Should I buy the minimum or max it out?

I am looking at buying a dv9500t and usually like to max my computers out. Is it more cost effective buy the system with the least amount of memory and the smallest HD and them upgrade them yourself. I would ultimately like to put 4GB of memory in the laptop but HP's price is too high and the largest HD possible with the option of going RAID latter.

 

How will you use RAID if the system doesnt support it?

and yeah check the prices and see for yourself if its cheaper to upgrade yourself, it usually always is.

 

Just ordered the th 9500t . . . ordered it with the minimum HP memory . . . 1 GB.

They wanted $125 to upgrade to 2GB . . . no way!

Immediately then ordered 4GB (2x2GB) for $160, just $35 more than HP wanted for just 2GB . . . it arrived today. Now I am just waiting on the dv9500 to be built and shipped!

So . . . 2GB for $125 from HP or 4GB for $160 aftermarket . . . an easy choice for me!

 

rhetor, smart choice way to go!

 

Unless you're running a 64-bit OS, and doing some really hardcore stuff, 4GB is worthless right now. And at that point, I would probably tell you to just get a desktop computer for that kind of work.

 

If the BIOS says 4096, even Vista 64-bit will detect only 3070MB of the total RAM. The hardware is just not capable of using full 4GB.
There are many explanations around regarding this issue. Its related to the 32-bit PCI, shared Video memmory (even if you have dicrete memory)..etc..which use the RAM before the OS can take its share.

 

Not true...if you run a 64-bit os such as xp64 or vista64, you should have full access to the 4gb.

 

Get minimums except for graphics, screen, processor, and optical drives- as well as any other built in feature like fingerprint reader, webcam, etc...- as these are not easily upgradeable (or if they are, replacements are proprietary and cost more than an upgrade would through HP).

 

I am running Vista 64-bit. Shows up as 3070MB

 

What laptop are you running this on?

 

I did the same, only bought 1GB ram, then got 4GB elsewhere. You have to buy the disks from HP though, because you need a special adapter to plug in another drive. HP sells them, but they are very expensive for what they are (like $40 for a dumb piece of plastic with some wires in it), if you can get it at all from HP.

RAM is really the only thing you can save on, but at $600 for 4GB, it's quite a saving!

 

and 640K is enough for everyone, right?

 

Orev has pointed out the problem . . .

HP wants $600 on a custom order to upgrade the dv9500t from 1GB (1x2GB) to 4GB (2x2GB) . . . you can get 4GB (2x2) now for about $160.

Just ordered 2GB of memory upgrade for my two-year-old dv4000 and paid ($130, for DDR1 333MHz). It cost almost as much as the 4GB I just paid for ($160, DDR2 667MHz) for my new dv9500t!

All four chips (the DDR and the DDR2) arrived in the same shipment today.

Why did the DDR cost more, relatively for what I got, than the DDR2? Because if you wait to buy technology two years after you buy the laptop (like my dv4000), newer and better technology comes out. The old stuff (like DDR1) costs are higher because the market demand is low. The market demand for DDR2 is high right now and prices could not be better!

How long will prices be so good?

Who knows . . . but as soon as a newer techonolgy (DDR 3 is on the way) is commonly adopted, we will see the same cycle over again. I"t is simply supply and demand."

I decided to max out the memory of my machine now, enjoy its benefits, rather than do it later at a higher price just to keep using my2-3 year old technology.

Maxing out a new machine, and getting to use it now rather than two years from now, just seems to make more sense to me, especially since the bottom seems to have dropped out on the DDR2 chips.

Just my two cents . . .

 

DV9000T - 64-bit Vista Ultimate.

 

Thanks for the shout out, but I have to point out your economics are wrong .
High demand + low supply = high prices
High demand + high supply = low prices
Low demand + high supply = low prices
Low demand + low supply = high prices

Older memory is expensive because there is a low supply and low demand, so it's more rare. I would bet that in a year, 2GB modules are going to be almost half the price they are now, and there will still be a good supply. Right now the demand is going up, but I don't think the supply is keeping up right now. That will change soon.

 

The market is glutted right now with DDR2 chips . . . everybody and his brother are making them . . . that will change soon when the DDR3 becomes the new standard . . . was onlune the other day to order chips . . . each chip literally went up $5 while I was ordering online!

Interesting . . . pay now or pay later.

 

I just purchased the dv9500 with 2 gb of memory. I'm only using it for school and surfign the net. Maybe some movie watching. Should I get 4 gb of memory.

P.S. this is the config.
# Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
# Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
# 17.0" WXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1440x900)
# 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
# Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
# HP Imprint (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader +Webcam
# Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection
# 240GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2)
# LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
# No TV Tuner w/remote control
# High Capacity 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
# Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months
# Microsoft(R) Works 8.0

 

You should be fine with the 2GB of RAM. 4GB is really a luxury right now, but unless you're doing some crazy photoshop or vmware, then you really don't need it. When the price comes down, you can buy it after-market.

PS: the price HP charges for the 2GB upgrade is almost as much as it costs to get 4GB in the after-market. I know it doesn't help after you already bought it!

 

Looks like you ordered a nice machine!

Unless you are doing heavy multitasking you should see no problems with 2GB.
I recommend you use the 2GB you ordered through the start of school . . . then if it seems you need more, hit Grandma up for Christmas!

 

curious on where and what memory you orderd ... im am looking to get the dv6500 series and found..... http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5284707


i know i dont need 4gb right now.. but with the cost of haveing 4gb is almost the same as getting 2gb through hp im thinkin ill just do the upgrade and have the luxary for right now....

 

Exactly. The computer indistry will probably stay at 2GB for the coming 6-12 months. Running Vista 64-bit is completely pointless at the moment since there is almost zero 64bit software for normal people to use.

 

2GB is starting to become the accepted minimum for Vista, but there's no reason you couldn't use more. Will there be a benefit for having more? SuperFetch might be a good reason to have it.

I object to the tone being used like in "completely pointless". You really have no way of knowing this, and while it may be your opinion, it's certainly not absolute. You should not present it as such.

 

That's it . . . now $5 more than when I ordered a few days ago.

I ordered two sticks . . . here is the shortcut on all the best deals for RAM . . . it is an awesome thread updated daily by Gophn. Thanks Gophn for your vigilance!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=121363

 

I went with the 4GB of RAM because I also ordered the Corsair Voyager GT 4GB flash drive so I can use ReadyBoost and SuperFetch!

I move around from office to lab to home to another office. A lot easier carrying the GT flash drive than carrying my new 9500t around (which is my home desktop replacement).

 

I agree with this 100%