Upgrades for W3V?

Does anyone know where I can buy Asus W3V memory, hard drives, etc?
I'm a UK buyer!

Also, do you know how to get insurance after fitting the mods yourself?

 

You don't have to buy "Asus W3....stuff" .

You need ANY DDR2 533mhz so-dimms.......

You need ANY size or speed 2.5" pata notebook hard drive

The only dedicated W3 accessories would be 2nd hard drive kits, 2nd batteries for the optical bay, extra main batteries, extra power supplies....

Insurance like you'd be looking for is really only going to be handled through your home owners insurance or something like that......... it's the best and cheapest way to insure something like a computer.

 

Thank you for your response.

So you mean that I could even buy like a Pentium M 2.0Ghz and fit it?

i) Are you saying the best way is to get a standard W3V with minmum specs then upgrade yourself?

ii) Where can you buy these parts? (UK buyer)

iii) Would home insurance cover theft, accidental damage or new parts/new replacement?

 

For question iii), it all depends on what the insurance policy that you bought covers. Talk to your insurance agent.

 

1.... you can buy a 2.26 and it'll fit... they're all the same socket.

2... I don't know... you could buy them from us if you wanted, but I don't really know many UK stores, but you're looking for cpus and hard drives... thats pretty generic.

3... like stated above.... call your agent and see if they can add a rider for your computer system.

 

Thanks again.
I've found the memory: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=85945

I have another question, do you know if all this upgrading can be done with a Sony VAIO VGN-S5XP (Also known as tyhe S580)??

 

That's expensive memory. You can get 1GB for very little more money: http://www.morecomputers.co.uk/textra.asp?pn=KVR533D2S4/1G. Or you can go to Crucial: http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listmodule.asp?family=DDRII. Insight has a good selection of hard disks at competitive prices http://uk.insight.com/apps/nbs/index.php?C=112&S=1065&P=&search_type=&K=&M=&200265v=1:bucket&AM=. But finding mobile CPUs can be difficult. The only UK source I have come across is http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Intel_Pentium_4_Mobile.html , but the current range doesn't include the faster P-Ms.

Changing the W3's RAM is moderately easy (one module is under a cover on the base but the other is under the keyboard); changing the hard disk is also quite easy (under another cover) but you either need to clone the existing HDD or do a complete reinstallation of the operating system. Changing the CPU is more difficult and involves heat sink removal. This will only become an attractive upgrade path when the faster P-Ms become much cheaper. There used to be a detailed hardware guide under the Asus FAQs, but the link seems to have died.

I have always reckoned that increasing the RAM to at least 1GB is the best investment to improving performance, followed by a faster HDD (the old one can always be used as backup/external storage).

As for making the similar hardware changes to the Sony S series, all I can say is that changing the HDD in the S2XP involved major disassembly. That may have changed in the latest models - look to see if there is a HDD cover underneath.

As for insurance, the best ploy is to follow the same recommendation as for warranty claims: Keep the original parts and put them back is you need to send the computer away. The warranty covers what you originally bought but not your modifications.

Hope this helps,

John

 

Thank you so much for your help.

I'm leading more towards the Asus W3V again now, instead of the Sony.
On many sites the specs differ, do you know the EXACT weight of the Asus W3V with the 8-cell battery attached?

 

It'll be a hair over 5.5 lbs with the 8 cell battery and the optical drive......... different countries and different sites are going to spec it differently because some places have a 4 cell battery...... and some may give a weight without the optical drive in place.

 

Jesus man, that is very heavy for a laptop, I'm annoyed now coz I want a nice light one

 

.... whatever.

 

It is though.....

 

LOL... for what you get, it's a lightweight, and the build quality and feel of it, it really doesn't feel that heavy. Yeah, there's lighter notebooks out there, but find me one that can match the performance and do all the things the W3V can do.

 

The Sony VAIO S5XP has better specs than the Asus W3V and is much more lightweight, it's just got a bigger price tag.