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upgrades

Retired
Not applicable
hi everyone,
i was wondering if it was possible to upgrade my G73SW. I want to upgrade my ram and HDD. Is it possible?
11,822 Views
19 REPLIES 19

Chastity
Level 10
Sure. The memory and HDDs can be swapped out. Your system, does it have 4 banks of RAM, or 2 installed? What config are you interested in?
[SIGPIC]Kicking Ass Since Today[/SIGPIC]

Hi chastity i would like to upgrade my G73SW with more RAM if it possible from its 8gb standard and Upgrade its Momentus HHD to a SSD?
I would like some options for these two and the intricate details about the SSD install and optimal operation... from turning off the page file to changing something on the bios that i overheard in other customers reviews for SSD's. I would greatly appreciate it.

PS. i opened the bottom plate of my G73 and i only saw 2 RAM cards/ 4gb each card. Are there supposed to be only 2 or did i missed the other 2? Im planning to upgrade to 16GB. Thanks beforehand 🙂
G73SW-XT1

Intel Core i7-2630QM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M - 2.0Ghz
16GB DDR3-1333
60GB OCZ SSD vertex III
500GB Seagate Momentus XT
DirectX 11
Win7- Ultimate

Chastity
Level 10
Some models come with 4GB modules, and some with 2GB, so in your case, you have 2 empty slots on the flip side of the motherboard. These are accessed by deconstructing the case to get to the motherboard.

As for upgrade options, you can get 2 4GB DDR3-1333 modules to get to 16GB. If you want increased performance, you can get faster memory modules, but you would need to replace the 8GB you have now. You'd be looking at Kingston's PnP Memory, which is available in 1600, 1833, and 2133 speeds. It'll be pricey, but if you were ever interested in getting faster ram, now is the time to do it.

As for a SSD, the "thing" you were talking about was disabling C-states to get the fastest SSD speeds. However, this will mean your CPU and bus will be running full throttle all the time, and IMO is not worth the minor speed boost, and would kill your battery quicker, plus run your fans at higher rates constantly.

Most people when switching to a SSD will do a fresh install of Win 7 x64, since it makes it easy. You can clone your OS partition, and restore it to the SSD, but it would have to fit, so you may need to relocate a bunch of stuff first, and perhaps uninstall some apps. (I moved my Steam dir to my 2nd HDD, then had to reverify all my installed games)

You may also find this site helpful 🙂

http://thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/optimization-guides/the-ssd-optimization-guide-2/
[SIGPIC]Kicking Ass Since Today[/SIGPIC]

taneth21
Level 7
Awesome, thanks for the info. As for the SSD should i just plug n play with regular settings or should i follow the tweaking guide for optimal performance? I don't want to forget something that would kill my SSD in less than a month of use for lack of experience since then SSD's dont come with a optimization manual.

Should i buy the upgrades in newegg or my local Bestbuy? Prices are the same, i just don't want a watered down version of the modules if bestbuy has them, I would rather wait a few weeks for delivery no problem. Thanks again for the help.

PS. is the Geforce GTX 460m a lot less powerfull than the GTX 560m? is there any way to upgrade this in the future? Replacing the 8gb card you said i had to disassemble the laptop itself to get to the other memory, it should not void my warranty right?
G73SW-XT1

Intel Core i7-2630QM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M - 2.0Ghz
16GB DDR3-1333
60GB OCZ SSD vertex III
500GB Seagate Momentus XT
DirectX 11
Win7- Ultimate

Chastity
Level 10
If getting DDR3-1333, make sure the timings are the same, and see if you can get the same brand / model.
[SIGPIC]Kicking Ass Since Today[/SIGPIC]

Are there any improvements between my G73SW-BST6 and the G74SX-BBK7 worth switching for?
G73SW-XT1

Intel Core i7-2630QM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M - 2.0Ghz
16GB DDR3-1333
60GB OCZ SSD vertex III
500GB Seagate Momentus XT
DirectX 11
Win7- Ultimate

Chastity
Level 10
I'm not too familiar with BestBuy's versions atm, and I just received my G74SX-3DE, so I am still putting her through her paces. I had this annoying scanline flicker for a bit when other hardware were active, like touchpad or transfers going on, but I managed to fix it with a full Intel INF update to current with -overall. (The stock factory install had a few legacy driver versions still installed) I am particularly fond of the new keyboard, and I prefer the LAN connection on the right side. The USB ports on the left are also better positioned. They also swapped out the Synaptics tp for a Sentelic. The tp buttons are soft-touch, and keyboard keys are textured. Palmrest is rubberized. LCD panel folds back further than before. Air intakes are under the LCD panel, and there are none underneath, so lappy coolers are going to be moot.

Furmark 1.9.1 on stock speeds (775/1250) maxed at 66C, and was pretty damn quiet.

IMO, get the G74 🙂
[SIGPIC]Kicking Ass Since Today[/SIGPIC]

taneth21
Level 7
Damn that's sounds nice. My G73 was around $1200. How much will that set me back assuming i can change it?
G73SW-XT1

Intel Core i7-2630QM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M - 2.0Ghz
16GB DDR3-1333
60GB OCZ SSD vertex III
500GB Seagate Momentus XT
DirectX 11
Win7- Ultimate

taneth21
Level 7
Today i just checked the BB G74 version and imo i think its too watered down compared to G74SX-3DE which is great just looking at the HD 1920x1080 pixel, LGD02C5, 3D-display 120Hz. So i think i'll just settle with my G73 and upgrade the ram to 16gb. But thx for the info 🙂
G73SW-XT1

Intel Core i7-2630QM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M - 2.0Ghz
16GB DDR3-1333
60GB OCZ SSD vertex III
500GB Seagate Momentus XT
DirectX 11
Win7- Ultimate