G.SKILL F3-8500CL7D-8GBSQ 2x4GB Laptop DDR3 RAM Review

It's actually a lot of fun to own a Lenovo Thinkpad. Besides the impeccable build quality, unsurpassed reliability, a keyboard feel that's not repeated in any other brands, and not to mention its incredible battery life -- there's always those questions from friends and strangers alike that command a level of hilarity. "What Pentium do you have?" is actually a question that I've been asked many times in the past year or so, referring to my T400. "Pentium II", I would reply jokingly, poking fun at those who completely missed my Centrino 2 vPro sticker on the left palm rest, and my screen showing an operating system interface no other than the one of Windows Vista (Or Windows 7 later on). But I don't blame them. Thinkpads have retained the same basic design since the 1990s; but it is the progressive refinement, subtle beauty, pride, and tradition that brings the brand loyalists together. Plus, I am a big fan of building the ultimate 'sleeper' device in places where I can be seen with them, whether it be cars or computers. Additionally, I can assure you Macbook Pros are stolen quite a bit around here at the university. Thinkpads? Less of a chance, to say the least! To be honest, there aren't a lot of components that are upgradeable in a laptop. But of those parts that can be upgraded, RAM is probably by far the most popular, thanks to its ease of implementation and important role in computer performance. Currently, the largest amount of RAM you can possibly fit in a typical laptop is 2x4GB, for an 8GB total. That's a truckload of memory -- unfortunately it could cost upwards of $700 USD retail for DDR3 SODIMMs at press time. That said, there's one company that has it affordable. G.SKILL's F3-8500CL7D-8GBSQ 2x4GB costs a hair under $400 for DDR3 with 7-7-7-20 timings at press time, and while we are at it, G.SKILL is a reputable, quality manufacturer to performance enthusiasts. So whether you are looking to enlarge your e-peen today (Raises hand), or requires a big boost in system memory on your laptop (That too), we have this review here for you today!