nx9005 bottlenecks
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:45 am
Hey guys,
I got this Compaq laptop in a trade for my Dell Inspiron 8100. I want to maximize it and cut down on bottlenecks. I don't want to spend a lot considering it has a few years on it and its not worth a whole lot.
Here are the specs:
Model: Compaq nx9005 business notebook
Processor: AMD Athlon XPM-2200+ 1.8 GHz - 256KB L2 cache
256MB DDR SDRAM (266 MHz), 192MB available
ATI Radeon IGP 320M - 64MB of DDR shared video memory
30 GB SMART Ultra ATA Hard Drive 4200 rpm
CD/DVD-ROM
Integrated 10/100 NIC
Integrated 56K (V.92) modem
USB Wireless Adapter
15-inch color TFT XGA with 1024 x 768 resolution
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition - SP2, new install
Ok, I'm thinking of a few inexpensive upgrades, so let me know what your thoughts are...
1 - Upgrade the RAM since the video takes up to 64MB - I'm looking at Corsair Value select...either adding a 512 stick, or removing the 256 stick and replacing that with (2) 512 sticks. (cost $35 - $68). Adding ram will increase the overall speed of this laptop, I'm just not sure how much is necessary...I don't wanna add more than the system will utilize.
2 - Upgrade the hard drive - I know the 4200rpm drive is a bottleneck for the system, and 30Gb just doesn't cut it. I'm looking at a 60Gb 7200rpm drive. (cost $75) -or- 80Gb 5400rpm drive. (cost $58)
3 - Upgrade the cpu - The upgraded cpu is a 2400+ and has the same clock speed (1.8 Ghz) as the 2200+. The only difference is the 2400+ has 512 L2 Cache as opposed to 256. This would allow the most used programs to run faster, but I doubt I will choose this option unless I find an old laptop on ebay that someone is parting out with this CPU.
I'm definitely upping the ram, just not sure how much...I'm considering upgrading the hard drive, but not sure I want to put that much money into it. I highly doubt I will replace the CPU as I don't think it will make a noticeable difference.
The video chip is integrated and as such, cannot be upgraded. Thanks for the help!
What do you all think?
I got this Compaq laptop in a trade for my Dell Inspiron 8100. I want to maximize it and cut down on bottlenecks. I don't want to spend a lot considering it has a few years on it and its not worth a whole lot.
Here are the specs:
Model: Compaq nx9005 business notebook
Processor: AMD Athlon XPM-2200+ 1.8 GHz - 256KB L2 cache
256MB DDR SDRAM (266 MHz), 192MB available
ATI Radeon IGP 320M - 64MB of DDR shared video memory
30 GB SMART Ultra ATA Hard Drive 4200 rpm
CD/DVD-ROM
Integrated 10/100 NIC
Integrated 56K (V.92) modem
USB Wireless Adapter
15-inch color TFT XGA with 1024 x 768 resolution
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition - SP2, new install
Ok, I'm thinking of a few inexpensive upgrades, so let me know what your thoughts are...
1 - Upgrade the RAM since the video takes up to 64MB - I'm looking at Corsair Value select...either adding a 512 stick, or removing the 256 stick and replacing that with (2) 512 sticks. (cost $35 - $68). Adding ram will increase the overall speed of this laptop, I'm just not sure how much is necessary...I don't wanna add more than the system will utilize.
2 - Upgrade the hard drive - I know the 4200rpm drive is a bottleneck for the system, and 30Gb just doesn't cut it. I'm looking at a 60Gb 7200rpm drive. (cost $75) -or- 80Gb 5400rpm drive. (cost $58)
3 - Upgrade the cpu - The upgraded cpu is a 2400+ and has the same clock speed (1.8 Ghz) as the 2200+. The only difference is the 2400+ has 512 L2 Cache as opposed to 256. This would allow the most used programs to run faster, but I doubt I will choose this option unless I find an old laptop on ebay that someone is parting out with this CPU.
I'm definitely upping the ram, just not sure how much...I'm considering upgrading the hard drive, but not sure I want to put that much money into it. I highly doubt I will replace the CPU as I don't think it will make a noticeable difference.
The video chip is integrated and as such, cannot be upgraded. Thanks for the help!
What do you all think?