This page was updated the 21st of May 2007.
I have a Compaq Evo N800v at work. I find this a great computer, and it is perhaps the only computer I have used where Windows XP feels fast and responsive. The computer is totally stable, battery time is good, the display is excellent and I hope I can use this computer as long as possible since any new computer is bound to be less good.
Now, with 512 MB RAM (2×256 MB), the system was forced to swap more and more, and thus the responsiveness was not like it used to be. I definately needed more RAM.
Checking the specifications (e.g. the Compaq Evo Notebook QuickSpecs), I could see that 2×512 MB with 1024 MB total was maximum for my system. But some sites—although not the HP site—indicated that two 1024 MB modules could be used at a total maximum of 2048 MB RAM. As I have had computers where the system would accept larger modules than stated in the specifications before (as those larger ones were not available when the specifications were written), I thought I might call HP to get the real first hand information.
The guy at HP technical support did not know more than what was in the specifications (max 1024 MB), but said that he "thought it might be worth a try". Thank you for your informative technical advice... Anyway, I put in a 1 GB module, and it worked excellent.
On my system, which BTW has the latest or perhaps latest but one BIOS update, using a 1 GB module works excellent. I have not yet tried with 2×1 GB modules to test the maximum, but I guess that would work too. Right now I have one 1 GB and one of my old 256 MB ones installed. It was a better performance boost that I had imagined—and I had excpected quite a lot from it!
Yes, I can use 1 GB RAM modules in my Compaq Evo N800v notebook!