Need new notebook pc - recommendations?

usignuolo

I currently have a Samsung N150plus notebook pc which I use "on the move". It has been fine but is getting a bit past it - very slow and battery no longer holds charge. So I have been thinking about getting a new notebook and am open to suggestions.

It is just for using as a notebook (I have a desktop on my home network for serious stuff.)

I would use it to stream live feeds, send emails on the go (googlemail), store photos taken while out and about, interact on social media, download stuff from my phone. Not gaming but I def prefer a decent physical keyboard as I send a lot of emails and am very active on fb.

I have a budget of around £200 but can go a bit higher for a good spec. Recommendations?

NiftyDigits

Up the RAM to 2GB, new battery, clean install. £30?.

usignuolo

How do I upgrade ram to 2gb - forgive ignorance

NiftyDigits

usignuolo wrote: »

How do I upgrade ram to 2gb - forgive ignorance

First we need to find out what is installed at the moment. It could be DDR2 or DDR3. But it should be DDR3

Here for £7.99

Video here

Takes about a minute to upgrade the RAM.

Unlike the person there, unplug from the mains and remove the battery before changing the RAM.

They other thing about Samsung is that they install too much on their Netbooks. It is supposed to be helpful to the user, but it makes their Netbook deadly slow.

It is much better to run a clean install with a Windows 7 image, wiping the old partitions away.

My ACER Netbook from 2008 runs faster than the Samsung N150 Plus because of this.

You can find a new battery for the Netbook for less than £20.

usignuolo

Why is it DDR3 not 2? I had a quick look on Amazon and the 2gb memory advertised as being specifically for the N150plus is DDR2. Will either type work? What is the difference?

NiftyDigits

usignuolo wrote: »

Why is it DDR3 not 2? I had a quick look on Amazon and the 2gb memory advertised as being specifically for the N150plus is DDR2. Will either type work? What is the difference?

Take a look at what is installed on your Netbook. It will take a minute to remove the panel and to check for yourself.
If you don't want to open it up yet, you can run CPU-Z and check the SPD and Memory tabs.

If you look here and here, you will see it can be either. Which is why I suggested that we should find out beforehand.

usignuolo

I cannot get any response at all from Cpu-Z. it just takes me to the google desktop search. I have removed the back panel and there is nothing on the label on the ram which gives any indication whether it is ddr2 or ddr3.

NiftyDigits

What is actually written on the module? Did you look at both sides?

CPU-Z is here

Did you want Google Search?

Yolina

I have a N150plus (model code NP-150-JP0LUK) with 2GB of ram lurking about so I thought I'd check - DDR3 in mine (as Nifty said, you need to take the memory module out and check the other side )
Even streamlined and with 2GB of ram, don't expect it to be particularly fast though...

NiftyDigits

Yolina wrote: »

I have a N150plus (model code NP-150-JP0LUK) with 2GB of ram lurking about so I thought I'd check - DDR3 in mine (as Nifty said, you need to take the memory module out and check the other side )
Even streamlined and with 2GB of ram, don't expect it to be particularly fast though...

I'm not sure why this particular Samsung Netbook is so slow. A friend has one and it is dire.

That why I have suggested a clean install without the 'helpful' Samsung software.

Yolina

NiftyDigits wrote: »

I'm not sure why this particular Samsung Netbook is so slow. A friend has one and it is dire.

That why I have suggested a clean install without the 'helpful' Samsung software.

That was a freebie from a neighbour who was pretty much going to stick it in the bin :rotfl: As I need to run multiple screens when watching endurance racing (for live timing etc) it does the job quite nicely for that but even running clean and with 2GB, it's not that great.