Upgrading my notebook

[se7en]

alright computer nerds i need to pick your brain

I have a Toshiba Satellite M50, it has a Celron M processore 1.5ghz
512megs of ram [2 of the kingston valueram things]
and its video card is a ATI Raedon Mobile or something which pinches 64megs of memory
and a 40gig hard drive

What i want to do is upgrade my ram and video memory to make my notebook faster and more capable to run games, this is correct yes?

Now to do this, can i just purchase say a 512 or 1gig kingson value ram the same as the 256meg ones i have now and simple replace one of them? [there are the 2 slots for ram] so if i bought a 512 i would then have 768meg, or a 1 gig i would then have....whatever, you know what i mean
is this correct?

And how would i upgrade my video memory, the video card is apparently pretty good as it is what all toshiba notebooks have, increasing the video memory from 64 to 128 would make for better gaming yes? how would this be done?

Thanks to all responses!

[DeLinKweNt21]

you're a brave dude.I'm scared as hell to open my laptop.I do it all the time with my desktop but i'm afraid i might snap something.But umm yea make sure you get the same type of ram capable with your laptop.And a 512 should o the job.But a 1 GB will definetely help.I'm just giving my opinion since i just got my new laptop last week,and the funny thing is.Is that when i was searching for laptops.I think i was gonna buy the one you have.I would have been pissed if i had the problems you're having.

[Lethal]

Upgrading the memory is fine but upgrading the videocard is not a good idea. Laptops are built to suit the videocard. If the chasis cant handle the extra heat from the new videocard the laptop will overheat.

[F34R]

You can't update the video card on that laptop. You can only upgrade the hard drive and system memory (RAM).

[Lethal]

You can't update the video card on that laptop. You can only upgrade the hard drive and system memory (RAM).

Sure you can. There is even a story in last months MaximumPC on how to upgrade your laptop.

[[Danny]]

hey, can i upgrade the video card in my dell c640? if anyone know how, PM me please!

[F34R]

You can't update the video card on that laptop. You can only upgrade the hard drive and system memory (RAM).

Sure you can. There is even a story in last months MaximumPC on how to upgrade your laptop.

Read what I said. You can't upgrade the video on THAT laptop. Meaning not his, that one, etc.

[Lethal]

I am pretty sure you can upgrade up to an ATI X600 128mb card on THAT laptop.

Now if the video is integregated then you wont be able to upgrade.

[F34R]

Could you please post the exact model number for your Toshiba laptop ? Or at least right click on My Computer, go to properties, and choose device manager. Then click the PLUS sign next to display adapters and list what it shows there.

I am pretty sure you can upgrade up to an ATI X600 128mb card on THAT laptop.

Now if the video is integregated then you wont be able to upgrade.

Since you already edited your post....

That was what I was getting at. The M50 series has an integrated graphics chip. I wanted to know the specific model so that I can confirm it for sure though. The M50 series is a budget series notebook. 99% of the time, budget line components do not include a custom motherboard that would allow you to swap out the video card. That is usually reserved for the hardcore gamer rigs, with a premium price.

[se7en]

First, the first guy to reply, i didnt say i had any problems, you would have been happy if you did get this laptop! i am! im not having problems i just wish to upgrade for the sake of it.

Im not interested in getting a new video card anyway, but i notice that the 64megs of video memory is pinched from the system memory, as instead of 512 it says 448megs. Anyway, is there a way to make the 64 into 128?

And if i want to upgrade my 512 megs of ram to the 1gig, do i have to replace both of the ram boards from 2x 256 meg ones to 2x 512 ones? or could i just buy one 512 board and put it in and have 768megs of ram?

[F34R]

If the integrated accelerator allows for more memory allocation, then you can change that from 64MB to whatever the limit is by using the BIOS settings.

You can change the ram modules to any configuration that your motherboard supports. More than likely you can just replace one of the 256 chips with a new 512 stick, and have 768 as you idicated above.

[se7en]

thanks heaps fear
where are these bios settings? and say i was to upgrade my video memory from 64 to 128 meg, that would make the laptop more sufficient for gaming yes?

[Lethal]

That was what I was getting at. The M50 series has an integrated graphics chip. I wanted to know the specific model so that I can confirm it for sure though. The M50 series is a budget series notebook. 99% of the time, budget line components do not include a custom motherboard that would allow you to swap out the video card. That is usually reserved for the hardcore gamer rigs, with a premium price.

Ya I edited because I know for sure that there is a M50 series that doenst use integrated video. I was just keeping his hopes is all. :)

[se7en]

so does anyone know how i can allocate more ram to the video memory?

[F34R]

That was what I was getting at. The M50 series has an integrated graphics chip. I wanted to know the specific model so that I can confirm it for sure though. The M50 series is a budget series notebook. 99% of the time, budget line components do not include a custom motherboard that would allow you to swap out the video card. That is usually reserved for the hardcore gamer rigs, with a premium price.

Ya I edited because I know for sure that there is a M50 series that doenst use integrated video. I was just keeping his hopes is all. :)

The M50 series doesnt have any laptop that allows you to change out the video card in them. Just because a laptop uses a x600 subsystem doesnt mean you can change it. The subsystem is built onto the motherboard. It doesnt have a pci/agp/PCI-Express, slot. Technically, all of the M50 laptops have integrated video on the motherboard. Be it an Intel shared system, or an ATI x600 subsystem. If someone would post the exact model number, I can tell you for sure what resources you have available. Until then, here is a link to browse over:

LINKY (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cdetland.to?adoid=1170192&ccid=1291021&rcid=-26367&famoid=-26377&coid=-29483&seg=HHO&poid=299433)

As far as increasing the memory allocated for your video system, you'll need to adjust that in the BIOS.

[se7en]

fear, can u please tell me what the bios are and where i can allocate more video memory?

[Richie C]

Hit DELETE or something similar at startup to get to the BIOS. I wouldn't bother if I were you, it won't play games at a decent rate no matter how much memory you allocate it, plus the fact it reduces the RAM available. You may not even have the option to do so in the BIOS.

[F34R]

Richie is correct. The more memory you use for the video memory, the more you are taking away from your available system ram. It's going to decrease performance in one area to increase it in another.

The specs of that laptop just arent going to play games very well no matter what.

[RaGe]

you are best off getting a new dell :)

[se7en]

im not looking to get a new laptop as im not looking to play serious games on this laptop, just the occasional game
here is my plan
i will buy a new 512 meg value ram board, so i will have that along with one of my existing 256 meg boards to create 768megs of ram, then i will upgrade [if i can] the video ram from 64 to 128, leaving the system memory with still abobe 512 megs of ram!

i know it wont be sensational but that way it will boost the performace a tad and make me happier and wont loose system memory

would this be a decent thing to do?

[RaGe]

that is if the video is not built into the mobo and you would want to boost it to 1gig

[F34R]

that is if the video is not built into the mobo and you would want to boost it to 1gig

He's talking about increasing the allocated system memory. I think we've established he can't actually PUT a new video card in his laptop.

[se7en]

yeah
i was reading on the toshiba site about my particular laptop, and it says the video card which is currently in it has the postential to be allocated 256megs when the system memory has over 1gig

[se7en]

guys i found on the toshiba site, my model notebook
and it says the video card has dynamicly allocated memory from 8-256 megs [when over 1 gig of system memory] and so does this mean it would use up to 256 megs when needed? this is good if so