Laptop Upgrades revisited

**dood** · 07-29-2013, 11:07 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

As I've stated before, my work laptop is a D630 as well. I use it pretty extensively, but just for Outlook, web surfing, VPN/RDC access to work, etc. Pretty light usage for the most part.

It has the C2D T7250 (2.0ghz), 4gb of RAM, and a Samsung 840 series SSD. Probably the best improvement to performance that I had was moving from my old 250gb WD Black drive to the SSD.

I'd like to bump up to an E series with the Core i series, but I don't think it's in the budget right now.

**ratdude747** · 07-29-2013, 11:14 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

SSD isn't in the cards... mainly because I triple boot... for what I'm doing my 250GB is about right. Looking at the costs of an SSD with the kind of space I'd need, it gets kinda cost prohibative.

I noticed the college is having a computer sale with $130 Dell laptops... No idea what, probably college surplus. May see if that has any promise.

**Elysarian** · 07-29-2013, 11:32 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

why stop at 7200rpm? - stick a velociraptor in there (10k rpm)

**ratdude747** · 07-29-2013, 12:21 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by Elysarian

why stop at 7200rpm? - stick a velociraptor in there (10k rpm)

Given how hard I have known to be with laptops... that wouldn't work. And the power draw/heat...

But if they actually made a 2.5" raptor, I would so have to buy a Dell precision and do that to it

. Or a laptop that could RAID and do some dualies

**dood** · 07-29-2013, 12:45 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

2.5", but you have to watch the height of the drive. And, heat concerns. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822236367

It'll be nice when SSD prices drop down to VelociRaptor levels...

Another option is SSD for OS and mechanical for data, but that typically requires you go to a 17" laptop to get the 2nd HDD bay.

**ratdude747** · 07-29-2013, 01:13 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by dood

2.5", but you have to watch the height of the drive. And, heat concerns. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822236367

It'll be nice when SSD prices drop down to VelociRaptor levels...

Another option is SSD for OS and mechanical for data, but that typically requires you go to a 17" laptop to get the 2nd HDD bay.

Yeah, and for multiboots that's still a bit out there... I'd have to run separate home partitions, something I personally don't like doing.

BTW, that drive has wear leveling. No thanks.

**dood** · 07-29-2013, 04:18 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

PWL is not exactly the same as wear leveling in SSD's... not sure if that's what you were thinking.

**ratdude747** · 07-29-2013, 11:59 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by dood

PWL is not exactly the same as wear leveling in SSD's... not sure if that's what you were thinking.

It was a listed feature.

**stevo1210** · 07-30-2013, 02:06 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

RD wants a replacement laptop whereas I want a D630 to replace my Inspiron 6400. Sorry, but I hate plastic! Prefer Mg alloy from a D630...

**ratdude747** · 07-30-2013, 04:44 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by stevo1210

RD wants a replacement laptop whereas I want a D630 to replace my Inspiron 6400. Sorry, but I hate plastic! Prefer Mg alloy from a D630...

me too come to think of it.

**ratdude747** · 08-01-2013, 03:24 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

What about ultrabooks?

The local Best buy has an assload of open box ones for not a lot... I'm not as worried about the 2nd spindle so to speak as I happen to have an external laptop HDD, lightscribe burner (slim), and floppy all in USB 2.0... Would such a setup work well or would I regret it?

**ratdude747** · 08-01-2013, 03:35 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by stevo1210

RD wants a replacement laptop whereas I want a D630 to replace my Inspiron 6400. Sorry, but I hate plastic! Prefer Mg alloy from a D630...

I already said I agreed, but I want to expand on that:

My only beef with Mg alloy laptops is that they always seem to be lead bricks in terms of weight. Then again, they're nearly bulletproof...

My main rational for wanting to replace my D630 is the fact that if it costs $100+ to upgrade my RAM the right way (8Gb DDR2), is it economically smart to dump that much $ in a 5 year old laptop? Granted, the Mobo is only 3 years old (2010 manu date) and the 2 batteries have less than 30% wear (maybe 10-15% per 9 cell unit, I lost the beat up 6 cell)... and thanks to a buddy selling me a similar dead D620 for parts (where the 2nd 9 cell came from), I have a good amount of spare parts (not to mention a couple D series docks).

It's mostly been a good laptop but the nvidia GPU just has no go it seems (probably because it's a Quadro designed for CAD and crap). Slow as shit... can't do minecraft (or terrafirmacraft) on it to save it's life (at least under arch linux with 3rd party drivers). Hence why I'm less keen on APU'd/integrated graphics on laptops.

**Uranium-235** · 08-01-2013, 08:21 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

minecraft is java, has little video hardware acceleration (last I saw on my cousins laptop anyways). Take a look at your CPU when you play minecraft, he had a single core turion and it was 100% all the time

**Elysarian** · 08-01-2013, 08:37 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by Uranium-235

minecraft is java, has little video hardware acceleration (last I saw on my cousins laptop anyways). Take a look at your CPU when you play minecraft, he had a single core turion and it was 100% all the time

I know very little about Minecraft but Runescape is also Java, that uses 3D via OpenGL and DirectX...

Maybe something like this is used?

**Uranium-235** · 08-01-2013, 09:10 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

J3d is a wrapper, but being Java, it still uses lots of CPU power

**ratdude747** · 08-01-2013, 11:26 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

^ may explain a lot... however, other GPU stuff (supertuxkart for example) ran like crap too. Other games (like neverputt) ran well.

**shovenose** · 08-01-2013, 11:37 AM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by ratdude747

^ may explain a lot... however, other GPU stuff (supertuxkart for example) ran like crap too. Other games (like neverputt) ran well.

D630? Minecraft? haha...

Those systems aren't up to snuff for Minecraft... laptops in general don't do very well. That said, Intel HD 4000 graphics on the i7-3632QM in my Lenovo P400 can do Minecraft impressively well.

**ratdude747** · 08-01-2013, 12:48 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by shovenose

D630? Minecraft? haha...

Those systems aren't up to snuff for Minecraft... laptops in general don't do very well. That said, Intel HD 4000 graphics on the i7-3632QM in my Lenovo P400 can do Minecraft impressively well.

Yeah... My only worry is that I keep readign reviews of it claiming the laptop to be "flimsy". Flimsy won't do...

**ratdude747** · 08-01-2013, 12:57 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Looked into CPU upgrades... I can get a 2.5GHz T9300 for $40... or the slightly better 2.6GHz T9500 for $85. I call BS on the latter... the former perhaps.

Thoughts on CPU upgrades?

**shovenose** · 08-01-2013, 01:47 PM

Re: Laptop Upgrades revisited

Originally posted by ratdude747

Looked into CPU upgrades... I can get a 2.5GHz T9300 for $40... or the slightly better 2.6GHz T9500 for $85. I call BS on the latter... the former perhaps.

Thoughts on CPU upgrades?

Waste of money IMO.

Laptop Upgrades revisited

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