Sony SE: Upgrade RAM or Graphic Card?

Hi,

I intend to purchase the new 15" Sony SE and have made several upgrades from the online store option. I am currently split between getting more RAM or Graphic Cards.

The configuration I have (listing the important one) are:
i5-2430M
4GB RAM
AMD 6470 512MB
320GB 5400rpm
1080p panel

For the price of about $70USD (40GBP), I could upgrade to 8GB RAM or to AMD 6630 1GB. I use my laptop mainly for internet and movies, and possibly the occasional gaming (upgrading from a laptop with integrated graphics, so I don't know how much will I go for gaming).
Will 8GB RAM improve the general performance by a lot? If it would, then I would consider that. If I would hardly see a difference then I would go for the graphic card upgrade.

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

Upgrade the video card. You will notice a large difference when playing games and can easily upgrade to 8gb of RAM later on.

 

Second the video card. Huge difference in performance. If you get the 6470M and get back into gaming, you'll never be able to play anything at 1080p.

 

Get the graphics card. RAM is upgradeable, the graphics card isn't.

Also, unless you are running large amounts of virtual machines or never close your applications, 4GBs is enough.

 

Thanks for all the information. I guess I'll go for the graphic card, miss out the fact that the RAM is upgradeable but not the graphic card. Thanks a lot!

 

video card of course

also check to see if you can upgrade the CPU later

 

Although the mantra 'get the better video card' is hypnotizing, I think you're fooling yourself if you do. Not to mention being $70USD poorer.

First off, the card you get 'scores' better than the integrated Intel gpu on your i5 2430 platform, but I doubt that you will see any real performance difference in actual games.

Same will be true for the difference between the 6470M and the 6630M - sure benchmarks will show the difference, but in a few months time, any and all games will have surpassed both cards capabilities except at the lowest quality/resolution settings along with the expected crappy visuals.

The integrated Intel PM 'score' = 330:
See:
PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmarks - Video Card Look Up

The AMD 6470M PM 'score' = 362:
See:
PassMark - Radeon HD 6470M - Price performance comparison

The 'upgrade' to AMD 6630M PM 'score' = 568:
See:
PassMark - Radeon HD 6630M - Price performance comparison



While I would really push for 8GB RAM in any system bought at the end of 2011, I can't agree at the price asked ($70USD).

The performance difference you will see everyday from the 8GB RAM will be appreciated each time you use the notebook for its entire lifespan - the graphics card upgrade is going from poorer to poor - not worth spending $70 for.

I would order the notebook as-is and buy 8GB RAM for ~$35 or so and upgrade as soon as I could. (Test the new RAM fully, then sell the original RAM modules to have the RAM cost you around $10).

That is your most effective use of your money and unless you can upgrade to at least an AMD 6770M, spending $$ on Graphics Card upgrades will only be making sideways moves and not real upgrades.


Finally, a real upgrade to a 6770M PM 'score' = 1397:
See:
PassMark - Radeon HD 6770M - Price performance comparison


Hope this helps.

 

Thanks tilleroftheearth,

It gives a different point of view for the selection. I will reconsider the upgrades for the graphic card.
FYI, 6630M is the best graphic card I can configure and the original 4GB is soldered to the motherboard.

I do intend to upgrade to 8GB sometime later (found that the asking price is indeed high after checking with the local price) and maybe an SSD after a year (depending on the price).

 

Think of it like this:
6630M is definitely better than 6470M performance wise.
It might not be much, but it just might be enough for YOU.

At the same time, RAM is the easiest and cheapest to upgrade, so if it was me, then I would sooner select the better GPU and RAM later.

If you just go for the RAM now and you find the gpu less than satisfactory, you might regret it in the long run.

Ultimately, for the configuration you presented us with, it's better to pick the one with a stronger GPU, because upgrading the RAM later will result in a 'win win' situation on your part.

 

Deks, no.

With the RAM soldered onto the MB, I would jump at the 8GB RAM right now.

If/when you realized that you need more gpu muscle, it will be time to get a new platform.

Win7x64 + 8GB RAM is greater than a sideways upgrade to a same class gpu and being stuck with 4GB soldered on ram.

 

The 6630M isn't going to be outdated in a few months, it'll take a few years, probobly until the next console refresh. Also, as you can see by the PassMark scores, the 6630M is in fact about twice as fast as the 6470M, a worthy upgrade.

AMD Radeon HD 6630M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

AMD Radeon HD 6470M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

As you can see by the 3DMark Vantage and 11 GPU results, it is still about 100% faster, give or take.

 

just because you aint able to run everything at max, doesnt mean that the benefit of going with the faster, which is indeed significantly faster, gpu is a no no choice.

The fact that there is 4gb already soldered to the mobo, does nothing to change that, since you will still retain that one empty slot where you can buy a cheap 4gb ram, try to see your local computer shops for a SODimm DDR3 module, you will see that its indeed going to be cheaper that way. and it will be a simple matter of opening a few screws and put it in the slot.

 

Ah! Is there an empty RAM slot?

As for the 6630M being outdated in a few months: yes, it will be.

By Intel's igpu in the Ivy Bridge platform.


And paying to go for twice as fast as 'slow' is still money wasted imo.

 

Intels IVB IGP will only be 200% faster than the Intel 2000, not 3000. Still alot slower than the 6630M. The 6630M isn't really slow by any means, you can play any game out at the moment well at 720p, and do you think there will be any games much more demanding than BF3 in the next year? Probobly not.

 

Without a doubt - the GPU. I doubt you would notice the extra 4GB of RAM, be it in-game or surfing the web.

 

Lol...

Okay, I'm out-voted! Too many gpu freaks here.

Still would not spend money on a sideways 'upgrade' to a slightly less slow gpu - even if it's 2x less 'slow' (still not enough of an increase to me for $70USD).


Not when a (desktop, I know) 6770 is $60CAD here:

See:
HIS Radeon HD 6770 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI at Memory Express

or an Asus Silent 6450 (desktop, again) is $35CAD here:

See:
Asus EAH6450 Silent Radeon HD 6450 512MB DDR3 PCI-E w/ DVI, HDMI at Memory Express


The 4GB 'extra' RAM will be noticeable - according to this:

See:
Memory Upgrade: Is It Time To Add More RAM? : Introduction

And do note that this is from over a year ago.

 

i vote for the GPU as well.

i do play Battlefield 3 on my VAIO SA which has the same 6630m GPU. i have overclocked the GPU, and it's about 25% faster now than with the stock settings, based on 3DMark06 scores, so i'd say it has a great overclocking headroom in case you need more power from it. my BF3 settings are 1366x768, mostly HIGH settings with only a few MEDIUMs, HBAO, HIGH FXAA, and no MSAA. i get a consistent 30+ fps on multiplayer maps.

you can always upgrade the RAM later (as i did for only $17 for a 4GB stick) but not the GPU.

 

No argument, the RAM upgrade is worth it, but can be done for cheaper. The GPU upgrade is so important becasue it is not user upgradeable.

 

GPU for sure,u can upgrade RAM later.

HD6630m=class 2 GPU,HD6470m=class 3

AMD Radeon HD 6630M - Notebookcheck.net Tech
AMD Radeon HD 6470M - Notebookcheck.net Tech