[SOLVED] RAM and deterioration over time

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dajjorg

dajjorg

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Apr 30, 2020
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Hi all,

I’m looking to buy a new PC. I don’t game or video edit, i only use my PC to make very basic powerpoints and for web browsing. I bought a dirt cheap 4GB ram laptop that worked sufficiently fast for my very basic needs the first 2 years, but has been dirt slow the last 2 years 🙁

Would buying a pc with more RAM (8, 12, or 16GB) also mean a longer shelf life for getting decent speeds out of it? Or is any PC, regardless of how many GB’s of RAM it initially has, gonna become dirt slow after a couple years use?
 
Solution
USAFRet
dajjorg said:
Well, both SSD and Ram stick have been ordered. Youtube tutorials seem to abound on how to install them both, and yeah, the clean install before I put in the SSD.

USAFRet, thank you immensely. If you ever find yourself back in Madrid, dig up this old thread and hit me up, drinks will be on me. My word is my bond.
Click to expand...
You're on!

(but the clean install happens AFTER you install the new SSD)

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...
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Peter Kobl said:
sorry USAFRet

it was meant for dajjorg,
who wrote something like that in his/her initial post
Click to expand...
Hi Peter, thanks for the advice here, I’ll look into this and probably do it too, cuz it’ll be a couple days before the SSD arrives and a couple weeks before the RAM stick arrives.

My browser is Chrome, but when it’s bad, it’s not limited to just Chrome. When it’s bad, switching between Chrome windows might take a minute each time, and switching to another program a couple minutes, and opening a new program up maybe 5-8 minutes.

Honestly it might have something to do with the fan also, as alluded to by Third-Eye in the initial thread response, being that it usually gets worse over the course of my session use. When i turn it off and turn it back on for example, it usually works decently for the first half hour. But even “decently” would be pretty lousy according to anyone else’s standards (5-15 seconds switching windows in a program, 1-3 minutes opening a new program).

At this point i’ve more or less mentally committed myself to buy an SSD and a RAM stick. It’ll be good, should be a cheaper performance upgrade and also force me to learn a little more about computers, as this thread has already done.
 
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Peter Kobl said:
Hi again USAFRet,
Looking back at your initial posting you write that you only do basic PowerPoints and browsing on your current HW.

So, I think the next thing to do to save your current HW from the dump, would be to do a browser cleanup.
It's easier if you write what browser you are using.
What is/are you current browser/ browsers?

Also do you use browser "bookmarks" and do you use the feature where the browser offers to save "passwords"?

You have any browser extensions/add-ons installed?
Would be nice to know.

--Peter Kobl
Click to expand...

I use Chrome.
Don’t use bookmarks.
I don’t save passwords on my browser, nor use the function where it auto-fills forms out for me.
Extensions, I’ll have to check.

Programs that open unprompted every time i restart my computer are Malwarebytes and Windscribe, the latter being a VPN. Maybe they are running significantly heavy tasks in the background even after i close them down. Upon starting up my computer, there are 83 background tasks running according to Task Manager... does that seem typical?

I used to use CCleaner from time to time, but have fallen out of the habit. But again, reduced speed is not limited to Chrome or internet browsers.
 
Last edited:
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Peter Kobl said:
Hi again USAFRet,
Looking back at your initial posting you write that you only do basic PowerPoints and browsing on your current HW.

So, I think the next thing to do to save your current HW from the dump, would be to do a browser cleanup.
It's easier if you write what browser you are using.
What is/are you current browser/ browsers?

Also do you use browser "bookmarks" and do you use the feature where the browser offers to save "passwords"?

You have any browser extensions/add-ons installed?
Would be nice to know.

--Peter Kobl
Click to expand...

83 background tasks & 96 Windows processes upon start-up with no apps open except Task Manager & File Explorer

Chrome extensions:
-Adblock
-Backspace means backspace!
-Looper for youtube
-Norton Security toolbar (disabled)
-Google Docs offline

Chrome Apps:
-Docs (disabled)
-Google Hangouts (disabled)
-Sheets
-Slides
 
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A certain user here seems pretty set on promoting his agenda, whatever that is, and is also trying to sow distrust.

Sorry dajjorg, I am not going to contribute or answer anything more in this thread.
 
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The reason I asked, is because we see a LOT of spam here, just like that.
If it is not yours, no harm no foul.

And as far as 'agenda'? I have none. If you looked, I changed from "don't spend a dime on this system", to "Yeah, maybe a new drive, more RAM, and a clean install will breath a couple years more life into it"
That change was due to new info coming from the OP and their local economics.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
Hey Peter, I appreciate the help, but I also see where USAFRet gets his suspicion. It seems like you just created your profile today, and USAFRet (plus some other users) have been answering my questions meticulously over the past 24 hours now. I'm def gonna look into everything you've posted, as it'll be some time before I have both new SSD and new RAM stick installed.

USAFRet: I'm gonna pull the trigger now. is there any advantage to buying Sata 6.0 SSD over a SATA 3.0, now or in the future? or is SATA 6.0 never really gonna be of any advantage on $200-$300 laptops (including going into the future) due to other LIMFAC's?
 
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dajjorg said:
Hey Peter, I appreciate the help, but I also see where USAFRet gets his suspicion. It seems like you just created your profile today, and USAFRet (plus some other users) have been answering my questions meticulously over the past 24 hours now. I'm def gonna look into everything you've posted, as it'll be some time before I have both new SSD and new RAM stick installed.

USAFRet: I'm gonna pull the trigger now. is there any advantage to buying Sata 6.0 SSD over a SATA 3.0, now or in the future? or is SATA 6.0 never really gonna be of any advantage on $200-$300 laptops (including going into the future) due to other LIMFAC's?
Click to expand...
Yes, the SATA III (6.0gbs) will be an advantage.
Both are miles faster than your existing HDD, but there is an advantage.
Plus, that physical drive (not the OS on it) will almost certainly be usable in the future in a different system.
 
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USAFRet said:
Yes, the SATA III (6.0gbs) will be an advantage.
Both are miles faster than your existing HDD, but there is an advantage.
Plus, that physical drive (not the OS on it) will almost certainly be usable in the future in a different system.
Click to expand...

So SATA III would not be upwards compatible with future laptops running a SATA 6.0 interface i take is...
 
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dajjorg said:
So SATA III would not be upwards compatible with future laptops running a SATA 6.0 interface i take is...
Click to expand...
SATA III is 6.0gbps
SATA II is 3.0.

Confusing, right?

But SATA is backwards and forwards compatible. It just runs at the slowest connection type.
A SATA II drive in a SATA III port still runs at SATA II peed.
A SATA III driev in a SATA II port runs at SATA II speed.

Now...eventually, future laptops may do away with a SATA connection completely. In favor of an M.2 connection. In which case, no 2.5" SATA drive would work.
Evolving technologies.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
Ufff, the extra 20 Euros isn't too bad, but having to put up with this laptop possibly another week sucks... but if it'll save me from having to buy another later on, i'll suck it up.
 
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dajjorg said:
Ufff, the extra 20 Euros isn't too bad, but having to put up with this laptop possibly another week sucks... but if it'll save me from having to buy another later on, i'll suck it up.
Click to expand...
Don't get any SSD advertised as SATA 3Gb/II/2. You want SATA 6Gb/III/3 that is advertised as 250-256GB or 500-512GB with both read and write speeds of 520-550MBps.

What SSD models are available to you? Samsung 850 Evo or 860 Evo would be the best drives to buy. Crucial MX500 and Western Digital Blue 3D are also very good.
 
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USAFRet said:
SATA III is 6.0gbps
SATA II is 3.0.

Confusing, right?

But SATA is backwards and forwards compatible. It just runs at the slowest connection type.
A SATA II drive in a SATA III port still runs at SATA II peed.
A SATA III driev in a SATA II port runs at SATA II speed.

Now...eventually, future laptops may do away with a SATA connection completely. In favor of an M.2 connection. In which case, no 2.5" SATA drive would work.
Evolving technologies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, didnt realize that terminology difference there.

So maybe the Corte Ingles one (which I can have by Sunday), is SATA III ? I can't tell, it says SATA Revision 3.0 in the name of the product at the top, but maybe whoever created the descrption isn't aware of the III vs 3.0 distinction and thought they were interchangeable (like me):
https://www.elcorteingles.es/electr...rno-sandisk-ssd-plus-sata-revision-30-480-gb/



Cuz here another website reviews the same product and lists it as SATA III not SATA 3.0
https://digitea.es/sandisk-ssd-plus-480-gb-opiniones/
 
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Third-Eye said:
Don't get any SSD advertised as SATA 3Gb/II/2. You want SATA 6Gb/III/3 that is advertised as 250-256GB or 500-512GB with both read and write speeds of 520-550MBps.

What SSD models are available to you? Samsung 850 Evo or 860 Evo would be the best drives to buy. Crucial MX500 and Western Digital Blue 3D are also very good.
Click to expand...

I was only looking at the two you already suggested:
https://www.elcorteingles.es/electr...rno-sandisk-ssd-plus-sata-revision-30-480-gb/

https://www.mediamarkt.es/es/produc...gadas-interfaz-sata-6-gb-s-negro-1397299.html
 
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Well, both SSD and Ram stick have been ordered. Youtube tutorials seem to abound on how to install them both, and yeah, the clean install before I put in the SSD.

USAFRet, thank you immensely. If you ever find yourself back in Madrid, dig up this old thread and hit me up, drinks will be on me. My word is my bond.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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