Performance modifications for Vostro

Hi,can someone give me a list of useful,preferably free performance modifications for a Vostro 1510 w/8400m gs and core 2 duo T5670?

 

Add more RAM, use 64-bit Win7 if have > 3GB RAM installed, see if can do a PLL pinmod OC (see sig), ensure your SATA controller set to AHCI mode in the bios.

Hardware upgrades:

* use a SSD
* upgrade to a T8300-2.4 CPU, disable Speedstep/EIST in the bios and use Throttlestop to run it at 2.6Ghz.

 

For starters, the 1510 has a defective Nvidia chip. I would highly advise you to sell the laptop and buy something else. Upgrading to a T8300 is a good deal, but any Sandy Bridge notebook will easily run around a 965 chipset Core 2 laptop + 8400M GS. HD 3000 almost lines up to an 8600M GT performance.

 

Free..

Well.. you can do a fresh install of Windows on it and not install any process-sucking add-on software.

You can do a Defrag on it.

You can also attempt to overclock it.. but you will have to download some tools.

Other than that.. not much else.

If you have some money to put into it, you can get an SSD Drive and up the Ram.

But really.. as it was stated before, there is a known defect in that series of machines and you might wind up with a cooked GPU. I say dump it and buy something a little more modern.

 

Tsunade Hime : I know this laptop has a defective chip,because it's already malfunctioning at times,and that's why I can't sell it either,because it's lifetime is probably only like 3 months more,so until this laptop breaks,I can't get a new one.I've already overclocked the GPU and installed Windows 7 64-bit.nando4 : can you help me do a pin-mod?

 

Firstly, suggest replace your T5670 with a 45nm T8100-2.1 CPU. A little pricier is a T8300-2.4. You could even try a T6600-2.2, it works on some 965PM systems and not others so it's more of a gamble. A dual-IDA pinmodded T8100 would run at 3.06Ghz. If didn't want to do the pinmod, then a T8300-2.4 would run at 2.6Ghz using dual-IDA. So take your pick:

CPU/dual-IDA Freq, 266Mhz PLL freq, with dual-IDA
T8100-2.1/2.3, 2.8, 3.06
T6600-2.2/2.2, 2.9, 2.9
T8300-2.4/2.6, 3.2, 3.46*

* likely you'd be hitting instability, so say 3.2Ghz would be stable

You'd be doing a 200->266Mhz PLL pinmod as discussed in http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...verclocking-methods-examples.html#post4998927 . Use SPDTool to change the 333Mhz SPDTable entry from CAS=5 to CAS=6 to gain RAM stability.

 

Something else to check out is our Computer Optimization Guide; it is a multi-part series:
Windows PC Optimization Guide

 

nando4:I'd rather save the money for a new laptop,since this one is already a goner.Anyway,I don't REALLY need that powerful a CPU.This CPU would go to 2.4Ghz with the pinmod,and 2.6Ghz with dual-IDA,right?It runs on DDR2-667Mhz RAM,if that makes any difference.

 

Personally I would install a 7200RPM hard drive (Western Digital Scorpio Black series are my favorites, I have been running them for many years) or preferably an SSD. I like the Intel SSDs for reliability and performance. I have a 120GB 320 series in my notebook. There are solid deals on some SSDs now, especially the larger ones. Take a look at our Tech Bargains forum:
Notebook and Tech Bargains

 

If OP gets a SSD, he can simply reuse the SSD on the new laptop when his current breaks. A SSD is the biggest improvement possible for his current notebook.

 

Thats a good point. It is an investment that won't be wasted down the road.

 

Another excellent point. There's really no risk to getting an SSD for this notebook.

As noted I would be especially weary of upgrading a notebook with a graphics chip known to be defective. You are running on borrowed time with an Nvidia 8400/8600 series.