Those are really good questions, an easy way to asertain the information you require is to locate your chipset information. The chipset on the motherboard determines a lot of things, one of those things being the amout of RAM that you can install and utilize. There is also a helpful program called CPU-Z which will give you a lot of useful information. But, if you are feeling brave, you can attempt to remove the bottom cover and locate the RAM yourself. Just by looking you should be able determine if it is soldered or not.