ASUS F8 Series F8SV-A1

I have a question about the ASUS F8 Series F8SV-A1

Specs:

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz
Screen: 14" WXGA
Memory Size: 1GB+TM1GB
Hard Disk: 160GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Video Memory: 256MB

So, this is really a good notebook for only $950,- but im only willing him to buy if i can upgrade the Memory? But i dont know if it can, does anybody knows it?

Thanks alot...

 

Short version: I am 99% sure you can upgrade the memory.

Long version: I am 99% sure you can upgrade the memory because it was possible in all laptops I've seen (quite a lot by now). Most (if not all) laptops have two RAM slots. However, many laptops nowadays have a weird configuration: one of the slots is easily available from the bottom side of the laptop (similar to where the hard disk drive is usually located), but the other one is under the keyboard and only accessible if you remove the keyboard first. Typically, this is easy to do if you know what you are doing. Some brands, such as HP, even provide in their website videos of how to do that kind of maintenance.

I think ASUS does not provide that kind of information (except possibly on the owner's manual, but to have that you'd have to buy it), but you can ask here in these forums how to do that. I'm sure some owner of a similar laptop can help you.

 

I am also looking at this laptop but would want to upgrade the memory. Can someone send me a link who has one of what would work well? Can I just add a 2 gig stick to make it 3 gigs or must it match?

 

They don't need to match. However, memory in recent laptops uses Dual Channel technology which significantly speeds up your memory if your two RAM modules are of the same size. That's why recently many computer stores sell RAM in pairs of modules.

As for the link request: I didn't understand the sentence "a link who has one of what would work well" (though it has four W-words in sequence, that's a nice touch ). Please rephrase your request.

 

I was about to get this very same laptop, but the 14" screen is too small.

There should be no reason you couldn't just add another 1 or 2GB of memory. From the description it sounds like it has 1GB of RAM plus that Intel Turbo memory which doesn't occupy a regular memory slot.

 

14 inch sounds good to me, 1280x1024 is enough, but also i would prefer 15,4

But i can upgrade it to 3 gig if there is one memory slot over?

 

Not in the laptop world... all the opinions I've seen seem to concur there is almost no real-life benefit to dual-channel in laptops.

As to memory, yes, it can be upgraded w/o problems. All ASUS laptops can; some are limited by soldered memory on-board but the F8 isn't one of them AFAIK.

 

You unscrew the panel on the bottom of the laptop that has the RAM picture.

Then just put in your ram. It's right there, easily accessible. And Asus has 2 slots, only 1 is filled, so buy a 2gig stick and you'll have 3 gigs of ram.

All of this information is also in the instruction manual. As well as info and pictures on how to replace the harddrive.

 

wuaah 950$ i almost bought exactly the same laptop a week ago for 1300$ :| gues i hold out a little longer till about june/july since i will only really need the laptop in september if it keeps dropping like this i get ait for free

btw newegg also sell the F8 with a HD3650 for 999$

 

I have an F8SV-B1, love it, I also upgraded it to 3 gig. I'm sure it's possible with the A1 as well.

 

I would have agreed as my F8sn-B1 is easily upgraded to 4gb. But I just looked at the F8Sv-A1's specs at Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220192

And they say "Memory Size = 1GB+TM1GB". I never have quite understood "turbo memory" & what it entails.

edit...I just noticed the post about the B1 model. Can't believe there'd be any difference.

 

The only place where the TM can cause problems is by taking up address space in 32-bit OS. I hope the TM can be disabled, though, and then the problem should be gone.

RAM is always better than TM.