Some upgrading advice needed

Hello everyone!

Hey everyone, long time no see

I'm thinking when Windows 7 comes around, I'm going to upgrade to 64-bit OS, and possibly install some form of Ubuntu on my laptop.

My questions are, I know you'll need a decent processor speed to take advantage of all that extra RAM (I'm planning on having 8 GB). As it stands, I have a 2.5 GHz. I hear even though most features on a laptop are integrated, you can upgrade the processor as long as it fits the slot where the previous one went. Does anyone know the specifics on this so I can start searching around, or do you think 2.5 GHz is fast enough?

Also, I'm not really familiar with Linux, but I know how to learn, and I learn fast. Does Ubuntu have any sort of 32/64 bit distinction? I've never heard of one.

Thanks for your help!

 

Having a 2.5 GHz processor is plenty fast these days. How many core's is your processor? If it's dual-core, then your already set. If not, then it might be time to change the processor. I've never changed the processor on a laptop though...

What kind of laptop do you have?

As for your Linux question, I'm not sure as I am classified as Linux-ignorant. I want to pick it up some day though... when I find the time.

 

I have a Sony Vaio AR770. Yes, it's a dual-core. It's amazing.

 

You shouldn't have any problems running windows 7 and ubuntu on that machine. 2.5ghz c2d is plenty enough!!!

As far as I know, ubuntu comes in 32bit and 64bit.

 

I think 8gb is overkill. Your processor will be a bottleneck way before the ram will. A 2.5ghz is way too slow to take advantage of all that ram. Even desktops running QX9770's (3.2 ghz Quad core) rarely use 6gb+ and that's when playing GTAIV at 1080p all setting maxed.

Your notebook has a crap graphics card (all notebooks do) so I assume you won't be gaming. With the current price of Sodimm I suggest you save $400 and upgrade to 4gb.

Especially by the time windows 7 comes. Your notebook will be horribly outdated anyway.

 

The speed of the processor does not, without more, have anything to do with how much RAM the system uses. What uses RAM is having stuff to fill it up with, not how quickly you can address different bytes.

That being said, 8GB is wasteful overkill unless you're going to be doing something like hardcore video-editing or animation or the like.

 

8gb is not wasteful overkill in vista. I consider myself average. With just firefox, outlook, aim, a virtual pc, and word/excell and maybe photoshop i see my ram go 4-5gb used. No imagine how much would be in swap file if you only had 3 or 4gb.

In a few years when 8gb is the current 2gb your gonna be telling everyone that 8gb is okay but 12 is ideal and 16 is overkill.

 

More likely than not, what you're seeing is superfetch filling up as much RAM as it possibly can - with 8GB of RAM it's probably got itself scheduled all the way down to that funny little app you downloaded about three months ago, ran once, and then forgot about.

 

Windows 7 is supposed to run better than Vista, therefore if you are happy with your current Vista performance then Windows 7 should run better.

2.5GHz is pretty fast and 8GB IMO is overkill right now. But in a year, it would most likely be the norm. Upgrade when you really need it.

Ubuntu also has 32 and 64bits. If you are new and scared to try it, then start with a Ubuntu Live CD.

 

LOL, +1 Rep for the funny, but probably true, statement about super-fetch.

 

Ooookay, I think it's time for me to clear up a few things before I head to bed...you guys should give me some credit.

-I currently have 4 gigs of RAM in my system.

-Yes, I do plan to do heavy video/photo editing, so I will need the extra space.

-My video card is an nVidia GeForce 8600M GT. It can hold its own.

-I'm aware the processor could be a bottleneck, that's why I asked if I should upgrade it!

-My notebook is already "outdated", but isn't that the case with anything?

-I also don't download applications that I don't need.

-And yes, I already have a Live CD, but I needed to know if it had a x64bit version, which I've found it does.

Thank you and goodnight!

 

Credit! Sorry, cash-n-carry, only.

Oh, you mean not look down our noses at you? Sorry, that wasn't snobbery, just gas.

Anyways, looks to me like you've got a decent roadmap specc'd out, and a reasonable balance between wants and needs, so let us know how the updating goes.

Just one word to the wise, though; _Sonys can be a total PITA when it comes to upgrading components - I should know as I've got a 6 y.o. VAIO Z1A that I've had to replace the hdd on twice; which I did even after some _Sony tech told me that the hdd on my system "just could not be upgraded."

 

I found that you're right. Sony support told me the only thing that can be upgraded is the RAM- up to 4 GB, which is what I already have. Luckily I'm smarter than the average bear, so I know this isn't true. I know the HDD can be replaced, from previous chats with support. But I know that apparently the switch to Ubuntu is relatively simple, save for some driver issues that have mostly been resolved. I don't plan on upgrading until Windows 7 comes out, but i'll be ready when it does.

 

Isn't it nice how pointless they are there? The last time I talked to one of them, I asked about replacing the hdd (mind you, I'd already done it myself, twice), and when he said it couldn't be done, I gave him the 15 steps I needed to do it, and asked him to answer, yes or no, was that how to replace the hdd - for some reason, the line got disconnected at that point.

What I did was just scrounge around on the internet until I found someone who had a copy of the service manual for sale (not the user manual, which is worse than useless, but the actual super-secret, confidential, yada, yada, yada service manual) and used that to dismantle the thing. By now I've done it so often, I could probably do it in my sleep.

 

Glad I didn't need a super secret manual to upgrade the HD in my Dell. It was really easy, same with Bluetooth and RAM. Not sure about anything else.