PC Performance

I'm considering a new laptop and obviously want something that has good performance.

I've got some questions so if anyone can answer some/all of them i'd really appreciate it.

Will more RAM and a fast hard drive (7200rpm instead of 5400rpm) speed up boot time and the loading time of applications?

If so how much RAM is enough before its not effective? Will 2Gb be sufficient enough or will 4Gb make more of a performance increase?

I'm planning to run Vista Home premium (mistake me if i get this all wrong) which is a 32bit OS whereas Vista Ultimate is a 64bit OS and I've heard that 32bit doesn't see anymore than 2GB of RAM anyway so its pointless having anymore than that, is that right?

Oh i don't really know what I'm on about, I've just been reading things here and there & trying to piece things together and I've most likely got it all wrong! So thats why i've come to all of you, for some much needed help.

Also while I'm here does anyone have any recommendations of any small powerful notebooks? I've been looking at the Dell XPS M1330 because you can customize it, but i don't want to waste money if it's not going to make the system any faster, please help me!

 

The 7200 rpm hard drive will slightly speed up boot times and will increase overall performance, it is the better option.

2GB of RAM should be fine, this can be upgraded later
Vista home premium is 32bit (i think you can get 64bit as well), Ultimate comes in both 32bit and 64bit. I think 32bit OS sees 3.5GB of RAM max.

 

2 Gig is prob the best option for Vista unless you want to spend alot more on Ram, Vista 32 bit can see at the moment 3.24 gig max but this should change when SP1 comes out. Anyway its cheaper to buy ram after if you want to upgrade to 4 gig in the future.

I always go with 7200 HDD's as they are the bottleneck of the system for most users. Going with a 7200 will general speed up the feel of windows, loading files & applications etc

 

im pretty sure that sp1 will not fix that issue - its an architecture limitation, not somethign a update can fix.

and i think 2gb is fine but if i were you i would get 1 2gb stick because then your future proof for upgrading. (and if bought on your own and not through the laptop companies, 4gb ram is pretty cheap)

if money is an issue - the dell m1330 is nice, so is the sony sz, but there many systems that are cheaper that have the same power

and as far as rpm for your hard drive, i think 7200rpm is great but if you get that, i would get a high capacity because personally, my 250gb 5400rpm is actually faster than my 100gb 7200rpm (im assuming because of more platters on the 250gb and plus, the 100gb was an older generation, about 1 year old)

 

kickace, can you clarify on what you mean by archtecture limitation?

Also interested to hear how you compared your two HD's

 

Thanks for all of that, I think I'm just going to have 2Gb of RAM! Its a hell of a lot more if i paid Dell for 4Gb RAM, and I haven't got the knowledge to do it myself, so I think I'll stick with 2Gb. Thanks again

 

Replacing RAM is a very easy operation. I bought my dad a computer this summer, and before this he never really used a computer. It was a Vostro 1000, so I decided to buy the RAM from a different source to save money. When it arrived, I had him put it in, and he did it in 3 minutes. All you need to do is to remove the cover, release the old sticks, put in the new ones and replace the cover.

 

My advice...if you are going to go with the m1330 is to build yourself...

1. get the 2Ghz processor as the 2.2 will give you very litlle noticeable difference;

2. get as little ram available and upgrade yourself. You will save a couple of hundred bucks here;

3. Premium or Ultimate doesnt matter when you get it with the system, you wont get a 64bit disk. You can obtain and install 64bit legally though which I believe will give you a 10-15% performance boost, even on 32 bit apps.

4. last but not least...use my article below and try your best to deal a 64Gb SSD. The SSD is the biggest perrformance jump you can make in your system but it is limited in size of which there will be no change soon.

I would suggest the 64Gb and an external if you need it. Or...you can get an additional ssd express card to better your space yet.

Next, once it arrives...tweak the hell out of it after a clean install. All the articles you are loking for are below which include a how to on a Dell purchase, getting money back while waiting or after the purchase, the clean install and tweaking.

Good luck.

PS... Your next major step if you didnt get this system is a Nvidia 8600GT graphics adapter in a laptop but your not getting a laptop this size with that in it.

 

I've found upgrading RAM is easy as pie even if you don't know a thing about laptops, in fact, most manufacturers will actually include in the user manual how to upgrade the RAM. So, if you want to save some money, buy the 1GB stick (make sure it's NOT 2x512, otherwise you can't add any more) and then add another 1 or 2GB stick after you get your laptop.

EDIT: Oye, I've been beaten to it! Yeah, just do what flamenko says and for the RAM, as I said, make sure it's not 2x512 but rather 1GB or you won't be able to upgrade as much as you want to due to lack of slots.

 

On the M1330... unscrew 4 screws, unclip to pieces of ram, seat the new ones, clip them in and replace the screws...