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kiwirider

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#15647 1-Sep-2007 13:53
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Hi, I've currently got  a Toshiba laptop with an Intel Pentium M 1.60GHz, 988Mhz, 498MG of Ram and a 100GB hard drive. I use the computer mainly for the internet, where I download small videos and music as well as general surfing.

My current computer does the job, but I find it takes a long time to start up, and seems to run pretty slow when there are a few programs running at once. As such, I'm after something that will run faster than my current computer, and will let me watch small vid clips faster/wthout stuttering. What sort of processing speed should I be looking for? Are there any particular computer models I should be looking at? Money is a factor, and I would like to get something without breaking the bank, but I am willing to pay for what I need.

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alasta
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#84795 1-Sep-2007 14:10
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Most notebooks on the market at the moment even towards the low end would fulfil your needs, but make sure you get at least 1Gb of RAM. Some manufacturers still seem to be selling Windows Vista based notebooks with 512Mb of RAM which is totally unacceptable even for users who only want to do the absolute basics.

I'm just on the verge of ordering a new notebook from Dell now, and it sounds like my usage is similar to yours. My initial tendancy was to go for the Inspiron 1520 with 1.5GHz Core Duo, 1Gb of RAM, integrated graphics, coloured housing and one year limited warranty for $1300 as this configuration meets my needs. However, on closer examination I am now erring more towards the model with 3Gb of RAM, 256Mb of graphics memory, two year warranty including accident cover, and a carry case for $1800. Whilst the latter is really a lot more grunt than I need, my feeling is that there is a lot of value in that extra warranty protection and with the specs being so much better I can easily justify the extra $500.

It's worth pointing out that Dell offers value for money that other manufacturers struggle to match, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. As a reasonably experienced user this doesn't really bother me, but you need to consider whether the support is more important to you than squeezing every last dollar of performance out of your purchase.

Oh, and the great thing about the new Inspirons is that they're available in pink! ;)



kiwirider

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  #84800 1-Sep-2007 15:41
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Thanks for your reply.

You mention that even low end laptops will fulfill my needs. Is the Pentium M I currently have just slower than anything available now, or do you mean I shouldn't be so picky? I'm not all that up with the play with the spec's etc, but currently my processor is 1.60GHZ, and the laptop you mentioned you're looking at is 1.5GHz. Is the number not really that important, and is it more the processor, ie the Pentium M vs Core Duo? Would I see a noticable difference in the speed of the computer with a Core Duo, especially with more than one prgram running at one time?

Thanks for your help.

alasta
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#84806 1-Sep-2007 17:03
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Pentium and Core are different architectures and you can't really compare their performance just by looking at the clock speeds. Before you drop your hard earned cash on a new machine, it would probably be advisable to do some research online to obtain benchmarks to compare the performance of your existing processor with the modern alternatives so that you know exactly what performance gain you will get. Also remember that more RAM is usually a more cost effective way of improving system performance than opting for a high end processor.

To be honest I'm a bit surprised that your existing system is underperforming, assuming that it's running Windows XP. Is upgrading the RAM in your existing machine an option? Are you sure that you don't have any unnecessary software running in the background that could be bogging down your machine?



Savra
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  #85390 4-Sep-2007 23:19
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hi, i am not a specialist but i had similar problems with my pc (i have a compaq presario). i found that it took longer than usual to boot and multiple programs at once was not very good because it slowed it down dramatically. i use my pc for work so i use programs that use a lot of ram (e.g. newest versions of photoshop, acrobat, office etc). i solved my problem by increasing the ram - it came with 512mb but i installed an extra 1024mb (total now is 1.5gb). this seemed to increase the speed quite a bit. now, because of space restrictions, i am going to upgrade the hdd from 60gb to 100gb (with 16mb cache) which would also increase the performance of my machine (more disk space, faster drive, more cache etc).

also, there are other things you could do. for example, a free program called ccleaner is available which cleans your pc from things that could clog up your system. another option is a program called system mechanic which allows you to optimize your pc for best performance (e.g speed, internet connections, registry problems etc).

if you don't want to replace your pc maybe you should try something like this first. anyway, hope you solve your problem.

cheers



tonyhughes
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  #85399 5-Sep-2007 07:30
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I agree with the 'fix' option.

Thats not a bad lappy you have. Get an extra 512MB ram ('sodimm' ddr333 should fit the bill, but it pays to check first), backup all your stuff, and wipe out windows with a reinstall/recovery.

Your machine will regain its former glory and fly along.

By the sounds of it, if you are not hardcore gaming, or doing anything harder than web/video viewing/email, then DSE's cheapest laptops (2 or 3 under $1000 lately) would be just right.







zaptor
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  #85426 5-Sep-2007 12:34
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tonyhughes:
By the sounds of it, if you are not hardcore gaming, or doing anything harder than web/video viewing/email, then DSE's cheapest laptops (2 or 3 under $1000 lately) would be just right.


Agreed.

Especially considering that DSE are having a little fire-sale on laptops right now.

zaptor
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  #85427 5-Sep-2007 12:53
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Yeah, I agree the better option would seem to be to simply bump your RAM up.

Sounds like you've got bit-rot perhaps?

I've got a lower specced laptop than yours - except my RAM is 1.5GB, and mine flies.
However, I run Diskeeper, Spybot, and Crap Cleaner (I've got a recent version of Registry Mechanic that I should probably use instead) and also followed the instructions from here when I got my laptop:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html

So, you could try the above in addition to the extra RAM and see how that goes?

If it's still crawling, you may want to consider a re-install/restore from your restore image/CD, and then apply the stuff above.

 
 
 

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kiwirider

15 posts

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  #85594 6-Sep-2007 12:11
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Great thanks guys. I'll give the various 'fix' options a crack and see how I get on first before looking at replacing what I currently have.

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