Question Would RAM and/or SSD upgrade help old laptop to run faster?

[dajjorg]

Hi all, please let me know if this thread would be better placed in another sub-forum than "Components".

Situation: found an old Toshiba Satellite laptop from 2016 lying around parents home. Would like to get it running at a decent speed, so that I could use it when visiting parents & not have to bring my own laptop. Really won't need to use this laptop for anything other than light Chrome internet browsing and Powerpoint, very very light usage

When first booting it up (hadn't been turned on in 5 years), it was painfully, painfully slow. Five minutes to get to the login screen, another 2-3 minutes to bring up the desktop once I logged in, 1-2 minutes just to open up Chrome.

First step I took was to back up all my files (maybe 50 gb total) to an external HD, then do a factory reset. After the factory reset, reinstalled maybe only 6-7 apps/programs (the bare minimum that I'll need while visiting parents... there were maybe around 30-40 apps/programs still on it prior to the factory reset). This got it running somewhat faster, but still pretty slow: a minute for the login screen to appear, half a minute for desktop to appear once logged in, 30 sec to open Chrome. Also got a free trial subscription of Norton Utilities Ultimate to clean up things, although it didn't seem to have any effect.

So my next question is whether there are any hardware upgrades that I might be able to do to this Toshiba Satellite to make it run a little faster, as it's still not running at a speed at which is acceptable for me. In the past, using advice from this forum & Youtube tutorials, I purchased & manually installed an additional RAM stick & a SSD for my Dell laptop, which improved things so much that it was literally like buying a brand new laptop. But maybe this Toshiba laptop is just so old that neither a RAM upgrade nor a SSD would have much effect. Here are the specs for it, from "System Information":

OS Name --- Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Version --- 10.0.19042 Build 19042
Other --- OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer --- Microsoft Corporation
System Name --- DESKTOP-NOSSANK
System Manufacturer --- TOSHIBA
System Model --- Satellite L50-B
System Type --- x64-based PC
System SKU --- Type1Sku0
Processor --- Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3217U CPU @ 1.80GHz, 1800 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date --- Insyde Corp. 1.10, 5/6/2014
SMBIOS Version --- 2.7
Embedded Controller Version --- 1.10
BIOS Mode --- UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer --- Type2 - Board Vendor Name1
BaseBoard Product --- Type2 - Board Product Name1
BaseBoard Version T--- ype2 - Board Version
Platform Role --- Mobile
Secure Boot State --- On
PCR7 Configuration --- Binding Not Possible
Windows Directory --- C:\WINDOWS
System Directory --- C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device --- \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale --- United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer --- Version = "10.0.19041.1151"
User Name --- [not sharing this info]
Time Zone --- Eastern Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)--- 6.00 GB
Total Physical Memory--- 5.89 GB
Available Physical Memory--- 2.25 GB
Total Virtual Memory--- 7.52 GB
Available Virtual Memory --- 3.90 GB
Page File Space --- 1.63 GB
Page File --- C:\pagefile.sys
Kernel DMA Protection --- Off
Virtualization-based security --- Not enabled
Device Encryption Support --- Reasons for failed automatic device encryption: TPM is not usable, PCR7 binding is not supported, Hardware Security Test Interface failed and device is not Modern Standby, Un-allowed DMA capable bus/device(s) detected, TPM is not usable
Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions--- Yes
Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions--- Yes
Hyper-V - Virtualization Enabled in Firmware--- Yes
Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection--- Yes


So my questions, concretely, are:
1) Would a RAM upgrade make things run faster? My intuition would say no, it wouldn't help much as I'm not really trying to run multiple programs, game, stream, etc. I'm literally just trying to do some light web browsing & make the occassional powerpoint presentation, for which 6gb RAM should already suffice.
2) Would an upgrade to an SSD make things run faster? My intuition is yes, those things are amazing.
3) Any other non-hardware-replacement fixes that I should try before considering RAM upgrade and/or an SSD upgrade?


Thanks so much in advance for your help. This forum is awesome.

 

[Rokinamerica]

If you are going from a HDD to a SSD, yes, you will notice a speed difference. I have a 2016 MSI laptop with NVMe and SSD and it is very fast.

 

[Bob.B]

Hi all, please let me know if this thread would be better placed in another sub-forum than "Components".

Situation: found an old Toshiba Satellite laptop from 2016 lying around parents home. Would like to get it running at a decent speed, so that I could use it when visiting parents & not have to bring my own laptop. Really won't need to use this laptop for anything other than light Chrome internet browsing and Powerpoint, very very light usage

When first booting it up (hadn't been turned on in 5 years), it was painfully, painfully slow. Five minutes to get to the login screen, another 2-3 minutes to bring up the desktop once I logged in, 1-2 minutes just to open up Chrome.

First step I took was to back up all my files (maybe 50 gb total) to an external HD, then do a factory reset. After the factory reset, reinstalled maybe only 6-7 apps/programs (the bare minimum that I'll need while visiting parents... there were maybe around 30-40 apps/programs still on it prior to the factory reset). This got it running somewhat faster, but still pretty slow: a minute for the login screen to appear, half a minute for desktop to appear once logged in, 30 sec to open Chrome. Also got a free trial subscription of Norton Utilities Ultimate to clean up things, although it didn't seem to have any effect.

So my next question is whether there are any hardware upgrades that I might be able to do to this Toshiba Satellite to make it run a little faster, as it's still not running at a speed at which is acceptable for me. In the past, using advice from this forum & Youtube tutorials, I purchased & manually installed an additional RAM stick & a SSD for my Dell laptop, which improved things so much that it was literally like buying a brand new laptop. But maybe this Toshiba laptop is just so old that neither a RAM upgrade nor a SSD would have much effect. Here are the specs for it, from "System Information":

OS Name --- Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Version --- 10.0.19042 Build 19042
Other --- OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer --- Microsoft Corporation
System Name --- DESKTOP-NOSSANK
System Manufacturer --- TOSHIBA
System Model --- Satellite L50-B
System Type --- x64-based PC
System SKU --- Type1Sku0
Processor --- Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3217U CPU @ 1.80GHz, 1800 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date --- Insyde Corp. 1.10, 5/6/2014
SMBIOS Version --- 2.7
Embedded Controller Version --- 1.10
BIOS Mode --- UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer --- Type2 - Board Vendor Name1
BaseBoard Product --- Type2 - Board Product Name1
BaseBoard Version T--- ype2 - Board Version
Platform Role --- Mobile
Secure Boot State --- On
PCR7 Configuration --- Binding Not Possible
Windows Directory --- C:\WINDOWS
System Directory --- C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device --- \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale --- United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer --- Version = "10.0.19041.1151"
User Name --- [not sharing this info]
Time Zone --- Eastern Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)--- 6.00 GB
Total Physical Memory--- 5.89 GB
Available Physical Memory--- 2.25 GB
Total Virtual Memory--- 7.52 GB
Available Virtual Memory --- 3.90 GB
Page File Space --- 1.63 GB
Page File --- C:\pagefile.sys
Kernel DMA Protection --- Off
Virtualization-based security --- Not enabled
Device Encryption Support --- Reasons for failed automatic device encryption: TPM is not usable, PCR7 binding is not supported, Hardware Security Test Interface failed and device is not Modern Standby, Un-allowed DMA capable bus/device(s) detected, TPM is not usable
Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions--- Yes
Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions--- Yes
Hyper-V - Virtualization Enabled in Firmware--- Yes
Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection--- Yes


So my questions, concretely, are:
1) Would a RAM upgrade make things run faster? My intuition would say no, it wouldn't help much as I'm not really trying to run multiple programs, game, stream, etc. I'm literally just trying to do some light web browsing & make the occassional powerpoint presentation, for which 6gb RAM should already suffice.
2) Would an upgrade to an SSD make things run faster? My intuition is yes, those things are amazing.
3) Any other non-hardware-replacement fixes that I should try before considering RAM upgrade and/or an SSD upgrade?


Thanks so much in advance for your help. This forum is awesome.

You might want to visit the maker's site and see what they offer in the area of bios and chipset driver.

Biggest bump is hdd>ssd.
Next is a 2x4GB kit of ram......perhaps a minor bump.

 

[geofelt]

1) yes. Adding a second stick of ram will run in faster dual channel mode.
2) Yes!! Updating a hdd to a ssd is magical on older laptops.
3) none that I can think of.

Here is a tutorial on how to do the update:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAWOvixJh4


Crucial should have a guide as to what ram upgrades are ok.
6gb is a strange size. You may need to buy a 2 x 4 or 8gb kit.
Intel is quite tolerant of mismatched ram.

On the ssd, I use the samsung ssd migration app to move the C drive to a ssd.
App and manual here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

semiconductor.samsung.com

 

[Paperdoc]

I agree with above. Several thoughts.

First, since the speed seems very slow. Can you get inside to ensure that it is clean with NO dust accumulation anywhere, especially in the airflow path from intake through fan and CPU and GPU component areas? Some parts of that path may be hard to see or access for removing junk. Your speed report make me think of CPU overheating and speed throttling.

You did a "factory Reset", but I do not see an actual complete fresh install of Windows. Old systems often have junk data and software on the HDD that can be removed only by wiping the HDD and starting from bare drive. That wipe etc. effectively is done when you re-Partition the HDD at the beginning of installing Windows new. So doing that alone might help.

However, I have no doubt that replacing the old HDD with a new SSD as your C: drive before installing Windows on that would speed up your system. Of necessity, that WOULD mean a fresh install of Windows. IF you do that, your next step would be to wipe the old HDD clean and set it up as a NON-bootable data-only second storage unit. IF you do that, consider this additional small "trick". When Windows is installed it also sets up a semi-hidden space to stash backup copies of most of its critical files so that it can auto-repair itself if ever any such file is corrupted. Very handy! But it has caused people problems because afterwards at EVERY start-up as it checks its files it also looks for that set of backups to be sure they are available, and will NOT start if they are missing. In a normal Install, Windows will look for a SECOND storage unit to stash those backups so they are NOT on the main boot drive. This is to avoid having the backups lost when the main drive unit fails. But that means that if the SECOND drive fails or is removed, your system will not boot! So SOME people defeat this location safety measure to avoid problems from a missing second drive. BEFORE doing the Install, make sure your system has ONLY one drive unit connected - DISconnect that old HDD. This forces the Install routine to place the backups on the only main drive unit available. AFTER all that is complete you re-connect the second drive unit and start using it in whatever manner.

 

[triplex1]

So my questions, concretely, are:
1) Would a RAM upgrade make things run faster? My intuition would say no, it wouldn't help much as I'm not really trying to run multiple programs, game, stream, etc. I'm literally just trying to do some light web browsing & make the occassional powerpoint presentation, for which 6gb RAM should already suffice.
2) Would an upgrade to an SSD make things run faster? My intuition is yes, those things are amazing.
3) Any other non-hardware-replacement fixes that I should try before considering RAM upgrade and/or an SSD upgrade?


Thanks so much in advance for your help. This forum is awesome.

I have an older laptop (Acer E431) than yours, which I built a few years ago with a i7 2720qm processor and added memory from 4gb to 8gb and a disk ssd kioxia 480gb.
With the ram go faster for the tabs , with the ssd kioxia go faster all of laptop (open in 1 sec)

 

[dajjorg]

You did a "factory Reset", but I do not see an actual complete fresh install of Windows. Old systems often have junk data and software on the HDD that can be removed only by wiping the HDD and starting from bare drive. That wipe etc. effectively is done when you re-Partition the HDD at the beginning of installing Windows new. So doing that alone might help.

When I did the “factory reset”, I chose to reset from the “cloud download” rather than “Local reinstall”. By choosing this option, did it not really do a fresh install of Windows?

And if yes, then doing another factory reset by doing a “Local reinstall” will do a complete wipe of the drive?

 

[dajjorg]

However, I have no doubt that replacing the old HDD with a new SSD as your C: drive before installing Windows on that would speed up your system. Of necessity, that WOULD mean a fresh install of Windows. IF you do that, your next step would be to wipe the old HDD clean and set it up as a NON-bootable data-only second storage unit.

IF you do that, consider this additional small "trick". When Windows is installed it also sets up a semi-hidden space to stash backup copies of most of its critical files so that it can auto-repair itself if ever any such file is corrupted. Very handy! But it has caused people problems because afterwards at EVERY start-up as it checks its files it also looks for that set of backups to be sure they are available, and will NOT start if they are missing. In a normal Install, Windows will look for a SECOND storage unit to stash those backups so they are NOT on the main boot drive. This is to avoid having the backups lost when the main drive unit fails. But that means that if the SECOND drive fails or is removed, your system will not boot! So SOME people defeat this location safety measure to avoid problems from a missing second drive.

BEFORE doing the Install, make sure your system has ONLY one drive unit connected - DISconnect that old HDD. This forces the Install routine to place the backups on the only main drive unit available. AFTER all that is complete you re-connect the second drive unit and start using it in whatever manner.

I had no idea that two drives could even be plugged in at the same time.

My plan was to disconnect the old HDD, connect the SSD, take a hammer or drill to the old HDD & toss it in the trash, and look for Youtube tutorials on how to install Windows on the new SSD as a fresh system. This is an equally viable plan, no?

I have no data to transfer on the current (old) HDD, so it serves no purpose. And only 6-7 programs, which I’ll just manually reinstall on the new SSD.

 

[Paperdoc]

First, I made an assumption that may not be correct - that your laptop Toshiba has space and connectors for TWO HDD's. Quite possibly wrong. If you post the actual model number on it, I can look that up.

Assuming for the moment it does NOT, your plan (above) is reasonable, with one small exception. After replacing the original HDD with a new SSD, do NOT smash it up! Just to be cautious, set it aside for a while in case you later discover that it had something useful you might want to recover and copy. When you are sure that is NOT so, smash as you wish. Incidentally, another tool you can use is a drill - bore a hole or two right through the unit!

IMPORTANT point BEFORE you proceed. You need to know exactly what type of HDD is in there now - that laptop's model number might help for this. IF it is a 2½" common SATA type, I'm sure you can get an SSD of that configuration to install. But is it is some proprietary design you may need help finding a replacement.

Assuming you can follow this scenario, once a new storage device (SSD) is installed and Windows installed on that, you WILL have to do fresh installs of any software you need. You cannot simply copy software from the old drive, although you COULD copy user-generated data files IF there were any you wanted.

Another thought linked to the model. Depending on its hardware and features, the proper version of Windows to install on it may be limited. You may need to verify whether or not Win 10 can work on that system, or an older version. I doubt you would want a 64-bit version - that's usually only if you have MORE than 4 GB of RAM or a LOT of video RAM - the common 32-bit versions can use only up to 4 GB of memory space.

 

[dajjorg]

First, I made an assumption that may not be correct - that your laptop Toshiba has space and connectors for TWO HDD's. Quite possibly wrong. If you post the actual model number on it, I can look that up.

No worries. I’m only gonna insert one at a time, no need to look that up.

Assuming for the moment it does NOT, your plan (above) is reasonable, with one small exception. After replacing the original HDD with a new SSD, do NOT smash it up! Just to be cautious, set it aside for a while in case you later discover that it had something useful you might want to recover and copy. When you are sure that is NOT so, smash as you wish. Incidentally, another tool you can use is a drill - bore a hole or two right through the unit!

Understood, good advice.

IMPORTANT point BEFORE you proceed. You need to know exactly what type of HDD is in there now - that laptop's model number might help for this. IF it is a 2½" common SATA type, I'm sure you can get an SSD of that configuration to install. But is it is some proprietary design you may need help finding a replacement.

I took it out already. Using a ruler to measure it, it’s 2.75 inches wide, 0.25 inches (5cm) thick, and 3.93 inches (7.8cm) long.

On it is a sticker which states the brand & model:
Toshiba
Disk Drive MQ01ABF050

Amazon sells it here, & it looks identical, same exact ports.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F60QH5...73H87Y850FFRZ1EKY&starsLeft=1&skipTwisterOG=1

Assuming you can follow this scenario, once a new storage device (SSD) is installed and Windows installed on that, you WILL have to do fresh installs of any software you need. You cannot simply copy software from the old drive, although you COULD copy user-generated data files IF there were any you wanted.

Yeah, I was assuming this to be the case, no worries. Thankfully I only have 6-7 programs to install.

Another thought linked to the model. Depending on its hardware and features, the proper version of Windows to install on it may be limited. You may need to verify whether or not Win 10 can work on that system, or an older version. I doubt you would want a 64-bit version - that's usually only if you have MORE than 4 GB of RAM or a LOT of video RAM - the common 32-bit versions can use only up to 4 GB of memory space.

Previously the laptop with the old HDD was running on Windows 10, unable to upgrade to Windows 11. Are there newer SSD’s that don’t run on Windows 10, only Windows 11?

The laptop has 6gb RAM. Is 32 bit vs 64 bit something that is determined by hardware, or by software/download?

I just purchased this Crucial SSD, hopefully it will be compatible and work well:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07G3KGYZQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

It’s dimensions are ‎3.95"L x 2.75"W x 0.27"Th , which look pretty much the same as my old HHD.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Paperdoc]

Your old drive IS a 2½" SATA HDD, so no problem.
Your new SSD you ordered is the correct form, again no problem.

If your laptop has 6 GB of RAM installed already then you DO a 64-bit version of Windows. This is not a drive issue - this if a factor in ability of the OS (Windows) to address RAM. In 32-bit addressing systems, the highest address the system can use is 4GB, and that includes ALL things it needs to address, including any special RAM that might be devoted to the video system. But a 64-bit version of Windows can address VASTLY more memory space, so using 6 GB RAM properly is easy. On many desktop systems with video RAM on the video card, that also must fit into the addressing space, but a 64-bit OS has no problem dealing with that. On your laptop you may not have dedicated extra RAM for video - it may just be part of the general RAM that the system reserves to used for video. Still, you do need the 64-bit version. That is no problem - it is readily available. That is probably the version of Win10 OS already in that system. That in itself guarantees that the revised laptop WILL work just fine with a 64-bit Win 10.

Regarding ability to install Win 11, I cannot tell you directly. It is NOT normally a limit caused by an SSD. It normally is related to other hardware design issues, mainly on the mobo. But this web site

Not sure if your PC is compatible with Windows 11? Here's how to check

You can check if your PC can handle Microsoft's Windows 11 upgrade by using tools like the PC Health Check app and WhyNotWin11.

www.cnet.com

gives you two ways to check YOUR particular machine on that question. I think the Microsoft tool they mention is software that you run on your CURRENT machine before making any changes. That way you would know which Win to get and install.