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Upgrading Current Laptop

  • 04-12-2012 1:29am
    #1
    jive
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,762 ✭✭✭


    Basically, with the jolly fat man coming soon I've decided to upgrade my laptop hardware. I have a Toshiba Satellite P300-19P and have been using it for the last 4 and a half years pretty much non-stop. I replaced the battery last month (and this is the only upgrade I have performed) and am now considering replacing my current HDD with an SSD.

    Detailed specs of the laptop can be found here - http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/jsp/SUPPORTSECTION/discontinuedProductPage.do?service=UK&PRODUCT_ID=1055914

    To summarise:
    Intel Core 2 Duo CPU P8400 @ 2.26 GHz
    4.00gb RAM DDR2
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit
    HDD 320gb? I only use 150gb and the other 150gb is recovery
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series, 256mb

    I have a 1TB external HDD so the size of an SSD isn't really an issue. Anything ~150gb would suffice.

    I mainly use my laptop for internet, word documents, presentations, photoshop and football manager. I don't feel the need to buy a new laptop to do these things. I don't even think that an upgrade is essential but I wouldn't mind getting better performance for a small fee.

    I'm wondering is it worth upgrading the RAM and changing the HDD to an SSD? Tbh, I used to have an interest in desktops and hardware but my knowledge of laptops and upgrading them is lacking. As far as I know upgrading the RAM and SSD are the best ways to get increased performance, would I be right in saying that? Any advice is much appreciated. I think upgrading the RAM will make Football Manager quicker whilst the SSD will reduce launch times of OS and documents etc.

    Thanks in advance.


Comments

  • #2
    freestyla
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    SSD makes sense of course, for example 240Gb reliable and fast for €140 ?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/OCZ-AGT3-25SAT3-240G-Agility-240GB-SATA/dp/B004Z0S6S4/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1354624813&sr=1-1

    Upgrading DDR2 RAM is hard call - do you have 1 free slot there? in that case could go for another 4Gb stick but I wouldn't invest into 2x4Gb.


  • #3
    jive
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,762 ✭✭✭jive


    freestyla wrote: »
    Upgrading DDR2 RAM is hard call - do you have 1 free slot there? in that case could go for another 4Gb stick but I wouldn't invest into 2x4Gb.

    Yeah I think I'll definitely get an SSD - I can always use that in future anyway. Thanks.

    With regards to the RAM there are 2 slots currently with 2x2Gb. Would the increase in performance not be worth investing in 2x4Gb in your opinion? I'm not sure how much RAM has improved over the years, admittedly I just checked the prices for laptop RAM and it is pretty pricey for laptops (I assumed they'd be close to desktop prices which I was somewhat aware of, but they're certainly not!). Having checked the prices I'd be more inclined to save my money tbh but if there would be a noticeable increase in performance I would consider it - I'm not sure if there would be or not though? At least not for what I'm using the laptop for.


  • #4
    freestyla
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭freestyla


    jive wrote: »
    Yeah I think I'll definitely get an SSD - I can always use that in future anyway. Thanks.

    With regards to the RAM there are 2 slots currently with 2x2Gb. Would the increase in performance not be worth investing in 2x4Gb in your opinion? I'm not sure how much RAM has improved over the years, admittedly I just checked the prices for laptop RAM and it is pretty pricey for laptops (I assumed they'd be close to desktop prices which I was somewhat aware of, but they're certainly not!). Having checked the prices I'd be more inclined to save my money tbh but if there would be a noticeable increase in performance I would consider it - I'm not sure if there would be or not though? At least not for what I'm using the laptop for.

    What comes to performance, you already 2 modules so you are using optimum dual-channel setup. The only performance increase you would get is amount of RAM (8gb vs 4gb) which is good in case of doing heavy multimedia editing on a daily basis. Which you not doing right?

    Of course some little performance increase could come also.. if you got 667MHz now and you buy 800Mhz but that's negligible really.

    Maybe €30-40 for 1x4gb is still OK to invest but €70-80 for 2x4Gb is not worth it.

    It's normal that old technology becomes more expensive than new version of the same after being on market for years and demand is decreased.
    That's why you pay premium for DDR and DDR2 over DDR3.


  • #5
    jive
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,762 ✭✭✭jive


    freestyla wrote: »
    The only performance increase you would get is amount of RAM (8gb vs 4gb) which is good in case of doing heavy multimedia editing on a daily basis. Which you not doing right?

    No I don't do any 3D stuff or the likes, just simple things like editing photographs or creating logos for projects. I think I will just upgrade to SSD as it seems a bit pointless spending that amount of cash on upgrading the RAM, I was thinking of getting 2x4Gb until I saw the prices. Thanks again.


  • #6
    Freddy Smelly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 980 ✭✭✭Freddy Smelly


    why 150gb for recovery partition? you dont need that much. 15gb would more than suffice. seems a waste of space really


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  • #7
    jive
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,762 ✭✭✭jive


    Freddy Smelly wrote: »
    why 150gb for recovery partition? you dont need that much. 15gb would more than suffice. seems a waste of space really

    It is a waste of space, I don't need it though so I'm not too bothered changing it tbh


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