My Laptop can't exceed 16GB RAM How can I Boost it ?

Darren · Mar 7, 2019

jo86 said:
Is it possible theoretically to buy a new processor then ? (like is the swap operation simple ?). I figure you'll tell me it's best to just buy a new computer then, but a really good processor here would be about 500€, still better than a computer (although I'd sell my current one obviously...). Eh. Can't be screwed to start all over again, reinstalling all the software etc...

Unfortunately not. They're all soldered in on modern laptop boards. Even those that you can change have very specific chips they'll take and it's not as easy as a desktop to just plug and play a new CPU.

You could sell it ASAP as it's a pretty nice laptop and still valuable, just not geared for your use. That or make do and save for something nicer (probably what I'd do).

A cooling pad might help keep the CPU from throttling as much during heavy usage.

jo86 · Mar 7, 2019

Darren said:
Unfortunately not. They're all soldered in on modern laptop boards. Even those that you can change have very specific chips they'll take and it's not as easy as a desktop to just plug and play a new CPU.

You could sell it ASAP as it's a pretty nice laptop and still valuable, just not geared for your use. That or make do and save for something nicer (probably what I'd do).

A cooling pad might help keep the CPU from throttling as much during heavy usage.

Yeah I actually thought of selling it immediately, but then again the hassle of having to reinstall everything... wait I'm not sure all of a sudden, is it possible to just swap my current hard drive with a new computer and have everything installed as it currently is ? Already have a cooling pad, but it's less overheating the problem, more I'd love even speedier/more robust performance.

johnb35 · Mar 7, 2019

jo86 said:
is it possible to just swap my current hard drive with a new computer and have everything installed as it currently is ?

No, You can't take a hard drive from one system and put in another and have it work correctly. The installation was setup for the original computer and plus windows will recognize its in a different system and want to be reactivated which you won't be able to.

TheRealSwede · Mar 8, 2019

jo86 said:
Is it possible theoretically to buy a new processor then ? (like is the swap operation simple ?). I figure you'll tell me it's best to just buy a new computer then, but a really good processor here would be about 500€, still better than a computer (although I'd sell my current one obviously...). Eh. Can't be screwed to start all over again, reinstalling all the software etc...

First of all Its not easy at all to change a processor in a laptop, and besides that it´s more likely that it is the chipset on your motherboard that is the most limiting part.

jo86 · Mar 8, 2019

johnb35 said:
No, You can't take a hard drive from one system and put in another and have it work correctly. The installation was setup for the original computer and plus windows will recognize its in a different system and want to be reactivated which you won't be able to.

Well... let's suppose I buy a new laptop with the same HD configuration (one SSD and one HDD) and upon receiving the new laptop I make the switch. What happens when I turn on the new laptop (with now my current SSD and HDD) ? Does it get really angry or does it not just load Windows as it's been installed on this hard drive ? I know you've just answered no it wouldn't, but what would happen if I press power after the hard disk switch ? Error page ?

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

TheRealSwede said:
First of all Its not easy at all to change a processor in a laptop, and besides that it´s more likely that it is the chipset on your motherboard that is the most limiting part.

The chipset is limiting it? What does that even mean?

jo86 said:
Well... let's suppose I buy a new laptop with the same HD configuration (one SSD and one HDD) and upon receiving the new laptop I make the switch. What happens when I turn on the new laptop (with now my current SSD and HDD) ? Does it get really angry or does it not just load Windows as it's been installed on this hard drive ? I know you've just answered no it wouldn't, but what would happen if I press power after the hard disk switch ? Error page ?

Honestly it would probably still fire up into Windows. The activation would be broken most likely, and you'd need to reinstall some drivers but it would probably still work. You're not supposed to do it but modern OS's are pretty good at recovering from HW changes.

jo86 · Mar 8, 2019

Darren said:
The chipset is limiting it? What does that even mean?

Honestly it would probably still fire up into Windows. The activation would be broken most likely, and you'd need to reinstall some drivers but it would probably still work. You're not supposed to do it but modern OS's are pretty good at recovering from HW changes.

ooh.... that's so tempting now. I've read up on it, they say it wouldn't quite work because of various reasons, and yes drivers were one of the points, but I reckon it would just start up like regular. Maybe yeah just a problem with Windows activation, which may be the whole problem. Haven't tried anything like that before though, so I figured I'd ask more experienced people directly.

In any case is there a way to make sort of a mirror image of my current Windows with all the software, all passwords/usernames for each installed program etc... and transfer that onto a new hard drive ? I remember you could do that with Mac (although perhaps not the passwords, you had to retype those in) but it would make a direct copy of your laptop exactly as it was.

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

jo86 said:
ooh.... that's so tempting now. I've read up on it, they say it wouldn't quite work because of various reasons, and yes drivers were one of the points, but I reckon it would just start up like regular. Maybe yeah just a problem with Windows activation, which may be the whole problem. Haven't tried anything like that before though, so I figured I'd ask more experienced people directly.

In any case is there a way to make sort of a mirror image of my current Windows with all the software, all passwords/usernames for each installed program etc... and transfer that onto a new hard drive ? I remember you could do that with Mac (although perhaps not the passwords, you had to retype those in) but it would make a direct copy of your laptop exactly as it was.

Macrium Reflect free will do this. My past 2 jobs over the last few years have dealt extensively with installing/imaging Windows and it's actually pretty unusual for it to not at least fire into Windows. You definitely want to be sure to get all your drivers cleaned up but it should be ok in my experience.

OmniDyne · Mar 8, 2019

Darren said:
Honestly it would probably still fire up into Windows. The activation would be broken most likely, and you'd need to reinstall some drivers but it would probably still work. You're not supposed to do it but modern OS's are pretty good at recovering from HW changes.

Yep, done this numerous times. Always worked in 7 and 10. Pretty sure I did it with XP once or twice.

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

OmniDyne said:
Yep, done this numerous times. Always worked in 7 and 10. Pretty sure I did it with XP once or twice.

Yeah 7 I definitely had more issues with, but usually if you stayed within the same brand (Dell/HP) and CPU manufacturer it would work.

OmniDyne · Mar 8, 2019

Darren said:
Yeah 7 I definitely had more issues with, but usually if you stayed within the same brand (Dell/HP) and CPU manufacturer it would work.

Actually, I know I did it with XP. Had a Compaq Presario and pulled the 80GB drive out and put it into my Phenom 9550 build. It threw an HP "Code Purple" (hardware change detection, HP motherboard fingerprint software) I couldn't boot into Windows. Pulled the drive and deleted the directory containing the software. Windows booted right up, never reinstalled it, and it ran for many years without an issue.

This is useless information, but it brought back memories ha.

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

OmniDyne said:
Actually, I know I did it with XP. Had a Compaq Presario and pulled the 80GB drive out and put it into my Phenom 9550 build. It threw an HP "Code Purple" (hardware change detection, HP motherboard fingerprint software) I couldn't boot into Windows. Pulled the drive and deleted the directory containing the software. Windows booted right up, never reinstalled it, and it ran for many years without an issue.

This is useless information, but it brought back memories ha.

Stuff like this is why I despise HP and everything they've built their empire upon.

johnb35 · Mar 8, 2019

You will most likely get a blue screen when booting up with the wrong drive installed.

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

johnb35 said:
You will most likely get a blue screen when booting up with the wrong drive installed.

I'm sorry but this just isn't really true with 10. If you're in the same boot/SATA mode as the original machine and it's Windows 10 it will most likely boot. Probably run a "setting up devices" and a couple extra things but it's pretty rare for it to not work.

Not saying it won't but I actually haven't seen a BSOD from this specifically in at least a year. Usually if it gives issue it just gets stuck in a boot loop.

jo86 · Mar 8, 2019

Daaaaammn... so tempted to do it now. It's surely better to sell now when it's all shiny than lose a few hundred bucks in the future selling it. Alright alright how much do you want for it ?

Cromewell · Mar 8, 2019

Darren said:
My past 2 jobs over the last few years have dealt extensively with installing/imaging Windows and it's actually pretty unusual for it to not at least fire into Windows.

I've always found it to blue screen unless moving to identical hardware. Running a repair install always fixed it though without needing to format or anything.

Darren · Mar 8, 2019

Cromewell said:
I've always found it to blue screen unless moving to identical hardware. Running a repair install always fixed it though without needing to format or anything.

*shrugs wildly*

Yeah it's definitely gotten more resilient in recent years, even from earlier versions of 10 to now. A repair install usually cleaned up anything left tho and anymore it just does that initial setup without even needing the ISO.

OmniDyne · Mar 8, 2019

Cromewell said:
I've always found it to blue screen unless moving to identical hardware. Running a repair install always fixed it though without needing to format or anything.

Interesting for sure. Never had a blue screen in that situation and hardware was always different, as in completely different chipsets. Intel to AMD, AMD to Intel, didn't matter. I took the SSD from my FX-8300 with Windows 10 on it and threw it in a 7700K build and it booted right up.

Cromewell · Mar 11, 2019

OmniDyne said:
Interesting for sure. Never had a blue screen in that situation and hardware was always different, as in completely different chipsets. Intel to AMD, AMD to Intel, didn't matter. I took the SSD from my FX-8300 with Windows 10 on it and threw it in a 7700K build and it booted right up.

I think Darren has the perfect reaction to this

Darren said:
*shrugs wildly*

I guess the take away here is your mileage may vary. If it works, great, if it doesn't it's not that hard to fix.

jo86 · Mar 12, 2019

Oh forgot btw that Windows is installed on that little m.2 chip drive... I've been reading around, looking at different solutions or ideas...
How would you guys go about cloning your current m.2 ssd onto another one ? Or can it be detached and directly installed into the new computer... I think on some laptops those m.2's are welded onto the motherboard.

My Laptop can't exceed 16GB RAM How can I Boost it ?

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