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Batchman
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 1419
Location: Orlando FL
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: Might be a good time to buy memory |
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So my notebook has been running quite slowly. I'm about to wipe the drive and reinstall, anyway, to clean up 2.5 years of accumulated garbage, but I figured while I was at it, I might as well look into upgrading the memory from the .5gb that came installed on this thing.
Last time I checked, notebook memory was quite expensive. Right now, it is down to about $15 a gig. At that price, I can afford to max my notebook out at 2gb.
Meanwhile, while asking about the price, I was told by somebody that works in computer retail that the prices have been dropping quite nicely on memory, recently.
So it might be time to think about some upgrades. |
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JuntaJoe
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 7391
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| RAM is definitely dirt cheap these days. |
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Batchman
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 1419
Location: Orlando FL
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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Had to pay slightly more to get it in person rather than mail order ... $20 per chip as opposed to $15, but no waits to get it installed.
Spent $40 for two, then returned one immediately. Supposedly my computer can handle 2gb, and XP is supposed to be able to handle up to three, but the computer just would not function.
I went with one of the new 1gb chips, and the old 512mb, and with that, it would work. So $20, and my computer has three times the memory. Hopefully it has improved things a bit. |
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JuntaJoe
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 7391
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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That's weird. No reason the 2gb should mess with your system.
Unless you are using the wrong ram type. |
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Batchman
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 1419
Location: Orlando FL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Turns out to be a problem with my particular make and model of machine.
Ram speeds are upward compatible ... if you buy faster memory than your machine is comfortable with, it will slow itself down, and still work fine.
But Acer forgot to let my particular model of laptop know that. So while the memory would work fine with the computer, the computer doesn't understand that. |
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JuntaJoe
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 7391
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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Ah, I see the problem.
Acer.
Boat anchors one and all.
Save those nickels, bubba. Sooner you lose that brand the better. |
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Batchman
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 1419
Location: Orlando FL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, I have been quite happy with the notebook, overall. It has worked well for 2 1/2 years. It has a terrific 17" monitor, the colors of which I have been quite happy with.
It has taken some abuse, been dropped a few times, and still kept working more or less fine.
Not bad for a $700 notebook, from that period of time. It has its glitches (every couple of days, the screen just goes black, and I have to put it to sleep and wake it back up to get it to light up again ... but that isn't very difficult), but overall I have been quite happy with it. |
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JuntaJoe
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 7391
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:48 am Post subject: |
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The sleep function is infamous for glitches across a number of pc brands.
Imo, just turn the thing off and you'll have fewer hassles. Malware is infamous for using that sleep mode down time to perform their nasty functions. Zombie computers could spread far less grief if turned off for that half day or longer they aren't in use.
Even if you don't have a zombie the sleep still is glitchy with certain OS arrangements in different brands.
Besides, it still sucks some power in sleep mode. Putting vampire appliances to bed will save a few bucks on your electric bill if you fix a lot of them.
Anyway, Acer is well known for their issues.
If you want a good inexpensive brand then look into Toshiba. |
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