upgrade overhaul

[PizzaMan94]

ok, i'm tired of my laptop's specs. they get the job done (most of the time) but i am tired of being limited on what i can do. [hide=current specs]AMD 64 anthlon 2x 1.8ghz processor

 

1gb DDR2 ram

 

ATI Radeon Xpress 1150

 

total available graphics memory - 319mb

 

dedicated video memory - 128mb

 

Windows Vista basic

 

and my laptop is a Dell inspiron 1501[/hide]

 

i found a 2gb RAM upgrade, but i also want better processor. any ideas on where to find it? also, i would prefer AMD.

 

EDIT: i'm a limited on money so nothin too expensive.

[konzserwas]

You're planning to do a terible mistake. DO NOT judge a video card by the anmount of memory it has.

[PizzaMan94]

i know. but i really want to play some games flawlessly or even play them at all. and sometimes its obvious what better (eg: a 16mb that can't handle AOE 2 compared to a 1gb thats playing oblivion on its highest settings) also, i can't even find the newest drivers for my card -.-

[blosssom2581]

You've mentioned that your PC is actually a notebook. But SORRY, no updates can be made for notebooks. The formats simply don't fit each other

 

 

 

You wanna add RAM, but the RAM that you can find is DDR2 while your notebook is using DDR1 and the motherboard only supports DDR1 RAM since this used to be the only type when it was born. The same story goes for display card - it used to be PCI but now PCI-express.

 

 

 

Some of the component cannot be updated even! For example the CPU is usually fixed to the motherboard by soldering and it is next to impossible to remove it.

 

 

 

A notebook is designed for stability, not for updates. I would recommend you to buy a new desktop if you want to update it occasionally. A brand new $250 desktop (excl. monitor & softwares) will do AOE2 and AOE3 flawlessly.

 

 

 

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop#Upgradeability for more details

[urbestfreind]

You've mentioned that your PC is actually a notebook. But SORRY, no updates can be made for notebooks. The formats simply don't fit each other

 

Wrong

 

 

 

You wanna add RAM, but the RAM that you can find is DDR2 while your notebook is using DDR1 and the motherboard only supports DDR1 RAM since this used to be the only type when it was born. The same story goes for display card - it used to be PCI but now PCI-express.

 

 

 

I've recently upgraded one of my friend's laptop's RAM that used DDR, not DDR-2. So it's not impossible, you just have to look. I also recenly added more DDR ram to my desktop, and getting that stick wasn't really hard at all. We also got a new graphics card for it, and the motherboard only had PCI slots I believe...so don't say it's not possible, because that's ignorance.

 

 

 

Some of the component cannot be updated even! For example the CPU is usually fixed to the motherboard by soldering and it is next to impossible to remove it.

 

Finally, some truth comes out. The cpu is rather hard to remove, and usually not worth potentially screwing up the laptop.

 

 

 

A notebook is designed for stability, not for updates. I would recommend you to buy a new desktop if you want to update it occasionally. A brand new $250 desktop (excl. monitor & softwares) will do AOE2 and AOE3 flawlessly.

 

How does that work, considering a graphics card alone is $180. Ram is about $30 for 1g (or maybe 2g)...Then you actually have to buy a case ($20 for a cheap one), and a new motherboard, which is another $100-500, depending on the make and what you want it for..So at the lower end of the spectrum you're spending more than that for the motherboard and the graphics card alone. It thinks before it speaks -.-

 

 

 

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop#Upgradeability for more details

 

Never use Wikipedia as your only source, that's asking for trouble.

 

 

 

To the OP, unless you have great skills and the required tools to disassemble a laptop and remove the components, a RAM upgrade is about as far as you can go without risking destroying your computer. I would say build a desktop rig, which will be about $1000 give or take, depending on what you already have and how high performance you want it to be. There are guides to taking apart a laptop, but I wouldn't risk it. Just save up for a dekstop.

 

 

 

If you do want to upgrade parts, check tigerdirect or newegg, which usually has good prices and great reliability (at least if you live in the US, I don't know how they are for selling abroad, if they even do so).

[PizzaMan94]

i did a little research on my own, and i discovered that my RAM is DDR2, my cpu is just screwed in - not saudered, and my graphics card is integrated. and instead of 4 gigs, i'm gonna go with 2.

 

Also - i have an old desktop and its rigged up to a 26" monitor. but it was made in 2001 or 2002. although i could still upgrade it for serious gaming...

 

EDIT: i have fully disassembled and put back together laptops that are very similar to mine. the one i mainly took apart was a dell inspiron b130. and it is ALOT like my notebook(for how you take it apart).

[das1330]

if you think you can replace the processor, then go for it, but as stated above it is usually very difficult to do and the processor itself may be difficult to find. Beside that, as most laptops are not made for upgrades, unlike desktops processor sockets are regularly changed, making sourcing a processor that will fit difficult. Memory on the other hand is cheap, plentiful and easy to replace. 4GB of DDR2 can be had for $50. For a website to use, check the stickies at the top of the page but in general if you live in the US newegg.com is considered to be the gold standard.

[blosssom2581]

Okay okay someone told me that I am absolutely wrong...

 

 

 

I do not want to start a flame war here, but he really stated that it is a notebook

 

 

 

 

i'm tired of my laptop's specs.

 

 

 

You may find some updates, but take this as a warning: Different components of notebook, unlike desktops, may be tailor made and not interchangeable due to its special format. You may end up in buying a display card that won't fit with your socket, or buying one that will fit in your socket but your notebook don't have enough space for it due to its larger profile!

[thrash-boy]

Okay okay someone told me that I am absolutely wrong...

 

 

 

I do not want to start a flame war here, but he really stated that it is a notebook

 

 

 

 

i'm tired of my laptop's specs.

 

 

 

i think urbestfreind was say that you were wrong about the comment "no updates can be made for notebooks", not that you were wrong about pizzaman having a laptop.

[JoeDaStudd]

if you think you can replace the processor, then go for it, but as stated above it is usually very difficult to do and the processor itself may be difficult to find.

 

I agree its worth a shot, but I would be very, very careful.

 

Laptops are designed to use set hardware. If the laptop in question was never meant to come with a higher cpu then he has there may not be sufficient cooling. Which could damage other parts.

[Nadril]

If you're asking on what to get for an upgrade I really don't think you should go through trying to upgrade the CPU and such in your laptop.

 

 

 

But it's your laptop so do whatever you want.