2014 Mac mini reports memory slots, but its memory is soldered.
- Home-built PCs. These come later, looked up by motherboard.
Before you buy
Check the model name and type code on the label of your machine first. Laptops that share a name can differ between type codes, and the page tells you which code it covers. The buttons open an Amazon search for the exact type, speed and stick size. We don't show prices, because they change by the hour.
Data last rebuilt 9 Nov 2026.