Laptop Question.

Tyran333 · 07-30-2010, 10:07 AM

So i've got my laptop, and it supports up to 4GB (a drawback to saving money. hah. I know the bigger ones support up to 8GB or some such.) ... right now it's got 3GB in it. I can easily pop out the 1GB and replace with a 2GB but the question is, will I really see any improvement? Everything I use the laptop for works fine. all my games play, even WoW @ 30-40FPS, and web browsing and email obviously aren't memory intensive.

it'd cost $50 (give or take a sale somewhere) to upgrade the 1GB to a 2GB, but i've just been wondering, as noted, if there's even really a point to it.

thoughts? opinions? is 1 extra GB of Ram really worth it?

Adonis · 07-30-2010, 10:30 AM

Short answer: It depends

Not so short: It depends what you're doing.

Technical: Where's the bottleneck in the system? HD Access? GFX processor? Are you multi-tasking to the point where it might make a difference?

I went from 4GB -> 8GB and I didn't notice a difference. Of course, that would require more 64bit applications to really take advantage of that, but there should have at least been a linear increase.

Arantor · 07-30-2010, 01:09 PM

If you only have 1GB, going to 2GB is an advantage, because with modern OS and apps, 1GB is going to constrain you, even on a fresh XP install with efficient apps, it's going to bite.

If you're already on 3GB, going to 4GB probably isn't going to make *that* much difference, unless RAM is your constricting point as noted above.

But you'd probably notice by now if RAM was your constricting point; you'd regularly be seeing your hard disk thrash.

Tyran333 · 07-30-2010, 01:15 PM

if there were a bottleneck, i'd have to say it's the video card, which can't be replaced. (laughs) Honestly, for what I use it for, the laptop meets all my needs and then some. I haven't tried "newer" games (i probably wouldn't meet the qualifications.) but all my favorite games play just fine, some of them better than they ever played before.

It was more a curiosity thing. the only other thing is that it only (haha, only.) comes with a 160GB HD, of which i've only got 80GB free. But at some point in the vague future, i intend to get an external portable drive to compensate. Just somewhere to hold pictures, videos, documents, music, etc.

Adonis · 07-30-2010, 01:37 PM

Swapping out RAM and HDs are pretty easy for a lappy.

You can also get kits that 'convert' (hold mostly) an internal HD to an external. Might want to have the 160 do that and get a larger one installed.

Just a thought.

Eldorian · 07-31-2010, 02:04 PM

Waste of $50 to go from 3 to 4 IMO

07-30-2010, 10:07 AM	#1
Tyran333 Elite Cheese Royale Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,192	Laptop Question. So i've got my laptop, and it supports up to 4GB (a drawback to saving money. hah. I know the bigger ones support up to 8GB or some such.) ... right now it's got 3GB in it. I can easily pop out the 1GB and replace with a 2GB but the question is, will I really see any improvement? Everything I use the laptop for works fine. all my games play, even WoW @ 30-40FPS, and web browsing and email obviously aren't memory intensive. it'd cost $50 (give or take a sale somewhere) to upgrade the 1GB to a 2GB, but i've just been wondering, as noted, if there's even really a point to it. thoughts? opinions? is 1 extra GB of Ram really worth it? __________________ Life with BiPolar Depression: http://dreadmime.livejournal.com it's fun to read!

07-30-2010, 10:30 AM	#2
Adonis Elite Photochopper Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 3,036	Short answer: It depends Not so short: It depends what you're doing. Technical: Where's the bottleneck in the system? HD Access? GFX processor? Are you multi-tasking to the point where it might make a difference? I went from 4GB -> 8GB and I didn't notice a difference. Of course, that would require more 64bit applications to really take advantage of that, but there should have at least been a linear increase. __________________

07-30-2010, 01:09 PM	#3
Arantor Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,002	If you only have 1GB, going to 2GB is an advantage, because with modern OS and apps, 1GB is going to constrain you, even on a fresh XP install with efficient apps, it's going to bite. If you're already on 3GB, going to 4GB probably isn't going to make that much difference, unless RAM is your constricting point as noted above. But you'd probably notice by now if RAM was your constricting point; you'd regularly be seeing your hard disk thrash. __________________

07-30-2010, 01:15 PM	#4
Tyran333 Elite Cheese Royale Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,192	if there were a bottleneck, i'd have to say it's the video card, which can't be replaced. (laughs) Honestly, for what I use it for, the laptop meets all my needs and then some. I haven't tried "newer" games (i probably wouldn't meet the qualifications.) but all my favorite games play just fine, some of them better than they ever played before. It was more a curiosity thing. the only other thing is that it only (haha, only.) comes with a 160GB HD, of which i've only got 80GB free. But at some point in the vague future, i intend to get an external portable drive to compensate. Just somewhere to hold pictures, videos, documents, music, etc. __________________ Life with BiPolar Depression: http://dreadmime.livejournal.com it's fun to read!

07-30-2010, 01:37 PM	#5
Adonis Elite Photochopper Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 3,036	Swapping out RAM and HDs are pretty easy for a lappy. You can also get kits that 'convert' (hold mostly) an internal HD to an external. Might want to have the 160 do that and get a larger one installed. Just a thought. __________________

07-31-2010, 02:04 PM	#6
Eldorian Elite Inky Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,255	Waste of $50 to go from 3 to 4 IMO