Future Laptop Upgrade

[dood]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

sorry but hold the phone on the ram. You have a intel GM956 chipset, incapable of using 4gb ddr2 sticks. 4gb ddr2 single sticks have only been out a little while, for the past few years they were limited to 2gb a stick, and chipsets were designed around that. Only NEW chipsets, and very few of those that actually do use something as old as ddr2 will support 4gb sticks

The d630 supports a maximum of 8gb of RAM (2x4gb). I have two of them here at work that we upgraded to the max.

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

The d630 supports a maximum of 8gb of RAM (2x4gb). I have two of them here at work that we upgraded to the max.

Yeah. It's moot point since the need for extra RAM has been averted.

[dood]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

Yeah. It's moot point since the need for extra RAM has been averted.

It doesn't matter if the point was moot or not... the information was wrong and needed to be corrected.

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

It doesn't matter if the point was moot or not... the information was wrong and needed to be corrected.

I know... Just sayin.

Let's talk partititions. Here's my new plan:

1. /boot (500mb). where the boot files for linux/grub will be
2. / (~90gb)
3. C:/ for XP (~90GB)
4. C:/ for W7 (~90GB)
5. S:/ shared partition (10-20gb)
6. swap (~4gb)

The sizes will be adjusted as needed based on the real drive capacity and formatting losses.

How does that look?

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

Today I (sorta) addressed a peeling paint issue with the RAM cover.

The primer dell used worked great on the Magnesium parts... but on the Aluminum RAM cover, it had no adheshion. Due to heat or something, the paint was bubbling and chipping like mad. Remoiving the faded and crispy Vista Home Bacic COA was hard at first (it was flaking apart) but became easy once I cut the paint with a knife and peeled it off, paint and all.

I wish I grabbed pictures.

After that, I sanded off the remaining paint... it came off so easy... when I was done, it had a nice brushed appearance.

I think the issue is that the AL was really smooth... it should have been brushed or sanded before it was hit with primer. My dad's thinkpad T22 has the same issue with the rubbery stiff coming off the bottom covers. No surface prep at all.

I'm thinking of using some high-temp black engine enamel or perhaps Topcat's favorite plastidip. Whichever is more durable and can take the stress.

Also, moron here somehow lost the e-clip for the cover screw. Anybody know what size clip I need to replace it with?

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

The drive came this evening.

My laptop services were ultimately not needed... but given how piss-poor i855GM graphics are at CAD, I still went about my Triple boot plan.

Bad news: due to various issues, I had to re-install all 3 OS's. I also managed to corrupt the FS on both old partitons... ao I lost 2 days of notes and the originals of a lot of the stuff I've posted here over the past year and a half. Luckily, the really important stuff I had backed up over winter break... and the notes I can recreate.

Good News: The 7200 seems to run a lot better than the 5400. Between the added space and the speed boost, I'd say $55 was worth it.

I'll post a screenshot from each OS... here's XP:



Windows 7 Coming up next...

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

Windows 7:



A few from Debian coming soon...

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

And Debian:



The overall Partition scheme:



Under linux, I noticed much reduced boot times with the upgrade Hdd. I like it.

[stevo1210]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

I'm considering a move to SSD drives in ALL my laptops and UMPCs. That's at least 3 SSD's I need to purchase. The UMPCs (Sony Vaio UX and HTC Shift X9500) will definitely get the green light first... then my conventional laptops, starting with my Lenovo T61... then my Macbook.

Annoying bit is with the UMPc's and the 1.8" drives.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

The d630 supports a maximum of 8gb of RAM (2x4gb). I have two of them here at work that we upgraded to the max.

how is that possible? what chipset are those?

[stevo1210]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

how is that possible? what chipset are those?

A Mobile Intel 965... I think. My Lenovo has a similar chipset.

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

how is that possible? what chipset are those?

i965.

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

Got the required SW installed on the XP side... runs great.

I never thought there would be such a performance difference between a 8mb 5400 and a 16mb 7200...

[Uranium-235]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

I have a i965 and it really should support 4 but the bios only allows 3. and according to this, unless your laptops have 4 slots, it should not be possible to do 2x4 /w ddr2

[ratdude747]

Re: Future Laptop Upgrade

I have a i965 and it really should support 4 but the bios only allows 3. and according to this, unless your laptops have 4 slots, it should not be possible to do 2x4 /w ddr2

Well, 2x 4gb works. It did take a BIOS update from Dell.

My guess was that 4gb modules were either unheard of or not practical at the time of the mobile i965's prototyping/testing... so it wasn't tested and not listed as compatible.

Time goes bye and Dell, seeing a new demand for 8gb capable laptops, decides to remove the BIOS limit at 4gb and upon testing 8gb, they find that it actually works.. and after enough stability testing, they decide to add it to the latest bios.


This sort of thing happens all the time... Like when new CPUs come out. Only this time, Intel didn't add it to their list (probably becase they want to sell newer platforms).