Guides

The concepts behind our compatibility answers — RAM and storage standards, USB-C/ Thunderbolt/USB4, charging, and docking, explained without vendor bias.

• How to Identify Your Exact Laptop Model

  How to find your laptop's exact model name, model number and configuration before checking compatibility.

• How to Know if Your Laptop's RAM Is Upgradeable

  How to tell whether a laptop's memory is soldered, partially upgradeable, or fully user-accessible before buying RAM.

• DDR4 vs. DDR5 Laptop RAM

  The practical differences between DDR4 and DDR5 laptop memory, and why they aren't interchangeable.

• SO-DIMM vs. Soldered RAM

  How SO-DIMM memory modules differ from soldered (onboard) memory, and what that means for upgrades and repairs.

• How to Choose an M.2 SSD for a Laptop

  What to check — connector, form factor, interface and PCIe generation — before buying a laptop M.2 SSD.

• M.2 SATA vs. NVMe

  The performance and compatibility differences between M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe SSDs.

• PCIe 3.0 vs. 4.0 SSD Compatibility

  Whether a PCIe 4.0 SSD works in a PCIe 3.0 laptop slot, and what changes when it does.

• Does USB-C Support Monitors?

  Why some USB-C ports drive an external monitor and others don't, even on the same laptop.

• What Is DisplayPort Alt Mode?

  How DisplayPort Alt Mode lets a USB-C port carry native video signal, and how it relates to adapters and docks.

• USB-C vs. Thunderbolt vs. USB4

  How the USB-C connector relates to the Thunderbolt and USB4 protocols, and why they aren't the same thing.

• How Much Wattage Does My Laptop Charger Need?

  How to determine the minimum and recommended charger wattage for a laptop, and why higher isn't always required.

• Can I Use a Higher-Watt USB-C Charger?

  Whether it's safe to charge a laptop with a USB-C charger rated higher than the laptop's own adapter.

• How to Choose a Laptop Docking Station

  What to check on your laptop before buying a dock — upstream protocol, display support and driver dependency.

• How Many Monitors Can My Laptop Support?

  What determines how many external monitors a laptop can drive simultaneously, and where to find that limit.

• Why a USB-C Dock Works for Data but Not Video

  Why some USB-C docks provide working USB/Ethernet but fail to output video on certain laptops.