Question Should I buy onboard memory laptop?

himagarwal

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Hi,

I have always come to Tom's for help regarding computer and laptops and each time I was saved from choosing something wrong. I still thank @Eximo for helping me a few years back for selecting right PC configuration for my small office.

I am again at your disposal, if you and other experts here can help me out.....

I am very much interested in buying DELL New Inspiron 15 5590 Laptop (i7-10510U). However it comes with 8GB (4Gx1 + 4G onboard), DDR4, 2666MHz.

I have two questions which I didn't find answer online.

1. What happens if onboard memory gets corrupted? Can laptop just run with another slot memory when the corrupted memory is still attached to it?

2. Can I upgrade the other slot with 16GB memory along with 4G onboard (total 20GB) and it would still be good as any other laptop having 16GB (8+8). I learnt that having same memory size on both slots is the best way to go.

I was also thinking of of DELL New Inspiron 15 7591 Laptop (i7-9750H) but came to know from reviews that it has heat issue and its adapter is quite big. However the main reason that set me off was, its around $240 more than the 5590 laptop. The only reason I wanted to go with 7591 is because it doesn't have onboard memory. Is it worth shelling $240 for this as all the specs I need is already there in 5590.

Looking for expert advice from you guys.
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
1. It would be extremely rare for onboard memory to go 'bad'. If it's fine out of the box, it's unlikely to run into issues over time. For arguments sake, if it did, I would suspect the system would fail to post full stop. It's not going to ignore the fact memory exists that's causing an issue.

2. If the single DIMM slot supports a 16GB module (can't confirm nor deny), then you could run with 20GB, yes. In memory bandwidth dependent applications, it probably won't quite match a 2x8GB setup as you'll only have 2x4GB running in dual channel (with "flex mode"), and the balance (12GB) being single channel.
 
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The onboard RAM is soldered onto the motherboard so it cannot be removed. In 20 years of building computers I have only ever had 1 stick of RAM go bad, and that ends up causing continuous BSODs.
The one SODIMM you will be able to replace with a larger DIMM for 12 or 20GB RAM total. However, you will need to make sure that all the timings are the same. That being said, for basic daily tasks 8GB RAM is usually plenty.
 

himagarwal

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Thank you @jeremyj_83 & @Barty1884 for the inputs.

So, it means that DELL New Inspiron 15 5590 laptop is stuck with 8GB dual channel memory. I searched online for dual and single channel but only understood that dual channel is better at multitasking.

So, do you guys think I should go with DELL New Inspiron 15 7591 laptop because it doesn't have onboard memory?

Also, I would be looking to use the new DELL laptop for the next 5 years.... I have been checking 5590 vs 7591 for hours and hours today... but couldn't decide.

The current one that I am using is more than 10 years old... Acer 5745G (upgraded to SSD, 8GB and win10 64bit). So, its time for me to buy a new one. :)
 
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himagarwal

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@Eximo are you still here?

Way back, for office pc you recommended to add 1 slot of 8GB ram and which has been working great. I came to know today that 1 slot means flex mode.

Do you think that if I add 16GB in a laptop which has 4GB onboard memory, will it help. As 8GB being dual and 12GB being flex.

Currently it has 4GB onboard + 4GB in SODIMM i.e. 8GB dual memory. So, it actually means, adding 12GB in flex/single channel memory.

Please help as this will be deciding factor for me whether to go with 5590 laptop or 7591 laptop.
 
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Eximo

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Flex mode isn't really a single slot thing, it can happen in a system with any number of slots, as long as the configuration is supported. 2x4GB + 1x8GB can still be dual channel.

The question comes down to how much memory you actually use. If you don't exceed 8GB with your typical activities, then it doesn't matter all that much. You get dual channel default as it comes.

You could split the difference and just add an 8GB stick. And still have a full 2x4GB in dual channel mode with 4GB running single channel.

For myself, I would avoid it. Because you are right, if the onboard memory fails it is toast. But I'm not really big on laptops these days. Been pretty static the last several years. All the advances have been in gaming panels, and fancy keyboards. The drive to make them lighter and more portable, which leads to things like soldered GPUs, memory, and even storage. My opinion lies in the other direction of functionality and modularity over form, which leads back to mobile workstations and gaming laptops that have decent heatsinks.

The reason for the more expensive i7-9750H is because it is the next tier up in processor. 35W vs 15W, thus the larger power brick. It will have a higher base clock and be able to do serious number crunching faster than the 15W one. Which can operate very quickly, but only for a short duration.

Fairly pleased with the laptop I am issued at work, aside from the usual Dell quality issues and typical poor LCD panel's found in business laptops. 8th gen i5 Latitude 7490. Only 8GB of memory, but I use servers for heavy stuff.
 

himagarwal

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Thank you for the explanation, @Eximo.

I learnt that the processor having "H" in its last letter is upgraded (as you said, next tier up) version, which mostly is for gaming purpose.

Since, my purpose solely remains for office work, my current activities doesn't go beyond 8GB memory. But, maybe in next 5 years, OS/software/apps gets more complicated and memory savvy and then I might have to upgrade from 8GB.

Since, Jeremy pointed out that it is very rare for onboard memory to fail in its lifetime, what do you think?

5590 or 7591?

The only reason, I want to skip 7591 is being more power savvy which means heating issues & lower battery backup.
 
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Eximo

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Not really for gaming, just a faster processor. It would make many office tasks go faster, just depends on what you do. Heavy spreadsheets, you might want the faster processor. Just light office work, probably overspending on either machine.

In 5 years, you are hopefully looking at a new system.
 
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himagarwal

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Hi @Eximo I went with DELL New Inspiron 15 7591 Laptop (i7-9750H).

As expected, the laptop gets quite hot near and around its battery location. This is recent RealTemp details - https://cl.ly/a5b99e

It reaches 99 degree Celsius every now and then; even when I am just browsing online with multiple chrome tabs open.

Is this normal?
 

Eximo

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I won't say that is good, but typical for ultrabooks. Cooling pads can be worth it if you are static.

If you don't like that temperature you maybe able to change the performance options in Windows to 'power saver' should keep the CPU from boosting to its maximum speed all the time. You could also try a fan control application and increase the fan speed.

A lot of companies optimize for silence rather than performance.

A little more technical, but you can see what options you have in the BIOS. Undervolting might be worth a try to keep the temps down.

And on the hardware side, you can risk taking it apart and replacing the stock thermal paste/pads with high performance versions.
 
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himagarwal

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@Eximo thank you so so much for all the time and knowledge you have render here to help me and others...

I realized that whenever I am charging the laptop the temperature spikes to 99 to 100 Degree Celsius and once the adapter is taken off it remains below 65 Degree Celsius. So, I believe its good. What do you think?

Should I need to apply complex thermal coating and other stuffs?