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G75vw RAM and SSD questions

ducqducq
Level 7
Hello, this is my first post on these forums and i hope this is the right place to post this, i just bought the G75vw-bbk5 notebook from bestbuy. I will be using this laptop only for some gaming, like starcraft 2, diablo 3, and maybe an mmorpg.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+17.3%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive/5176239.p?id...

So i've been reading and i see people upgrading their RAM and swapping out the hard drive for an SSD. I'm not the smartest when it comes to computer stuff but i've learned a lot from browsing forums.

1) A few questions about the RAM. I want to take out my 2x4gb and put in 2x8gb RAM pieces for 16gb total. I see both 1333mhz and 1600mhz. Which is better, can this laptop support that, and whats the difference? I'm thinking of buying 2x8gb 1600mhz from Samsung, kingtson, or maybe even corsair. Any suggestions on which brand to go with, i'd probably order off of newegg.com. I've switched them out on my other laptop and it was simple, i hope theyre not hard to get to in this laptop.

2) I've read that theres 2 hard drives in this laptop, one of them has the 1TB 5400rpm and then theres another one(i'm not sure what the other one does). So would i be able to keep one hard drive with the 1TB 5400rpm and swap the other one out with a SSD hard drive? Would i be using the SSD to boot windows and the 1TB for my personal storage? I'm not too great with computers so is this something i would be able to change out myself? i know changing it out is a easy swap but i mean the whole installing windows and stuff. i don't know how i would make that SSD boot windows and the 1TB one do everything else. which SSD hard drives work well, im thinking a 120GB SSD might be good enough. Heres a few pictures, one of the laptop opened up from the back, and a few of some SSD hard drives i saw at central computers, any advice or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.




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Cecil_2099
Level 11
ducqducq:

I too have the Best Buy model of the G75. Let me correct a few assumptions you've made about our model:

1) RAM: The 8GB it currently has installed is configured as two sticks of 4GB 1600mhz DDR3 RAM under the keyboard. The two slots under the panel in your picture should be empty (mine are). Therefore, you should be able to get two more sticksof 4GB 1600mhz DDR3 RAM and stick them in those empty slots and there you go, you have 16GB of RAM. I don't have a recommended brand for the RAM though.

2) HDD/SSD: Our model doesn't have two hard drives. It only has one 1TB 5400 RPM Seagate drive. The G75 has two hard drive BAYS, meaning you can add another hard dive (HDD or SSD). I'd also like to do what you have planned (install an SSD as the main boot drive and use the stock 1TB drive as a storage drive) but I haven't gotten around to it. I'm still researching whether or not using the ASUS Recovery DVDs I burned would be able to image a smaller hard drive or if I would have to adjust partition sizes and create a backup image from Windows and restore it onto the new (smaller-size) SSD.
G75VW-BBK5 (Stock configuration with added Crucial M4 256GB SATA SSD as OS boot drive)

Need to know how to restore your G75 to it's factory-like condition? Go to my step-by-step guide:
Step-by-Step: Using ASUS Recovery DVDs to Restore G75

Want to download the latest drivers and utilities for your G75/G55? Go to this thread:
Downloading New Drivers/Utilities for G75/G55

Cecil_2099 wrote:
ducqducq:

I too have the Best Buy model of the G75. Let me correct a few assumptions you've made about our model:

1) RAM: The 8GB it currently has installed is configured as two sticks of 4GB 1600mhz DDR3 RAM under the keyboard. The two slots under the panel in your picture should be empty (mine are). Therefore, you should be able to get two more sticksof 4GB 1600mhz DDR3 RAM and stick them in those empty slots and there you go, you have 16GB of RAM. I don't have a recommended brand for the RAM though.

2) HDD/SSD: Our model doesn't have two hard drives. It only has one 1TB 5400 RPM Seagate drive. The G75 has two hard drive BAYS, meaning you can add another hard dive (HDD or SSD). I'd also like to do what you have planned (install an SSD as the main boot drive and use the stock 1TB drive as a storage drive) but I haven't gotten around to it. I'm still researching whether or not using the ASUS Recovery DVDs I burned would be able to image a smaller hard drive or if I would have to adjust partition sizes and create a backup image from Windows and restore it onto the new (smaller-size) SSD.


Okay thanks for clearing that up, the picture is actually froma YouTube video and I did assume that's how mine would look. So I'll just be buying ddr3 2x4gb 1600mhz sticks of RAM and putting them in.
So, I can leave the 1tb drive in there and swap out with an ssd. Hope someone will chime in and give their opinion on the ssd's in the pictures. I might just have central computers do the whole swap and set up cause I'm not too good with this stuff.

Samsung DDR-3 8gb 1600mhz SO-DIMM (2x4gb). Is this what im looking for and does this notebook take 204 pins or 240 pin

Sorry I'm trying to soak all this info up

It takes 204 pin, like all other laptops. 240 pin memory is for desktops and servers.
I am disturbed because I cannot break my system...found out there were others trying to cope! We have a support group on here, if your system will not break, please join!
http://rog.asus.com/forum/group.php?groupid=16
We now have 178 people whose systems will not break! Yippee! 🙂
LINUX Users, we have a group!
http://rog.asus.com/forum/group.php?groupid=23

ducqducq wrote:
...So, I can leave the 1tb drive in there and swap out with an ssd. Hope someone will chime in and give their opinion on the ssd's in the pictures.


Well, welcome to the forum, ducqducq.

Crucial and Intel brands for the SSD has been well received for the G74.
I don't see any reason why they won't do well for the G75 either.
And yes, the laptop would be zippier if you use the SSD as the primary OS disk.
Though, I'm not sure on how your 5400 RPM HDD would work with the SSD.
(I have a 128 GB Crucial M4 SSD as the primary OS disk and a 750 GB 7200 RPM HDD,
and I'm not complaining on how they work together..)

...I might just have central computers do the whole swap and set up cause I'm not too good with this stuff.


It wasn't a long time ago when I also wasn't too confident doing a DIY on my G74.
But I thought if I won't start trying to learn to do it myself now, then when would I?..
With the help of THE guys on this forum, all is going well.:)

So, go on ahead.. Unless it's really next to impossible, take the first step..
and open the innards of your G75.. Start poking in.. but don't forget the forum
is always here to assist you.. and before you know it, all is well with you, too..
ASUS G74SX-3DE

ducqducq wrote:
Okay thanks for clearing that up, the picture is actually froma YouTube video and I did assume that's how mine would look. So I'll just be buying ddr3 2x4gb 1600mhz sticks of RAM and putting them in.
So, I can leave the 1tb drive in there and swap out with an ssd. Hope someone will chime in and give their opinion on the ssd's in the pictures. I might just have central computers do the whole swap and set up cause I'm not too good with this stuff.


To install the RAM ( I just completed identical upgrade on my new G75VW ) you need to stick it in firmly and press it down. If inserted into position at a slight angle you need to push it in somewhat and then down. If unsure if it is in completely then use clips on side to release it and do it again.

I always remove battery when doing anything like this ... put battery back in when complete.

For my SSD I selected the Intel 520 but used 180 gb model.

I did the SSD upgrade by first burning 3 recovery disks thru Asus AI recovery.

I pulled the old 1 TB drive out after burning recovery disks and left it out. It will be ultimate backup ...

Put in new SSD and used recovery disks to re-install OS and Asus utilities software etc into new machine. Later upgrade OS to Win 7 professional.

Using a separate different 1 TB drive ( reformatted ) in other side.

Okay I figured out the RAM part, I'm stupid. I was under the impression that moving the metal pieces would physically cause the slot to point upwards. I inserted them at an angle until they slid in, then press down and they clipped in firmly. Thanks.

As for the switching the SSD to boot windows thing, I'm afraid to mess something up. Ill look up some guides but I might just have someone else do it. I think I need to update the bios as well? Thanks for the great help!

john_from_ohio wrote:
I did the SSD upgrade by first burning 3 recovery disks thru Asus AI recovery.

I pulled the old 1 TB drive out after burning recovery disks and left it out. It will be ultimate backup ...

Put in new SSD and used recovery disks to re-install OS and Asus utilities software etc into new machine. Later upgrade OS to Win 7 professional.

Using a separate different 1 TB drive ( reformatted ) in other side.


Thanks for listing the steps. Glad to hear the recovery discs can be used to re-install OS, utilties, software, etc. onto the new SSD. Puts a lot of conflicting information I've been seeing around the 'net to rest.
G75VW-BBK5 (Stock configuration with added Crucial M4 256GB SATA SSD as OS boot drive)

Need to know how to restore your G75 to it's factory-like condition? Go to my step-by-step guide:
Step-by-Step: Using ASUS Recovery DVDs to Restore G75

Want to download the latest drivers and utilities for your G75/G55? Go to this thread:
Downloading New Drivers/Utilities for G75/G55

Why is it neccessary to upgrade to win 7 professional? So once windows is loaded onto the Ssd, you can't just stick your 1tb hdd in, boot up windows and wipe it(reformat)? I have to get a Different 1tb drive? Thanks