Solved Will SSD boost my laptop perf lot more than regular HDD ?

rameshiyer

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I have been getting some errors in Windows 8.1 preinstalled on my laptop (HP 15 Notebook - t063tu model) which is just about 1.5 yrs old. Seems the internal hard drive is going to fail soon, and I am advised by my IT Admin that I should buy a new hard drive asap to replace the defective one.

While checking on some forums and some people have suggested that SSDs boost system performance a lot more compared to regular hard drives. But SSDs cost almost thrice as much - for the same capacity - 500Gb. So, would like to know if it's really worth investing in a new SSD instead of a standard laptop hard drive, and what would be the life of an SSD compared to a regular hard drive.

I understand that SSDs consume less power, and boot up the system much faster, but are they suitable for all-day computing, as I use my laptop for 10+ hours daily ?

Would be grateful if I get expert advise on this. Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
If you have SATA3 cables(6GBb/s) and AHCI turned on in you UEFI/BIOS, your laptop will be much more responsive and faster.
All you need to do is just make sure you get an SSD as large as, or larger than your current one. And then make a system image of your current install, and reimage it to your new one.
After imaging to your SSD, open up an admin command prompt and type winsat formal so Windows will run a system check and correct any settings itself(it checks the read/write per second)

The newest Generation of SSDs will probably last as long your PC. For example the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB can into the Petabyte range before catastrophic failure.
You will see a lot of "ancient" advice regarding tweaking for your SSD, but all that is crap now. Just let Windows take care of everything.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
Thanks Cliff. I don't have any cables that you mention. So, will need someone (my IT Admin in office) to help me with the process you mention. However, my key concern is the huge difference in costs, between the SSDs and regular HDDs. Here in India, a 250Gb Samsung 850 EVO SSD costs about $70 while a Seagate / WD 500Gb laptop HDD costs about $40. Also, read in some forum posts that not all SSDs are compatible with all laptops (unlike regular laptop HDDs). Hence, mentioned my model - HP 15 Notebook (r063tu) - in the earlier post.

If the performance boost comes only from attaching the SSD to a SATA-III cable as you mentioned, I wonder if that provision is there in my laptop in the first place (before I decide on buying an SSD AND the SATA-III cable).
I usually use my laptop for three years. This one has been with me for 1.5 years, so wonder if investing in an SSD is worth the money, justifying any significant performance improvement over a regular SSD.

Can you please suggest a compatible make/model of SSD of minimum 250Gb for my make & model of laptop ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
If it only 1.5 years old, I would be pretty sure it has a SATA3 even my 4 year old ASUS X54C has that.
All SATA SSDs will be compatible(as opposed to M.2).
But I see you also only have 4GB RAM, the "sweet spot" is 8GB for multi tasking.
The SSD will speed up booting and shutdown, also opening your programs, running antivirus scans, and searching your system.

More RAM will improve performance when you have more than one or two programs running, such as browsing and using office, and listening to music and so on.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
Yes Cliff. I have just 4Gb RAM, and often notice that over 80% of it is consumed by my regular usage. I don't use multimedia (no video / music while working) often, but do have all three browsers - IE, Firefox, and Chrome - with many tabs open in them. This with a few Word &/ Excel / Powerpoint files open and my laptop crawls.

So, I understand from your response that perhaps upgrading RAM to 8Gb would be more beneficial to improve performance than opting for an SSD with just 4Gb RAM. But, like I mentioned earlier, I might use this laptop for another 2 years max, so feel investing in additional components like SSD or RAM should be worth it. From what you've posted and I realize from experience, seems I should first upgrade RAM to 8Gb and observe performance. If that doesn't satisfy me, then perhaps I could consider getting my HDD replaced with an SSD as well.

And it's reassuring to know that my laptop would probably have a SATA-III connectivity option.

P.S.: While I have been using laptops of various makes over the past decade or so, observed that laptop HDDs have more or less remained at 5400 rpm, unlike desktop HDDs which now come with min 7200 rpm, or even 10k rpm in some cases. Hence, thought with i3 4th gen processor and 4Gb RAM, my laptop HDD @5400 rpm is probably the "weak-link" slowing down my system.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
If you are not really worried about boot speed, or how fast a program opens, I mean if you usually just sleep or hybrid hibernate your laptop, You might be better served with a HDD and more RAM first(that was how my laptops upgrades went, I got more RAM first).

RAM isn't too expensive any more, and, there are some good SSDs for lower prices. If you just browse and use office, and don't move too many large files around, even a cheaper SSD is a big boost(like from Sandisk).

But if you can only afford one or the other at first, RAM might be the better bet for now, because after Windows reads or finds what it need, for a program to be used, the majority of the work is done between the CPU and RAM, then written to disk after.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
You are right Cliff. I am considering only either of the two - a new SSD or a RAM upgrade, owing to costs. Moreover, as you mentioned RAM upgrade even with my current HDD would boost performance significantly. I mean, regular HDD with 8Gb RAM would perhaps be better than SSD with 4Gb RAM. And since I am able to afford only one of the two, would go for RAM upgrade. Besides, I can get 4Gb RAM for about $26 while a 250b SSD of Sandisk / Samsung costs about $75. Thanks again for your advise and clarifications.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
You are right Cliff. I am considering only either of the two - a new SSD or a RAM upgrade, owing to costs. Moreover, as you mentioned RAM upgrade even with my current HDD would boost performance significantly. I mean, regular HDD with 8Gb RAM would perhaps be better than SSD with 4Gb RAM. And since I am able to afford only one of the two, would go for RAM upgrade. Besides, I can get 4Gb RAM for about $26 while a 250b SSD of Sandisk / Samsung costs about $75. Thanks again for your advise and clarifications.
You're welcome. Maybe for the SSD you might find a good priced one later. Plus they are getting better quality for less money all the time.:)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
If budget allows, I see no reason to go with hard drives these days. SSDs have no moving parts so they inherent have better reliability. This is especially true with today's generation SSDs. Some even come with 10 year warranties! And of course, the slowest SSD will run circles around the fastest hard drives, even hybrid hard drives (HDs with SSD buffers).

Note too with notebooks, there are even more advantages to SSDs. They are lighter, they consume less battery power and they generate less heat.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Well, @Itaregid, budget is a constraint, as I wish to upgrade RAM with another 4Gb module, and getting a new HDD to replace my failing one is top-priority. On hard drive, I am considering replacing my current "HGST 500Gb 6Gb/s SATA-III 5400rpm 8Mb cache" one with a "WD / Seagate 500Gb 6Gb/s SATA-III 7200rpm 32Mb cache" one. Read that the latter would significantly boost performance, perhaps without having to upgrade RAM from current 4Gb.
Just for ref. a 4Gb RAM costs about $25, 5400rpm HDD $55, while a 7200rpm HDD costs about $75, and a 250Gb SSD (Samsung/Sandisk) costs $80+. So, if I had to only replace HDD, I might consider getting either 7200rpm HDD (or compromise on capacity and buy an SSD of 250Gb for $80). But, if I HAVE TO upgrade RAM as well, then I need to cut corners.

I get your point about SSDs being ideal for laptops as they consume less power, weigh less, and generate less heat - all ideal factors to use with laptops. But their exorbitant prices make them less attractive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
If you have a choice, I would stick with HGST. Over the past several years, HGST drives have had the lowest failure rates (by a large margin) than all the other brands while oddly WD which now owns HGST and Seagate have had some of the worst failure rates.

Your wishes to boost performance with a faster drive vs upgrading your RAM from 4GB is unfounded. Increasing your RAM will definitely offer the most bang for your money in virtually every task - including disk intensive tasks because with more RAM, your OS will not have use the page file on the slow hard drive near as often.

Just remember, however, that to take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM, you MUST have a 64-bit operating system.

Note too that 5400RPM drives are used extensively in notebooks because they consume less power (for longer battery run time) and they generate less heat (always a concern with notebooks).

While I fully understand the frustration at SSD prices, I try to justify the extra costs in my mind by spreading those costs over the years I expect to get use out of the device. Considering I value the data stored on my drives more than the cost of the drives, I see that extra cost as an investment that should pay off in the long run.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Okay. Having a failing HGST HDD perhaps makes be biased against it. Besides, many online shopping sites here have buyer-reviews stating WD & Seagate HDDs are among the best n more reliable. Of course, one can average our such reviews on such sites :)

Yes, I get your point about upgrading RAM, over getting a faster HDD. Luckily, I have Win 8.1 64-bit, so can probably benefit from a higher RAM as well. What makes it difficult for me to decide is that unlike in a desktop PC, a laptop (mine, surely) has only one slot for a slim HDD. No scope to have an SSD AND a HDD. So, if I choose to get a new SSD, it's got to have my OS AND my own data, which is about 30Gb at present. While I can probably manage with a 150Gb SSD (allocating 100Gb for OS partition, and rest for my own data), but don't want to cut it so fine. So, I'll probably need to get a 250Gb SSD, which will cost me twice as much as a regular 500Gb laptop HDD.

For me, replacing a failing HDD is a priority, while upgrading RAM is optional. So, considering if managing with 4Gb RAM and a 250Gb SSD would be enough !
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
Okay. Having a failing HGST HDD perhaps makes be biased against it.
I can understand that but until Man can create perfection 100% of the time, even the best will have units that fail prematurely.

FTR, I don't pay attention to buyer reviews. Many down rate a product because the UPS man delivered it next door, it fell off the FedEx truck, the post office delivered it a day late, or the picture on Amazon was a different color.

Plus, you would be hard pressed to find any user review that was not made within a day or two of purchase.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Fully agree with you Itaregid. While I understand that all electronic devices do fail at some point, it's just human to avoid a brand which has failed sooner than expected (I assume HDDs last atleast 4-5 years, but then...). Moreover, in my case, neither of the three - HGST, WD, or Seagate have a good after-sales support here, so I referred to the buyer-feedback on online sales websites like Amazon. But, you are right about buyer-reviews. It's hard to tell a fake one from a real one though.

I am in a dilemma whether to buy a 250Gb Samsung 750 EVO SSD to replace my failing HGST 500Gb HDD, and not upgrade RAM for now. Else, whether to buy a standard HDD like the one I have, and upgrade RAM with another 4Gb one. The overall cost in both cases would be about the same, but which option would give me better performance remains a mystery to me :-(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
250Gb Samsung 750 EVO SSD
For a few dollars more (it's always "for a few dollars more", huh?) you can get an 850 EVO and as seen here, those few extra dollars get you much better performance.

And for yet another "few dollars more" you can get an 850 Pro which has an amazing 10 year warranty.

but which option would give me better performance remains a mystery to me :-(
Again, more RAM will give you the best bang for money now, since you are starting out with just 4GB (again assuming you have a 64-bit OS). But if your current drive is failing, you probably should replace that first if the budget does not currently support a new drive and more RAM at the same time.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Thanks for sharing the comparisons for Samsung 850 EVO SSD and the 750 one. Sure, the 850 one does perform way better, and also offers 5-yr warranty, while 750 one comes with only 3-yr war'ty. But, the prices in INR are incorrect, as I am not getting those prices in any e-com site here in India. Moreover, I quoted prices in earlier posts in dollar-converted prices to make it easier to understand price difference, but in INR terms they vary significantly. E.g. Samsung 850 EVO SSD costs Rs. 7000, and the 750 one Rs. 5000. Couldn't find Samsung 850 EVO Pro SSD on any site here (perhaps it's out of stock or not for our market). Similarly, Samsung 4Gb DDR3 1600Mhz original (as in my laptop now) costs Rs. 2500, while Corsair 4Gb DDR3 1600Mhz costs Rs. 1700. Also, WD / Seagate 500Gb 6Gb/s 8Mb cache (same specs as current HGST one) costs Rs. 3500.
So, if I go with your advise - Samsung 850 EVO SSD + Samsung 4Gb RAM = Rs. 9,500
If I choose WD/Seagate 500Gb HDD + Samsung 4Gb RAM = Rs. 6000

Have considered Samsung RAM n not Corsair as someone on another forum said since my Laptop has Samsung RAM, I should opt for same make for another 4Gb module, as some motherboards &/ BIOSs don't recognize RAM modules of different makes. I am not quite convinced, as with my limited tech know-how, I feel the system should be only concerned with identical tech specs of RAM modules and hence should be brand agnostic. Do you agree, or is there some merit in choosing same-make RAM modules ?

Just for your ref. my Samsung RAM Model - M471B5173DB0, and Corsair RAM Model - CMSO4GX3M1A1600C11

Overall, when I check costs, it varies significantly for me to stay within my Ltd budget :-(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
Years ago, it was absolutely essential to buy identical brand and model number RAM to ensure compatibility. That is not necessarily true today as manufacturing techniques have improved so much, RAM from different makers are much better at matching published specifications. And the memory managers in our systems are much better today at making RAM work together too. Still, I would only buy from a site that guarantees compatibility - just in case.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
I agree with your view. Just recollect that in my earlier Acer Aspire 5742G laptop, which came with just 3Gb RAM (1+2Gb), I had upgraded it with a 4Gb module of Transcend make, while retaining the 2Gb Samsung one. It worked fine for couple of years, until I sold the laptop off.
This time I got a bit confused with the posts on another forum, about using same make & model of RAMs, because the post mentioned about motherboard &/ BIOS restrictions. I thought the newer laptops may have some way of sensing "non-original" (i.e. not supplied with laptop) RAM modules, so may not detect "other" RAM modules. However, I have checked with one vendor for Corsair 4Gb RAM for my model of laptop, and he has confirmed that it would work, as its specs are identical to the Samsung RAM installed in my laptop currently. In any case, this e-com site (Amazon India) offers a replacement warranty, and I have email communication with vendor. So, in case the Corsair one doesn't work alongside the Samsung RAM, I will return it and get the Samsung one and pay the difference, that's it.

But for budget constraints, I would have wanted to get an SSD instead of a HDD, considering all the benefits of an SSD. Alas, the price diff is way too much (Rs. 3500 v/s Rs. 7000).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
There is still lots of advice dolled out on forums that is based on outdated information, or even myths and falsehoods that then gets repeated over and over again.

The problem is, no one is going to promise their RAM with work without problems with every other RAM out there. I suspect even your computer owner's manual recommends identical RAM.

I thought the newer laptops may have some way of sensing "non-original" (i.e. not supplied with laptop) RAM modules
No. There would be no reason for that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
True. Seems like the age old advise on mobile phone battery recharge. While NiMh / NiCd batteries had "memories" and required to be drained out fully before charging them again, the newer Li-ion or Li-Pol batteries have no such constraints. Yet, the same old advise is passed on for ages.

I'd rather not go by my laptop User Manual, as it recommends I take the laptop to the HP Auth ASC for any repairs / upgrades. So, they think they can fleece me with overpriced parts / accessories, which I can get done for much less, with compatible ones.

The theory about newer systems (motherboard / BIOS) restricting upgrade options does sound convincing, though it turns out it's just another rumour. But all PC makers have a "dirty tricks dept" to harass customers, so never know what they build into newer systems ;-)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Single Language English
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP 15 Notebook
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 4005U @1.70 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 Gb DDR3 @1600 Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel GPU
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 3 Gb/s 500Gb
    Browser
    FF, Chrome, IE
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