| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
|
 Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
 |
|
I've got a really old laptop. Sony Vaio VGN. A290. It's been with me from the start, it's got sentimental value. Plus it still runs fine and I can play older games that Windows 7 on my new laptop doesn't support.
I want to clone the hard drive and swap it out. But since it's so old, I'm not if it can handle a 7200 RPM or even a 5400 RPM. Here are the specs, can you give some feed back?
Platform Technology Intel Centrino
Processor Intel Pentium M 735 / 1.7 GHz
Data Bus Speed 400 MHz
Features Enhanced SpeedStep technology, power optimized processor system bus
Chipset Type Intel 855PM
Type L2 cache
Installed Size 2 MB
Installed Size 1 GB / 2 GB (max)
Technology DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz
Memory Specification Compliance PC2700
Storage Controller
Type IDE
Hard Drive 100 GB
Display Type 17" TFT
Max Resolution 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA )
Widescreen Display Yes
Features X BRITE
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
Video Memory 64 MB |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
|
|
| winterfall wrote: |
I've got a really old laptop. Sony Vaio VGN. A290. It's been with me from the start, it's got sentimental value. Plus it still runs fine and I can play older games that Windows 7 on my new laptop doesn't support.
I want to clone the hard drive and swap it out. But since it's so old, I'm not if it can handle a 7200 RPM or even a 5400 RPM. Here are the specs, can you give some feed back?
Platform Technology Intel Centrino
Processor Intel Pentium M 735 / 1.7 GHz
Data Bus Speed 400 MHz
Features Enhanced SpeedStep technology, power optimized processor system bus
Chipset Type Intel 855PM
Type L2 cache
Installed Size 2 MB
Installed Size 1 GB / 2 GB (max)
Technology DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz
Memory Specification Compliance PC2700
Storage Controller
Type IDE
Hard Drive 100 GB
Display Type 17" TFT
Max Resolution 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA )
Widescreen Display Yes
Features X BRITE
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
Video Memory 64 MB |
It CAN handle any type specific IDE HDD that will physically fit into the space. (some older models had proprietary HDD connections).
Your local laptop repair shop (or one at the seon-in plaza at Yongsan) can take care if it for you. You should be able to get 500GB installed for under 80k.
. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks ttompatz. No need to worry about a 7200 rpm hdd burning out my mother board or wrecking havoc on my batteries? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| winterfall wrote: |
| Thanks ttompatz. No need to worry about a 7200 rpm hdd burning out my mother board or wrecking havoc on my batteries? |
No more than a 5400rpm one.
. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cmr
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:01 am Post subject: Re: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
|
|
| ttompatz wrote: |
You should be able to get 500GB installed for under 80k.
. |
The above statement is not likely to be a good one.
Before you actually "buy" a new HDD, try it to make sure it can work in your computer. Not all older motherboards will accept 500GB HDD's, especially with a laptop that's 8 years old. In your case, I checked with Sony and here is the answer I got from them:
> According to the information available, your computer is shipped with the 100 GB hard drive.
> The maximum supported hard drive capacity by the computer is 100 GB.
BUT!!! You may still be able to get a bigger HDD, maybe not 500GB, but perhaps 250BG. Try it! I wanted to put a 500GB in a Toshiba laptop that's just 3 or 4 years old and it wouldn't take it. One guy I know couldn't put one in his Mac (beats me what model, I don't know anything about Apple products). On the other hand, the 500GB 7200RPM I wanted to put in the Toshiba is now in an HP laptop about that same age as the Toshiba and it works perfectly fine; although, HP told me the laptop couldn't handle more than 250GB, but it does.
So, all that to say you need to try it to see if it works, but don't get your hopes up for 500GB.
Cheers! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:43 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
|
|
| cmr wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
You should be able to get 500GB installed for under 80k.
. |
The above statement is not likely to be a good one.
Before you actually "buy" a new HDD, try it to make sure it can work in your computer. Not all older motherboards will accept 500GB HDD's, especially with a laptop that's 8 years old. In your case, I checked with Sony and here is the answer I got from them:
> According to the information available, your computer is shipped with the 100 GB hard drive.
> The maximum supported hard drive capacity by the computer is 100 GB.
BUT!!! You may still be able to get a bigger HDD, maybe not 500GB, but perhaps 250BG. Try it! I wanted to put a 500GB in a Toshiba laptop that's just 3 or 4 years old and it wouldn't take it. One guy I know couldn't put one in his Mac (beats me what model, I don't know anything about Apple products). On the other hand, the 500GB 7200RPM I wanted to put in the Toshiba is now in an HP laptop about that same age as the Toshiba and it works perfectly fine; although, HP told me the laptop couldn't handle more than 250GB, but it does.
So, all that to say you need to try it to see if it works, but don't get your hopes up for 500GB.
Cheers! |
Thanks I did talk to Sony before about ram upgrades. They told me they don't sell the parts anymore. I found a 3rd party supplier, he charged a lot for em. So I figured hard drive was the next best thing.
I've rethinking the whole upgrade thing and just run this to it's grave. I tried taking it apart to clean the fan and couldn't get to the inwards easily. This thing just does not come apart. Not very upgrade friendly. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
carleverson
Joined: 04 Dec 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
|
|
| winterfall wrote: |
| cmr wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
You should be able to get 500GB installed for under 80k.
. |
The above statement is not likely to be a good one.
Before you actually "buy" a new HDD, try it to make sure it can work in your computer. Not all older motherboards will accept 500GB HDD's, especially with a laptop that's 8 years old. In your case, I checked with Sony and here is the answer I got from them:
> According to the information available, your computer is shipped with the 100 GB hard drive.
> The maximum supported hard drive capacity by the computer is 100 GB.
BUT!!! You may still be able to get a bigger HDD, maybe not 500GB, but perhaps 250BG. Try it! I wanted to put a 500GB in a Toshiba laptop that's just 3 or 4 years old and it wouldn't take it. One guy I know couldn't put one in his Mac (beats me what model, I don't know anything about Apple products). On the other hand, the 500GB 7200RPM I wanted to put in the Toshiba is now in an HP laptop about that same age as the Toshiba and it works perfectly fine; although, HP told me the laptop couldn't handle more than 250GB, but it does.
So, all that to say you need to try it to see if it works, but don't get your hopes up for 500GB.
Cheers! |
Thanks I did talk to Sony before about ram upgrades. They told me they don't sell the parts anymore. I found a 3rd party supplier, he charged a lot for em. So I figured hard drive was the next best thing.
I've rethinking the whole upgrade thing and just run this to it's grave. I tried taking it apart to clean the fan and couldn't get to the inwards easily. This thing just does not come apart. Not very upgrade friendly. |
Maybe it's time to buy a new laptop you cheapskate pennypincher! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrading a 8 year old Laptop |
|
|
| carleverson wrote: |
Maybe it's time to buy a new laptop you cheapskate pennypincher! |
Maybe you should read the whole thread before you flame someone troll
| winterfall wrote: |
it's got sentimental value. Plus it still runs fine and I can play older games that Windows 7 on my new laptop doesn't support. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Here is an idea: If you're unable to add a new 500 G hard drive, you might want to purchase an external hard disk storage unit. That's what I use. I save stuff onto it every week.
Best of luck with that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Giant
Joined: 14 May 2003
Location: South Korea
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If its that old, it will be IDE. As far as I know, for laptops that are IDE you can't get big sizes. I remember the last IDE 2.5" size drive I bought, the largest I could find was a 160GB.
I may be wrong but check it out when you go buy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hallazgo
Joined: 22 Oct 2010
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
| that old of a computer will only be IDE and those are getting harder and harder to find. Getting a big one isn't the brightest idea, since 8 years is a lifetime in laptop time. Instead get whatever you can find that is under the 100gb limit and also buy a nice external drive to hold all your stuff. When the laptop finally goes feet up, the HDD won't be any good to you since the newer ones won't support IDE and your files will all be nice and safe on the external |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Giant
Joined: 14 May 2003
Location: South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 5:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Also, with a laptop that old, it may not be USB 2.0 compatible.... so even an external drive would be very slow. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zhanknight
Joined: 24 Mar 2010
Location: Yangsan
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Just wanted to throw in more information.
The specs you posted do state that it's an IDE drive. SATA is the standard these days and has been for some time. They are not compatible.
You will have trouble finding 2.5" (laptop sized) IDE hard drives these days, I think. As for a 500 Gig IDE drive, even more unlikely. If you can find one though, go ahead and try to bump the spindle speed up - it won't cause any problems. It will get warmer, but that shouldn't be a big issue unless the cooling system on the laptop is weak.
Have you maxed out the ram? It may be just as tough hunting down some DDR333 laptop ram, but it would make a huge difference jumping from 1 gig to 2 gig.. more so than a faster hard drive.
Is this the original drive? If so, back it up in any way you can. 8 years is pushing it!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
