Should I upgrade my laptop?

[SickBeast]

Hi guys,

My sister just gave me her old laptop. Here are the specs:

Acer Travelmate 4000

Centrino "Dothan" 1.5ghz w/ 2mb cache
512mb DDR memory
Intel integrated graphics
40gb hard drive (15-25mb/sec read speed, 18ms access time)
4400mAh battery
15" 1280x800 display
Integrated bluetooth and firewire

I need to replace the battery. I got software that says it's "75% worn out". Ubuntu also warned me that my battery is "damaged" (how it knows this I have no idea).

A new battery will cost me around $80CDN, taxes in and shipped ($65US or so).

I was considering maybe upgrading to a 120gb 5400rpm hard drive for $54CDN ($45US or so).

Also, to add 1gb of ram is around $50CDN ($38US or so).

Should I spend that $163CDN, or invest that into a netbook or something? Should I just get the battery?

The laptop is nice and does what I need it to do (word processing, creating presentations, surfing the web, and light gaming). It currently lasts around 2 hours on a battery charge if I underclock and undervolt the processor, and use the laptop frugally with very agressive power savings. I figure I would easily get 5 hours of battery life with a new battery.

Right now I don't get enough battery life out of this thing for it to be useful for me. I need it to at least last through a 3 hour lecture.

 

[corkyg]

Three hours is about max for that unit even with a new battery.

Other than that, I would do the stated upgrades. The machine is not that "old."

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Three hours is about max for that unit even with a new battery.

Other than that, I would do the stated upgrades. The machine is not that "old."

I've read conflicting reports on the battery.

Some say 4.5 hours, others say 2 hours.

Where did you see it gets 3 hours?

 

[SickBeast]

I need more opinions on this before I do it.

Should I wait it out a bit for an SSD?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Where did you see it gets 3 hours?

14 years of laptop experience with 6 of them. They get better, but every time you use and charge it, it gets a little bit less, and eventually, in about 3 years of steady use, it dies.

SSD? They are still horribly expensive. The big power users are the display and the optical drive. For display, smaller is better when it comes to power consumption.

 

[NitrouseXpress60]

yeah go for it. i maxed out my thinkpad with the only difference mine has 1.6ghz dothan.

 

[nortexoid]

Is there no option for a higher capacity/larger cell battery? Anyway, I would certainly go with updgrading that thing than buying a piece of crap, worthless netbook. Buy a cheap enclosure and use the 40gb hdd for backup. It's not a lot, but it's enough (for me) to backup all my music and documents.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: nortexoid
Is there no option for a higher capacity/larger cell battery? Anyway, I would certainly go with updgrading that thing than buying a piece of crap, worthless netbook. Buy a cheap enclosure and use the 40gb hdd for backup. It's not a lot, but it's enough (for me) to backup all my music and documents.

All I can find is a replacement battery, which I assume is a 6-cell 4400mAh unit.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

I'm getting the battery for now, and I'll upgrade the hard drive once it's full.

 

[Ratman6161]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I need more opinions on this before I do it.

Should I wait it out a bit for an SSD?

Ok, I'll be the counterpoint. I say no, don't bother upgrading it. There is only so much difference you are going to be able to make - and it isn't much. The cost of components adds up very quickly with notebooks and with new ones getting so cheap its hardly worth it. for about $500 US you can get new notebook that, while a base model, will blow away what you have now.

An SSD in your current system? Definitely out of the question.

PS: 2 hours on a battery on that system is not that bad. No you definitely will not get 5 hours on a battery even with a new one. Perhaps 3 if you are lucky. I'd say if its working for you as is, just use it and save your money.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Ratman6161

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I need more opinions on this before I do it.

Should I wait it out a bit for an SSD?

Ok, I'll be the counterpoint. I say no, don't bother upgrading it. There is only so much difference you are going to be able to make - and it isn't much. The cost of components adds up very quickly with notebooks and with new ones getting so cheap its hardly worth it. for about $500 US you can get new notebook that, while a base model, will blow away what you have now.

An SSD in your current system? Definitely out of the question.

PS: 2 hours on a battery on that system is not that bad. No you definitely will not get 5 hours on a battery even with a new one. Perhaps 3 if you are lucky. I'd say if its working for you as is, just use it and save your money.

It turns out my sister never ran the thing on battery power. Any damage to the battery comes from overcharging I guess. They say that you shouldn't keep a laptop battery 100% charged all the time; it should be at 40% for storage.

I'm actually getting 2.5 hours of battery life with the laptop undervolted and at minimum LCD brightness.

I'm going to hold off on all upgrades for now.

Thanks for your counterpoint, Ratman.

 

[EarthwormJim]

More RAM might get you some more battery life too, you'll be using the pagefile less often (hypothetically.)

I really don't see you getting more than 3.5 hours with that laptop and a new battery (4400mAh is pretty small capacity.)