Hey everyone! My parents have this old laptop with some pretty dated specs: it runs on an Intel Core i5 3210m CPU, has an Nvidia GeForce GT630m GPU with 1GB, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and a 512GB HDD. I'm considering whether it would be worth it to upgrade the RAM and swap in an SSD. Do you think these upgrades will actually make a difference, or are they just going to be a waste of money?
2 Answers
Upgrading can make a difference, but it really depends on what you want to do with it. If you're thinking about running Linux, it'd run well enough as is. Microsoft has some limitations with Windows 11 on older hardware, so that could be tricky. If you decide to sell it, swapping the HDD for a cheap SSD might help boost the price a bit!
Honestly, unless the parts are really cheap, it might not be worth it. If you can fit an SSD where the CD drive is, that could help. Just keep an eye on the RAM limit your motherboard has—the more, the better. If you're not gaming, a lightweight Linux distro could be all you need!
Yeah, Windows 11 might not be the best fit. I have an i7 from second gen running Windows 10 LTSC with 4GB RAM, and it works fine as long as you clean it up and delete unused apps. And I tossed in an SSD, which helped a ton!