Extern HD = better performance ?

[Robin]

Hello! Long time no poast! I suspect You haven't missed me! ;D

Um, ok, uh, right, now, uh, so, i'm still working this laptop i've been *****ing about for an eternity, so far, and i've started playing some really RAM-eating games like BF2 and Heroes 5 lately. Neither of those games handle their texture loading that well (which i've got informed by professionals). Anything higher the lowest texture settings make these games practically lacking caching at all, on computers much more powerful than mine as well.

I've understood that the huge stuttering problems at the beginning of a level in especially BF2 simply is caused by a constant use of the pagefile and loading of new textures simultaneously. I know these problems basicly are eliminated on computers with at least 1024 RAM, but i have 512, and BF2 easily consumes way over 800 MBs of that RAM when a map and textures has fully loaded. However, i know that the texture setting of BF2 stay low even on the highest pre-defined graphics settings for a reason; the textures need RAAAAAM.

So, i've been thinking about the other alternative of adding more RAM to a laptop (which seems quite impossible from what i've read so far) is to install a second harddrive so the pagefile and game files are loaded separately.

To skip the story above: I have a 4200 RPM HD in this laptop, and i don't think there's room for two HD's in a laptop, so an extern HD it will have to be. But, here's the main question i have; is a 7400 RPM external HD with a transfer speed of 480Mbps via USB faster/equally fast or slower than a 4200 RPM intern HD, both with 8MB cache?

If i were to buy an external HD like this to put the pagefile on, would it actually help at all? I tried installing Heroes 5 on my girlfriend's external HD (with 480Mbps transfer speed) and the game seemed marginally more responsive after 15 minutes of gaming.

Important stuff: The thing is that i tried using her HD as the pagefile carrier but Windows XP didn't use it! Even though it said it was using a pagefile from that HD (in the pagefile settings in the control panel) there never where a pagefile created on that HD; it still used the old one on the internal drive!

If i could somehow get this to work i could find this out myself, but i don't know what's wrong!

[Bill]

Robin,

Some laptops can easily take a gig of RAM but it might mean replacing what you have now instead of just adding to the existing memory.

What make and model is it?  Have you checked the the manufacturer's web site for the specs. for your particular machine?

Bill

[Neon]

I think you should reevaluate priorities. Programs look to memory before they look to the much slower hard drive, so improvement of the memory situation is your first priority to improve performance.

Find out what the maximum memory configuration is for your laptop. A boost from 512 MB  to 1GB will help a lot.

Rather than lug around an external drive, why not upgrade the internal drive? You will notice some improvement over a 4200 drive, although you'll lose some power conservation. The latest Seagate Momentus 7200 drives are fast, quiet, and not too power hungry.

[Robin]

Robin,

Some laptops can easily take a gig of RAM but it might mean replacing what you have now instead of just adding to the existing memory.

What make and model is it?  Have you checked the the manufacturer's web site for the specs. for your particular machine?

Hmm, well, the problem is that i this laptop is made by a danish company, Amitech, which is the least known company in the world (or so, lol). The biggest problem would be to dissemble the darn thing, since i haven't found any guides for this brand.

The RAM:

Max. 1.0GB; DDR-266(PC2100), 333(PC2700), 400(PC3200)
2X 200-pin DDR SO-DIMM

I've been looking for RAM for this computer, even though i don't how to get to the RAM compartments in it. Even though i know about the info above i still couldn't decide which kind of RAM to get since there are other things like ECC and stuff like that which i don't know whether i can use or not.



The long board, covering the speakers, directly under the screen is moved to the left then lift off. Then i can lift the keyboard and detach it. Under the south-east part of the keyboard is where the wireless network card is. The HD is right under the mouse-pad and isn't accessible by removing the keyboard.

I have tried taking out every single screw on both the inside and the outside of it and still haven't been able to take off the... uh, skin, or whatever it's called with machines.

[Bill]

Robin,

Crucial.com - a fine vendor of memory and very well known, has a service on their wevb site called "scan my system".  Crucial is a trusted site and using their 'scan' should tell you what kind of memory you need.  

I don't know Amitech, but typically RAM is accessed via a small panel on the underside of the notebook.  Generally about 3" or so long with one or two small screws.

Bill

[Robin]

Only new fact: None-Parity.

I've found one example:
   
CAS Latency:      CL3   

Form factor:      SO DIMM 200-pin   

Memory speed:      400 MHz ( PC3200 )   

Module configuration:      64 x 64   

Plating:      Gold   

RAM-Capabilities:      Not buffered   

Voltage:      2.6 V   

Technology:      DDR SDRAM

What the heck does all this mean?

[Bill]

Robin,
Did you try the Crucial site?

Where did you get tthe info you just poasted?

Bill

[Robin]

Yes, Crucials memory tool's only new info i could see was "None-Parity". The other info was from some RAM module from a swedish site i, just to give an example of a regular (i suppose) RAM purchase, which i don't really understand anything about.

[Robin]

Aha! I found some interesting stuff (to me) using Everest:







The only things i don't get now is what "CAS Latency: CL3" means and what the gold plating does. (And what the heck i should use!)

[Chandler]

I suspect that your laptop is a Mitac 8355 clone.

http://www.overclockers.com/tips1192/index02.asp

[Bill]

Robin,
You wrote: "The RAM:

Max. 1.0GB; DDR-266(PC2100), 333(PC2700), 400(PC3200)
2X 200-pin DDR SO-DIMM"


According to Everst, you have 2 sticks of memory, each 256MB in size.

To max out the memory capacity you will need 2 sticks, each 512 MB in size.

Your present memory is PC 2700.  

"CL" or cas latency is a reference to the memory "speed" and a detail that usually doesn't make a significant difference.

Bill

[Robin]

Thanks alot for the guide, Chandler!!

So, how does the speed affect performance? The choices are, as said above, 2100, 2700 and 3200.

Then, what good does buffered RAM do?

I've noticed that my RAM has a voltage of 2.6 while all RAM modules i've seen so far has 2.5. Is that bad?

[Neon]

Faster speed generally improves performance. Since you currently have PC2700, you could replace with PC2700, or PC3200. In order to get the benefit of the additional speed capability of PC3200, your PC (or notebook) motherboard must support the faster speed. This is likely supported, but even if it is not, the PC3200 modules are backwards compatible, so that they will still work properly, albeit at PC2700 speed.

Wikipedia has a nice succinct description of registered (buffered) RAM, so I'll quote verbatim:

Registered (sometimes called "buffered") memory modules have additional components between the SDRAM modules and the system's memory controller. They place less electrical load on the memory controller and allow single systems to remain stable with more memory modules than they would otherwise. Registered memory is slightly slower than unregistered/unbuffered memory, and more expensive as well, so it is usually found only in applications where the need for scalability and stability outweighs the need for speed and a low price (servers, for example).

The voltage difference is not a big deal. If you have a choice between otherwise equally performing modules, then the lower voltage is better, because it will consume less energy, and give off less heat.

[Robin]

Hmm, yeah, the heat sure ain't something this lappy needs more of.

Awesome help, guys! As usual Your assistance is what makes things possible! I'm upgrading RAM for the first time thanks to You! =D=D

[Robin]

Not that it would be of any importance to You, though i know people usually would like to know how it went; i've ordered two 512MB PC3200 with CL 2.5. Since i ordered early they should be here by tomorrow =).

[Robin]

Oh christ, got a problem here =(, the screen is black after change of RAM!

[Bill]

Robin,
Make certain the sticks of RAM are properly and firmly seated.  They should "snap in" with little clips on the ends "snapping" into place when they are seated correctly.

Take them out and try again.

Bill

[Robin]

PHEW! Those were some heavy minutes! I swapped them with each other and it seems to work now. Though the first boot stated something like "UNEXPECTED AMOUNT OF RAM - RUN SCU", what does that mean?

[Bill]

Robin,
Normally when you upgrade ram, it is necessary to simply go into the BIOS from a cold boot.  Normally, just letting the BIOS open is enough for the machine to recognise the additional ram wothout you actually having to change anything,  
So, boot the machine, enter BIOS, find the option to "save and exit " do so, and let the boot process continue.

Bill

[Robin]

Thanks, Bill! And thanks to everyone helping me with this! Heroes 5 and Sims 2 load faster and have no lag at all, everything runs super smooth! With 512MB RAM it would take OVER 2 MINUTES to see anything but the purple background when alt-tabbing back into Sims 2 (seriously!). Now it takes 2 SECONDS! And even the reaction from the start menu is instant when alt-tabbing from Heroes 5!!

THIS IS THE BEST BUY I'VE EVER DONE!

To any uncertain gamer (not that i'm a gamer ;) ) with 512MB RAM: UPGRADE TO 1024!! It's worth the $170 bucks!!

THANK YOU GUYS !!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D