Certified IT Support Professional Learning Resources Laptop Upgrading

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Laptop Upgrading


Upgrade the memory in  laptop
Almost every laptop and portable computer allows a user to upgrade the memory (RAM) in the computer. Often this is done by opening a compartment on the bottom of the laptop and adding or removing and adding a new stick of memory.

Many times you must purchase the memory for your laptop through the laptop manufacturer or an authorized dealer. However, many memory manufacturers and companies also make compatible memory for many of the newer laptops. If you have questions about your laptops memory specifications or how to upgrade the memory you should contact the manufacturer of your laptop.

A listing of memory manufacturers and related web pages can also be found on our memory network section.

Upgrade the processor in laptop
Some laptop and portable computer manufacturers allow their customers to upgrade their processor speeds. However, if available seriously consider the upgrade in speed and the cost, often for the amount of money spent and the little increase in performance it may not be worth the upgrade. This upgrade often requires the laptop computer or portable computer manufacturer or authorized repair shop to perform the upgrade and is not something an end-user will be able to do.

If you are curious about the availability of upgrading your laptop or portable computer processor and the cost involved you must contact the laptop manufacturer for additional information.

Upgrade  video card in  laptop
Some new high performance laptop and portable computer manufacturers are coming out with models that enable users to upgrade the video card or video accelerator it came shipped with. Unless your one of the lucky few who have one of these laptops or portable computer you will not be able to upgrade your video card.

If you are unsure contact the laptop manufacturer for additional information.

Can I upgrade other peripherals such as the modem or network card in  laptop?

We are unfamiliar with any laptop or portable computer manufacturer that offers an upgrade for the internal modem or network card that the laptop or portable computer comes with. However, users can purchase a new PC Card or ExpressCard modem, network card, and numerous other peripherals and use these in the PC Card slot as a replacement for the internal component that came with the computer

Upgrade the laptops hard drive
Some manufacturers may allow their users to upgrade the hard drive to a larger size and many times the hard drive is relatively easy to install in a lot of laptops that have this ability.

Although this may be an available option users should also consider external hard drive solutions such as USB or Firewire drives. Although these solutions will be an external solution and may hinder the portability of the computer it is often a cheaper solution and will allow you to upgrade to a much larger capacity.

Users who are curious about upgrading the hard drives in their laptops or portable computers should contact the laptop manufacturer for additional information and availability.

 

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