Is Upgrading to SSD Worth>

[aarook]

Hi,
My current Laptop is Dell Inspiron 15 3542 .
specs:
* Intel i7 4510u
* 500GB HDD
* 4GB Ram
Actually i was thinking of upgrading it to 8GB ram and my 500GB HDD to a 256GB SSD. and i mainly use it for gaming and Android Studio.

1. I would like to know whether WD 240GB Green SATA III 2.5 would be enough?

2. My system has only single RAM slot, what if upgraded RAM to 16GB(Single Stick)? [But, the Dell manual says max memory 8GB | i7-4510u can support max memory of 16GB ]

 

[Kollosso]

Upgrading to an SSD isn't a yes or no question, but rather a choice of personal preference and will to spend money.

Personally I think upgrading to an SSD is worth it, but you have to keep a few things in mind.
You will want to put your Operating System on the SSD, since that's the main purpose. For Windows 7 for example you will need more then 10GB of space if i remember correctly.

Additionally you want to place all programs which you often use on the SSD aswell. For games loading times can be optimized by putting them on the SSD. So factor all that in for the size of your device.

As for RAM, an upgrade can never hurt. I think 8GB will be enough for your gaming purposes on this laptop and you wouldn't profit much from 16GB. But i could be wrong here.

I can't confirm if the SSD you stated will actually fit / be supported by your laptop. Can someone please confirm?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Max RAM for your laptop is what the manual says (8GB).

"i7-4510u can support max memory of 16GB"

Max RAM supported by the CPU is always subject to the max RAM supported by the host motherboard.

 

[mjslakeridge]

I am a little surprised that the Dell laptop only has 1 RAM slot. I had a Dell laptop with the main RAM slot accessable via the removal of a rear panel. A second RAM slot was available by removing the keyboard. (Kind of a pain to do, but we found a video on the procedure). But according to the link you provided, your laptop only has the 1 RAM slot.

Since your current HDD is only 5,400 RPM, a SSD would give you much faster boot times and application launches.