How to install RAM on a Lenovo ThinkCentre All-In-One PC

Hello Indiana PC Repair customers, and welcome to my first blog.

This week I was reminded that we can all use a little help sometimes, even computer help desk support technicians. We sold a customer a Lenovo ThinkCentre A70. This All-In-One is a great, space-saving machine perfect for everyday computing. They do come a little light on RAM out of the box for running Windows 7. Since upgrading a PC’s RAM is both a practical and affordable performance improvement, it was an easy decision for the customer to decide on the memory upgrade. Upon trying to open the computer case, I encountered some difficulty. Being unable to find any Support articles online, I decided to document the RAM installation process from start to finish. You will need the proper RAM and a few simple tools to complete this job.

Unplug the machine. Be sure to ground yourself (removing any static electricity), by touching something that is metal and grounded, such as a pipe. This is a crucial step in PC Support and Repair, as it protects against accidental damage to your components.
Gently lay the computer on its face, screen side down.
Find the two case screws, each located in the lower corners of the case. Loosen these two screws. They are bracketed however, and do not come entirely out.
Next locate four small black rubber plugs. They should be arranged in a square, near the leg’s hinge. Using your fingernails or a paperclip, gently pull the plugs out of the case and set them aside.
Underneath each of the four plugs should be a screw. Remove these screws, and set them aside near the rubber plugs.
To remove the Leg assembly, rotate the bottom end of the leg up. The square black plastic piece should rotate with it, and can then be removed from the back of the computer. Set it aside for now.
With the leg stand gone, the back plate of the PC must now be removed. The case is held together by a series of small clips. Using a straight screwdriver, gently pry the case apart. Start near the corner screws on both sides, slowly working your way towards the middle. Eventually you should hear a series of ‘pop’ noises and the back of the case may be removed.
You should now be seeing something similar to this. Locate the RAM slot, it should on the left of the machine, towards the center.
If you have to remove the old RAM to install your new memory, this must be done first. This happens if you have two new sticks to go in, remove the old one by pushing down on its white tabs and pulling the RAM stick out.
We are just adding an additional stick, so we’ll install that one. First, locate the inset in the stick of RAM, and match it to the one on the motherboard’s slot. Open the white tabs on each end.
Put the RAM into the second memory slot, using the inset to help ensure accurate placement.
Push down firmly on both ends of the RAM stick, being careful not to let it turn sideways or go in crooked. When the RAM is in far enough, the white clips on each end should pop up helping to hold it securely in place. Check that the fit is snug.
Now that the RAM is installed, the computer must be put back together. Place the main black plastic panel back onto the rear of the machine, and press gently along the edges to begin snapping the back into place.
Tighten down the two screws located in the corner of the machine. You may hear several small pops as the case moves into alignment.
Press firmly along the edges of the case, to ensure a proper seal. This will help to keep unnecessary dust out of the computer.
Then we need to reattach the legs. Line the two small black plastic tabs on the top of the leg assembly up with the two small notches on the back of the computer. Slide these tabs in, and rotate the piece down like a hinge.
Replace the four screws that hold the leg assembly, and screw them in loosely. Check to make sure all four are seated properly, and then tighten down firmly.
Finally, replace the four black rubber plugs, to cover the screws that were just installed.

**Now that the RAM is physically installed, we’ll set up your computer to properly utilize it. If you end up needing Computer Help Desk services however, we are always happy to provide you with any IT services you might require.
After reconnecting all of the essential cables, like mouse, keyboard, and power turn the computer on. You may see a black screen with some text on it that you aren’t used to seeing, but that’s just the computer recognizing the new RAM.
Once Windows has started, click on the Start button in the bottom left of your screen. Then right-click on Computer, and click Properties.
In the window that comes up, click Advanced System Settings in the upper left panel. This will bring up the Advanced tab of the System Properties window. Under ‘Performance’ click Settings, and on this new window click Advanced at the top of this dialog box.
On the ‘Performance Options’ box, select Change to adjust what’s called your “paging file.” This file must be adjusted whenever RAM is installed. First, uncheck the Automatically Manage box. Then, make sure the Custom Size radio button is selected.
To set your paging file to the proper size, a small bit of easy math must be performed. Take the number of Mb’s (or megabytes of memory ) that the RAM now totals, let’s say for example 2048 (for 2 Gigs) of memory. You take this number, and multiply it by 1.5, so roughly 3000Mb. This is the “Initial Size” we’ll set. Add an extra 200 on, so in our example 3200Mb for the “Maximum Size” and hit Ok to accept the value.
Click Ok on the next screen to apply the changes we’ve just made. Click the red ‘X’ in the corner to close the open windows. Your computer should ask you to restart, and do so.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully installed your RAM. Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor… likely a noticeably faster computer!

Should you decide that your machine is in need of a boost, come by our Mooresville, Indiana facility and let one of our qualified IT Support Technicians help you enjoy your PC even more.

If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts: