3.5yr old laptop... help please?

[jdg199]

So this is what I bought in mid-2011:
Chassis & Display
Optimus II: 17.3" Full HD LED Backlit Widescreen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glossy
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2630QM (2.00GHz) 6MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
4GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (1 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
1st Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BEKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & INTEL® CENTRINO® ADVANCED-N 6230 inc BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery - 48.85WH
Power Cable
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1



In reality, I use it far less than I used to (kids, work etc) and now mainly only for email, web browsing and iTunes/Netflix etc via HDMI to Samsung TV. However, it is really struggling with that. I've recently downloaded series 4 of Walking Dead and when watching a 45 min episode anywhere between 30-40 minutes the TV picture starts to lag and flicker black. When I check on the task manager, the RAM can be running at 3-3.2Gb (out of 4 Gb) which seems crazy given that the only program (that I can see) running is iTunes! By restarting iTunes we can watch the last 15 minutes flicker free but it hardly makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

I have a bit of spring cleaning to do in terms of moving files off the hard drive and onto the external (various HD movie/TV series downloads) which will clear up some space (currently running at around 90% used of the 500Gb drive) but with 50Gb free, should it really have that much of an effect on performance when just running iTunes!? I could probably free up another 100Gb of space but i wondered whether adding another 4Gb of RAM would be the best solution.

Or, do I just accept that this type of technology has a lifespan and shell out for something shiny and new (drawback with this is that the missus is advocating a macbook air as she hates the hefty piece of equipment I'm currently using - I'm pushing back but she normally wins the arguments!).

If I was to just add RAM, is it easy enough on these machines? I tried the "Upgrade your computer" on the main site but it does not allow me to, probably due to the age of the computer.

Any thoughts? Is a RAM upgrade sufficient to help things out or is it likely I'll need a more drastic overhaul?

cheers
John

 

[SpyderTracks]

So this is what I bought in mid-2011:
Chassis & Display
Optimus II: 17.3" Full HD LED Backlit Widescreen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glossy
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2630QM (2.00GHz) 6MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
4GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (1 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
1st Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BEKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & INTEL® CENTRINO® ADVANCED-N 6230 inc BLUETOOTH
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery - 48.85WH
Power Cable
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1



In reality, I use it far less than I used to (kids, work etc) and now mainly only for email, web browsing and iTunes/Netflix etc via HDMI to Samsung TV. However, it is really struggling with that. I've recently downloaded series 4 of Walking Dead and when watching a 45 min episode anywhere between 30-40 minutes the TV picture starts to lag and flicker black. When I check on the task manager, the RAM can be running at 3-3.2Gb (out of 4 Gb) which seems crazy given that the only program (that I can see) running is iTunes! By restarting iTunes we can watch the last 15 minutes flicker free but it hardly makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

I have a bit of spring cleaning to do in terms of moving files off the hard drive and onto the external (various HD movie/TV series downloads) which will clear up some space (currently running at around 90% used of the 500Gb drive) but with 50Gb free, should it really have that much of an effect on performance when just running iTunes!? I could probably free up another 100Gb of space but i wondered whether adding another 4Gb of RAM would be the best solution.

Or, do I just accept that this type of technology has a lifespan and shell out for something shiny and new (drawback with this is that the missus is advocating a macbook air as she hates the hefty piece of equipment I'm currently using - I'm pushing back but she normally wins the arguments!).

If I was to just add RAM, is it easy enough on these machines? I tried the "Upgrade your computer" on the main site but it does not allow me to, probably due to the age of the computer.

Any thoughts? Is a RAM upgrade sufficient to help things out or is it likely I'll need a more drastic overhaul?

cheers
John

I would check your temperatures when it's on, have you cleaned it since you owned it (I mean properly removing the base and clearing dust buildup with compressed air/paintbrush)? It's possible it's overheating and throttling the system to lower temps. If it's only using 3.2Gb of RAM when running, that sounds about right depending what you have installed (windows alone will use around 2-3Gb).

Upping the RAM is very easy, you just slot the sticks into the spare bays. I'm not sure what the clevo model number is for that chassis, but if you can find out, then you'll be able to find a tear down manual on line to show you how to access the memory bays.

 

[jdg199]

I had issues with overheating a while back - i cleaned it out and now run a temp monitor if it seems like it is struggling - the box still seems to get hot but when i run the monitor it is no where near the levels that it used to get to.

I assume the model number is on the back of the machine - im not at home so can't check. I will do when I get back.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I had issues with overheating a while back - i cleaned it out and now run a temp monitor if it seems like it is struggling - the box still seems to get hot but when i run the monitor it is no where near the levels that it used to get to.

I assume the model number is on the back of the machine - im not at home so can't check. I will do when I get back.

Can you post the GPU and CPU temps when idling/running iTunes also? Be interested what temp monitor you're using and what your temps are.

 

[jdg199]

I'll try to do that tonight...

 

[jdg199]

See attached - the first is screen shot from just after the screen started flickering (episode was less than 30 minutes old)... I had just closed the video window but itunes was still running. The second is a minute after i had closed itunes. in both you can see that the temp was cooling almost straight away. Previously, i had seen temps easily get up to 85+ so 60s and 70s seem pretty good!!

 

[SpyderTracks]

In the first screenshot, you can see that the temps are sky high on all of the cores just before the screenshot was taken. Plus those temperatures on idle are excessive anyway. I would suggest that a full cleanout (which should be done every 6 months or so to keep the laptop at peak performance), and also a repasting of the CPU.

Those temps are just for the CPU, it would be worth checking the GPU also as there are possibly issues there also.

 

[jdg199]

"Repasting of the CPU"?

You also asked about which temp monitor I was using - is there a preferred option? And how can I check GPU readings as well?

 

[SpyderTracks]

"Repasting of the CPU"?

You also asked about which temp monitor I was using - is there a preferred option? And how can I check GPU readings as well?

There's a layer of thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink. If this isn't applied properly in the first place, it can dry out or leave air bubbles which means heat transfer is compromised. Reapplying this paste can massively improve cooling potential.

For thermal monitoring, download Piriform's Speccy, or CPUID HWMonitor.

 

[ubuysa]

Whilst I wouldn't argue with the comments on temperatures there is a RAM issue here (or at least there appears to be from the two screenshots you show).

Take a look on the Resource Monitor screen at the Hard Page Faults/Sec graph. This is the rate at which Windows is failing to find a required page in RAM and having to go to the pagefile to find it, you are regularly seeing more than 100 page faults/Sec which is a lot. Page faults are resolved by I/Os to the hard disk of course (that's where the pagefile is stored) and hard disk I/Os are incredibly slow (>30mS per I/O is not unusual) compared to RAM access speeds (<9nS typically). That's probably why you're flickering, the buffer for the video is being paged out to disk (to the pagefile) because of near RAM exhaustion and you have to wait for the I/Os to page fault it back in again.

The Task Manager screen also shows, at the time of the flickering, that the amount of RAM available for use (the Free value under the Physical Memory heading) is only 564MB, whilst in the non-flicker screen it's more than double that at 1698MB.

All these page faults are handled by the CPU and disk of course, so that's extra work for both the CPU and HDD to do and that will generate heat. It may be that the high temps you see are not the problem but an effect of the excessive page faulting due to too little RAM.

IMO another 4GB of RAM should solve your problem.

 

[jdg199]

Thanks for those suggestions - I'll take a look tonight. Is the paste something I can do or should I get someone to do it? Also, cleaning out the dust/applying paste - are these things offered by repair shops or is it something that really can be done at home.

In terms of my original issue of the flickering when connected to my TV... is it likely that overheating causing the fans to work overtime, spiking RAM higher, is a potential problem that the cleaning/temp control may fix or have we got sidetracked? Given that the picture does not flicker on the laptop but only on the TV screen, what other causes could it be? TV - shouldn't be... only 1.5yrs old, no other issues at all when streaming direct through TV, or using the virgin box). The HDMI cable - again, unlikely as no issues at all streaming from the macbook we have. Also, the issue isn't constant... it happens overtime which is what made me think it was a memory issue (and therefore more RAM would rectify). Am I missing any other potential causes?

 

[jdg199]

ubuysa - thanks for the input as well (I typed my last note before seeing yours). just speaking to online chat help and they recommended a single 8gb stick to get the 1600mhz speed instead of the 1333mhz i currently have... will this make a noticeable and economically worthwhile difference, or is it just because I am talking to a sales guy? I am happy to pay a little more if it is really worthwhile.

 

[jdg199]

Sorry for the barrage of posts here... from PCS £60 for Kingston 1600 mhz 8gb chip.

However, clevo website says: "you would need to install 2x 4GB modules to reach maximum"

Does this suggest that 2x4 is required/better? Is it better to have a single 8gb module? if I have two slots then could i not go to 16gb with 2x8 (i'm not going to, this is just a theoretical question)... why does Clevo suggest that 8gb is the maximum memory for this model (W170HR)

 

[ubuysa]

Sorry for the barrage of posts here... from PCS £60 for Kingston 1600 mhz 8gb chip.

However, clevo website says: "you would need to install 2x 4GB modules to reach maximum"

Does this suggest that 2x4 is required/better? Is it better to have a single 8gb module? if I have two slots then could i not go to 16gb with 2x8 (i'm not going to, this is just a theoretical question)... why does Clevo suggest that 8gb is the maximum memory for this model (W170HR)

Some chassis do have a maximum supported RAM limit so you may not be able to install 2 x 16GB chips. I would be guided by PCS, they are not in the business of ripping off their customers nor trying to sell you things you don't need. 8GB RAM will be plenty for your needs and there really is little practical difference between 2 x 4GB and 1 x 8GB. I wouldn't expect you to notice the increase speed but the price difference is probably pennies for the lower speed. £60 isn't a lot of money to spend on RAM, especially since you know you're short of RAM.

I'm assuming that your Windows 7 system is 64-bit, your order specifies it and Windows is reporting 4003MB in your Task Manager display, so I'm pretty confident you do have a 64-bit Windows system. This is important if you go to 8GB RAM because only a 64-bit OS will be able to use it (a 32-bit OS cannot address more than 4GB of RAM).

My advice is to go with the PCS £60 deal.

 

[jdg199]

Yep 64-bit. I'll get it done.

Spyder - thanks as well, I'll give it a clean when i change the ram. Think the paste can wait until i see how that fairs.

No, if only I could work out why my photo-stream from my iphone isn't working then i'd be sorted!! (don't worry, I'll research that myself elsewhere!)

 

[jdg199]

Urgh... so I went ahead and paid for my 8gb memory module (£60) and it arrived in the post today - having just opened it, craziliy they have decided to send me a 2gb chip!! so annoying. (and I definitely requested and paid for 8gb)!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Urgh... so I went ahead and paid for my 8gb memory module (£60) and it arrived in the post today - having just opened it, craziliy they have decided to send me a 2gb chip!! so annoying. (and I definitely requested and paid for 8gb)!

Oh dear, that's not good... I'd call them tomorrow and let them know, they might just send out another 8gb and let you keep that one.