Upgrade your laptop

Posted on 17 Aug 2009 at 12:12

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You may think an upgrade is a fiddly business but, as Jim Martin explains, it isn't hard to give your laptop a performance boost.

If you've ever upgraded a desktop PC, you'll know how easy it is. Installing a new graphics card or sound card takes just minutes, and adding an extra hard disk or more memory is equally straightforward. Laptops present a bigger challenge, because they're not designed with spare room for extra components to be added later. However, while they're not as configurable as PCs, there's still plenty you can do to keep your laptop up to date.

External upgrades

Many laptops have removable covers that provide easy access to internal components, enabling you to change the memory, hard disk and sometimes the optical drive. Even if your laptop doesn't provide access to these components, it's possible to upgrade using its standard expansion ports such as USB, FireWire and CardBus or ExpressCard slots.

If you're running out of hard disk space, it couldn't be easier to plug in a USB hard disk and add terabytes of additional storage almost instantly. When you need to use your laptop on the move, you can copy any files that you need on to the internal disk and unplug the external drive.

Similarly, if your laptop lacks Bluetooth or WiFi, you can plug in an inexpensive USB dongle to add these capabilities. You can also use USB dongles instead of existing WiFi or Bluetooth radios so you have the latest versions (2.1 for Bluetooth and Draft-N for WiFi). This will provide better speed and range.

Few laptops have built-in broadband modems, but USB versions are provided by most service operators. This means that there's no need to shell out on a new laptop if you want to access the internet on the move.

Internal upgrades

External add-ons are great, but it's much more convenient to be able to install such components inside your laptop. This frees up external ports for other devices. It also means that you don't have dongles and cables protruding from your laptop, which would be inconvenient if you were trying to use it in a confined space, such as on crowded public transport.

It isn't possible to add external memory modules so, if your laptop needs a memory boost, you'll need to be able to access a memory slot. Not all laptops have empty slots ready to add extra RAM, so you may have to replace existing memory with higher-capacity modules. You're also unlikely to find room for another hard disk, but it's relatively easy to replace the disk with a larger one.

You may find your laptop provides access to Mini Card slots, in which case you should be able to add an internal 3G modem or Bluetooth radio. You may also be able to upgrade an existing wireless network card with a newer version.

Processors and graphics

It's rarely possible to upgrade your laptop's processor, but you may be lucky. If the processor is easy to access, don't install a processor that exceeds the laptop's thermal design power (TDP) limit. This information may be impossible to find, and if you inadvertently upgrade to a chip that runs too hot, your laptop could overheat and crash. Because of the difficulty and uncertainty of upgrading laptop processors, we won't be covering it in this feature.

We've yet to see a manufacturer selling graphics card upgrades for laptops. Most graphics chips are soldered on to the motherboard, which precludes upgrades. Some gaming laptops may have removable graphics boards, but there are currently no compatible upgrades for these.

Author: Jim Martin