Budget 0-20k Mid-Life Laptop Upgrades

maxms

Disciple
Current laptop I am using is >6 years old. Though it is mostly working fine but has started to shown sign of slowness now.
Initially was thinking to get a new laptop but since this one is still going ok for my current needs , think to give it a mid-life (or End-Life as you see) upgrade.
Laptop model is Lenovo Llex-2 14. Current specs are below
Processor : Intel Core i54210U
GPU : Dual (Onboard intel and Nvidia Geforce 820M)
Memory : 4GB DDR3L PC3-12800
Disk Drive : 500GB Seagate SSHD (what i recall some type of hybrid drive with 8GB SSD and 500GB HDD in single package)

I was thinking of upgrading RAM and/or Hard Disk to keep it usable for couple more years.
My Queries are

1) RAM - Though i know more is better. But is adding 4 GB more ram fine (making total 8GB) or should go ahead and add a 8 GB Module (making total 12 GB). Total Ram supported is 16GB as per manuals. 2 RAM slots ,One slot is having 4 GB stick and other is free now. Want spend minimum here as probably this ram cannot be used for any future purchase upgrade.
2) SSD - There is no M.2 slot in laptop . So only option is to replace existing HDD. Now as system is quite old, does it make sense to add higher models of SATA HDD or a slower models like Crucial BX/WD Green/Samsung QVO series would be fine. Should i go with 1TB option or remain with 500GB. Though 500GB would be fine for my use but was thinking of 1TB as SSD might still be used in future as an upgrade or as a external drive using enclosure.
3) Wifi - This is the one on which not too sure about. Inbuild wifi was running slow since about a year and there was frequent disconnection every few mins. Currently using it with a old USB dongle 150Mbps one. Thought external dongle is also not too good and disconnects frequently but still better than in build one.
What is suggested option - Should i change wifi module in laptop or get and external wifi dongle. and which one would be suitable options here.

Would like to keep overall budget limited to 5k. Can think of going till 10k based on reusability.

No heavy use case. its mostly browsing (but keep 10-20 tabs open), some online classes , some videos etc. No major gaming as such.
 
You can replace hdd with Sata ssd. That would give you a huge leap of performance. Upgrading ram won't make the system smooth except for multi applications usage.

Would suggest ssd Path and take a decision on ram and other modules basis performance. 8 gb ram is minimum.nowadays though
Agreed, but would recommend upgrading ram to 8GB if the system will be used for the web browsing you've specified (10+ tabs). Preferably have an additional 4gb ram + 1tb ssd (assuming 2k + 8k), and use the existing hdd as an external one. Would be good if you repaste the laptop, or at least clean the heatsinks.
 
Agreed, but would recommend upgrading ram to 8GB if the system will be used for the web browsing you've specified (10+ tabs). Preferably have an additional 4gb ram + 1tb ssd (assuming 2k + 8k), and use the existing hdd as an external one. Would be good if you repaste the laptop, or at least clean the heatsinks.
Agreed. My i3 4th gen Lenovo laptop with 4gb ram performs good even with bigsur hacintosh. Performance dips when I use lot of tabs and applications..

If OP had a choice btw ram and ssd, priority should be giveb to ssd and then to ram. Upgrading both would be a ideal upgrade though
 
Thanks a lot of your suggestion
You can replace hdd with Sata ssd. That would give you a huge leap of performance. Upgrading ram won't make the system smooth except for multi applications usage.

Would suggest ssd Path and take a decision on ram and other modules basis performance. 8 gb ram is minimum.nowadays though
Agreed. My i3 4th gen Lenovo laptop with 4gb ram performs good even with bigsur hacintosh. Performance dips when I use lot of tabs and applications..

If OP had a choice btw ram and ssd, priority should be giveb to ssd and then to ram. Upgrading both would be a ideal upgrade though

Seems general thought it to update SSD as it will give max benefits.
This may fit well for me, as probably DDR3 RAM cannot be used for further upgrades for newer laptops also.

Only concern was if not upgrading RAM would still limit the smooth usage. is 4GB additional good enough or 8 GB is recommended.
Open the laptop, clean all the fans and heatsinks. Apply fresh thermal paste, upgrade RAM and SSD. You will feel a noticeable difference is performance
repaste the laptop, or at least clean the heatsinks.
Had already opened and cleaned dust and fan/heatsink. By repasting i assume reapplying thermal paste .right.
I have never done this, but if its simple and easy to do, can try it out. What would be recommended thermal paste? again using for normal usage so do not want to go with expensive high end options.
Do they still sell 8GB DDR3 stciks for laptop brand new though? Similar specs here and looking for a similar upgrade.
Yup they are available - https://amzn.to/3xW4pZh
Yes.several are available infact prices also seems to have came down a bit for DDR3 rams.

Few more options i came across
8 GB is 3000-4000
Hynix 8GB


4GB is available for around 1800-2500
https://www.amazon.in/Alketron-Chan...child=1&keywords=DDR3L&qid=1624889893&sr=8-21

https://www.amazon.in/Hynix-Laptop-...child=1&keywords=DDR3L&qid=1624890240&sr=8-34

Crucial 4 GB

Dolgix 4 GB

if 2GB works for current config there is one for 725 bucks only :)
Alketron 2GB
For SSD what can be better option
BX 500 1TB - available for 8000
WD Green 1 TB - available for 7800

Or should i remain within budget only with 500 GB which are available in 4500-5500 range. OR may be go with better Crucial MX500.
I may not use more than 500GB in laptop anyway. Was only considering 1 TB based on future use probably after year or so when replacing laptop.
But if SSD process are anyway coming down and future is NVME which might be available at similar price point. Does it makes sense to go with 1TB option?
 
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SSD will remain useful and will also have a decent resale value, in case you decide not to use it yourself. So you can go with a good 1 TB SSD if you can afford it.

If you plan on using the laptop for at least another year, then adding 4 GB RAM makes a lot of sense. I would say go ahead with it.

Wi-fi is up to you. You can try repositioning your router or its antenna to see if that improves reception. You can also try using LAN if feasible. Otherwise a decent dongle should be around 1k.
 
I have changed all three on my wife's 9 year old laptop and it works like a champ
+4gb ram =1.5k
+240g ssd=3k
+Intel 7260ac =1k (it had an old Broadcom which didn't have win10 support)

And beyond that
New kbd assy = 1k
New battery = 1.5k

Don't go overboard with the ssd. Buy a cheap enclosure for your current hdd and use it for images and media etc. Use your ssd only for apps.
 
If you are ok with Linux, you'll have deluge of options.. i moved away from windows 10 when it started to throw black screen due to age old graphics card (intel 4400 series )

Have linux and Mac and would still use Linux due to smooth performance
 
Nice topic. Agreed with most of the inputs above. I have upgraded the following:

1) My brother's Thinkpad L460 (I think that's the model- 2017/18, upgraded in 2020)
-an additional 4GB RAM (Crucial Basics, I think) totaling to 8GB and
-a BX500 400 GB SATA SSD

2) My Predator H300 (2017/8) (upgraded in 2020)
-an additional 8GB RAM (Crucial Basics again) totaling to 16GB
-replaced 128 GB M.2 (SATA, I think) SSD with a 500 GB NVME and
-replaced my 1TB HDD with Samsung 860 EVO SATA SSD (thanks a lot to the generosity of TE members here)

3) My Dad's Asus laptop (2017/18, I forgot the model name- it's a really cheap basic laptop- costed around 30K but total VFM- it has FHD screen and 8GB RAM, upgraded in 2020)
-put in the 128 GB M.2 SSD from my laptop in the spare slot in this one and loaded up the OS to that drive.

4) My spouse's Dell Inspiron 5570 (2016, upgraded in 2020)
-an additional 4GB RAM (Crucial Basics, I think) totaling to 8GB and
-a BX500 400 GB SATA SSD

Out of all the upgrades I did, the change to an SSD was the biggest shot in the arm for these laptops. My Dad's Asus laptop was the slowest of the lot and it showed the most improvement post the upgrades. A close second comes my wife's Dell which was pathetic to use but changed dramatically after the upgrades. My brother's ThinkPad also changed a lot thanks to those upgrades. Upgrading to an SSD improves battery life too. Best money spent on an upgrade ever. Better to go for an SSD with DRAM (the Crucial BX500s mentioned above don't have them. I chose them due to budget constraints. But even they are light years ahead of traditional HDDs). If you are running W10 and using Chrome, better to add in another 4GB of RAM.
 
If your Laptop has an optical drive, you could remove that and install the SSD using a disk bay or whatever it’s called. Pretty good option without sacrificing your HDD. SSD for OS and HDD for storage.
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
I do understand that adding both more memory and SSD is recommended. But since laptop is already quite old and not sure which other issue may start to crop up so do not want to spend too much. That too when this can still be usable for 1-1.5 years.
Only issue with adding ram is that it might be total money dump later on as DDR3 might not be usable anywhere else.

SSD will remain useful and will also have a decent resale value, in case you decide not to use it yourself. So you can go with a good 1 TB SSD if you can afford it.

If you plan on using the laptop for at least another year, then adding 4 GB RAM makes a lot of sense. I would say go ahead with it.
Don't go overboard with the ssd. Buy a cheap enclosure for your current hdd and use it for images and media etc. Use your ssd only for apps.
only reason was thinking of 1TB was reuse and probably less price increment from 500GB. Else would have been good with 500 GB also.
Probably can do good with 240 GB also but would prefer 500 one as sometime i do transfer data to and from laptop.
Out of all the upgrades I did, the change to an SSD was the biggest shot in the arm for these laptops. My Dad's Asus laptop was the slowest of the lot and it showed the most improvement post the upgrades.

Seems SSD update might be the one i require first. Should i still consider 2 GB RAM module to add or leave it as it is.
I have changed all three on my wife's 9 year old laptop and it works like a champ
+4gb ram =1.5k
+240g ssd=3k
+Intel 7260ac =1k (it had an old Broadcom which didn't have win10 support)

And beyond that
New kbd assy = 1k
New battery = 1.5k

Don't go overboard with the ssd. Buy a cheap enclosure for your current hdd and use it for images and media etc. Use your ssd only for apps.
Yes i recall seeing your thread somewhere on similar lines which gave me this idea.
One this which is still confusing in Wi-Fi. WHat is the preferred option, internal or external.
For internal ones not able to figure out which one would work or if there would be any compatibility issue.
External i know might be just plug and play but add additional device . Still need to check which is better in budget option without adding too much bulk.

If your Laptop has an optical drive, you could remove that and install the SSD using a disk bay or whatever it’s called. Pretty good option without sacrificing your HDD. SSD for OS and HDD for storage.
Unfortunately no Optical drive :(

If you are ok with Linux, you'll have deluge of options.. i moved away from windows 10 when it started to throw black screen due to age old graphics card (intel 4400 series )

Have linux and Mac and would still use Linux due to smooth performance
As much as i like to try out linux option, but since multiple people use same laptop so not everyone would be comfortable. But this is my long term plan, to make this linux machine at end of life.
If you are running W10 and using Chrome, better to add in another 4GB of RAM.
Yes this is one of my main use cases. Lets see what i can squeeze in my budget.
Time to start looking for deals.

On external Wifi adapters. which are better. Onces with Antenna or smaller ones. 3 I am considering for different reason
TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300 - 1349 -- + High speed. Small in size. -ve :more expensive, will bulge out a bit
TP-Link USB 600 Mbps - 1149 +ve decent speed, comes with foldable antenna. -ve : bigger in full size. not sure how much signal or speed will benefit from antenna or will it be white elephant.
TP-Link Nano AC600 USB -899 +ve cheapeast, decent speed , nano size, -ve: how much are signals and speed impacted due to small size.
 
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My recommendation is internal wifi all the way. But if you have a decent n adapter already, it may not offer much gains. I upgraded my wife's adapter because the old one was not supporting bt in win 10. In my laptop, I upgraded it for the sake of upgrading. And though there were some gains, they were minor and probably not worth it if your budget is tight. (1k was not a big deal for me)

Can you check your wifi properties and post what you have right now?
 
I bought a cheap Asus laptop back in 2011 with a Pentium B940 in it and day 1 I swapped out the 2GB with 2x4GB RAM sticks.

Few years later as SSDs became cheap, added a 840Evo, replaced the DVD drive with a caddy and put the 1TB HDD in it

Finally I got a i5-2540M processor from aliexpress for 35$ shipped and swapped teh B940 with it. Hindsight says I should have bought a quad core i7 2640m instead :(

Its still blazing fast for everyday activities despite the age! Oh yeah I'm on my 3rd battery pack right now!
TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300 - 1349 -- + High speed. Small in size. -ve :more expensive, will bulge out a bit

I have the T3U mini on my desktop and its actually good, I get full 300Mbps internet speed and about 40MBps transfer speed from my other desktop
 
.....I do understand that adding both more memory and SSD is recommended. But since laptop is already quite old and not sure which other issue may start to crop up so do not want to spend too much. That too when this can still be usable for 1-1.5 years.
Only issue with adding ram is that it might be total money dump later on as DDR3 might not be usable anywhere else.

Seems SSD update might be the one i require first. Should i still consider 2 GB RAM module to add or leave it as it is.

If you're planning to keep this laptop for a year and junk it after that, better to hold off on the RAM upgrade-especially since it's DDR3. The SSD can be used somewhere else. Better to buy an SSD in the m.2 form factor as the newer laptops support this. I think there is an m.2 to SATA enclosure available if your laptop only has a SATA slot https://www.amazon.in/dp/B083314KB3/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_68TC3PHY07H8Z2VBF0BP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

only reason was thinking of 1TB was reuse and probably less price increment from 500GB. Else would have been good with 500 GB also.
Probably can do good with 240 GB also but would prefer 500 one as sometime i do transfer data to and from laptop.

A 1TB drive might work out cheaper for you in the long run. Minimum recommended size would be 500GB if you're not using too much local storage. As Greenhorn mentioned, you can use your existing HDD in an enclosure. I use my HDD from an enclosure and have offloaded stuff like game setup files and movies on it.
 
My recommendation is internal wifi all the way. But if you have a decent n adapter already, it may not offer much gains.

Can you check your wifi properties and post what you have right now?
Internal will be best but I am not too sure what laptop will support. Internal one was 150 Mbps one only but was behaving very erratically, slow speed frequent connection drops. Currently not using internal one and its disabled. For now using an old external dongle its bit better but again seeing lots of disconnection. So was thinking of replacing it.
Can you help where to check ?where to find the properties.

I have the T3U mini on my desktop and its actually good, I get full 300Mbps internet speed and about 40MBps transfer speed from my other desktop
Thanks. This should work than. Hope no significant range or stability issue.
Better to buy an SSD in the m.2 form factor as the newer laptops support this. I think there is an m.2 to SATA enclosure available if your laptop only has a SATA slot https://www.amazon.in/dp/B083314KB3/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_68TC3PHY07H8Z2VBF0BP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
A 1TB drive might work out cheaper for you in the long run. Minimum recommended size would be 500GB if you're not using too much local storage. As Greenhorn mentioned, you can use your existing HDD in an enclosure. I use my HDD from an enclosure and have offloaded stuff like game setup files and movies on it.
This looks like better option. Will add to cost but much more versatile.
Quick query. Will this or other adapter support nvme to SATA also. if so can directly go with nvme ssd itself considering cost difference is not much.

Will be using it as external hdd , though do not really need external HDD, already had a quite a few of them storing movies and huge files.
 
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