Buying guides

What to check before you buy, written for the trade: repair shops, resellers and exporters buying from Bolton Computers.

• 27 Oct 2026DDR4 versus DDR5 laptop memory: what fits whatWhich ex-business laptops take DDR4 and which take DDR5, how to read the module label, and the soldered and single-slot traps to check before you order memory.Read the guide
• 30 Oct 2026SODIMM versus DIMM: telling laptop and desktop RAM apartTell laptop SODIMMs from desktop DIMMs by length, pins and label codes, learn which small desktops take laptop memory, and why server memory will not fit a PC.Read the guide
• 2 Nov 2026Upgrading ex-business laptops: where RAM and SSDs pay backWhere memory and SSD upgrades lift the resale price of ex-business laptops, where they do not, and the slot checks to make before you buy a single part.Read the guide
• 3 Nov 2026Testing memory before you resell a machineHow to check and test RAM before a refurbished laptop or desktop is resold: first checks, built-in diagnostics, a full MemTest86 pass and finding the fault.Read the guide