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Thread: Need help with a laptop please!

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    Need help with a laptop please!

    Hi guys, been a while since I posted on here but I have a couple of questions for you all...

    My dad just gave me his work laptop to use at uni. It's a really nice, tiny, Sony Vaio. It doesn't have the best specs in the world (1.2GHz Centrino, 512 ram, 30GB HDD) but it is one of those awesome ultraportable ones that's gonna be perfect for going back and forth to class.

    Now I have 3 questions -

    1. Can I upgrade the RAM in it? If so, where would I get it from? 512 really is quite little!
    2. Can the HDD be upgraded? Again, where from?
    3. Slightly more complicated - it intermittently makes a bit of a grinding noise. Sounds very much like a bad fan spinning up to me (I haven't noticed any probs with the HDD function), and it happens when it's working hard on something. Is there something I can do to fix this without sending it off somewhere? Like I said, pretty sure it's just the main fan bearings that have gone or something.

    Ought to add, the model is PCG-4C1M. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks guys,

    Tim

    Actually I just had a look on the Vaio website and it reckons that the model code is VGN-T1XP/L, in contrast to what it says on the bottom of the machine. Wierd. Questions still stand!
    Last edited by timtim86; 28-10-2008 at 09:14 PM.

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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    not sure about the ram... the hard drive most likely as it would be a standard hdd, not sure about the fan

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    finding nemo staffsMike's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    You most likely can upgrade the RAM and HDD whether you would actually want to take the whole thing apart to do so is another question though..

    Vaio's are complicated.

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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    you can buy laptop heatsinks, you need to get it out and find the model number form the combined fan/heatsink, there about £30 iirc

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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    Quote Originally Posted by GoNz0 View Post
    you can buy laptop heatsinks, you need to get it out and find the model number form the combined fan/heatsink, there about £30 iirc
    Right so I'm going to take it apart then? I'm not incompetent at these things but will it be tough? I've built about 4 desktops now...

    Looking for a model no on the heatsink? What if it's just a bit dusty?!

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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    if its dusty clean it

    there not to bad to take apart, ive done plenty, jsut dont force anything

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    Re: Need help with a laptop please!

    Quote Originally Posted by timtim86 View Post
    Hi guys, been a while since I posted on here but I have a couple of questions for you all...

    My dad just gave me his work laptop to use at uni. It's a really nice, tiny, Sony Vaio. It doesn't have the best specs in the world (1.2GHz Centrino, 512 ram, 30GB HDD) but it is one of those awesome ultraportable ones that's gonna be perfect for going back and forth to class.

    Now I have 3 questions -

    1. Can I upgrade the RAM in it? If so, where would I get it from? 512 really is quite little!
    2. Can the HDD be upgraded? Again, where from?
    3. Slightly more complicated - it intermittently makes a bit of a grinding noise. Sounds very much like a bad fan spinning up to me (I haven't noticed any probs with the HDD function), and it happens when it's working hard on something. Is there something I can do to fix this without sending it off somewhere? Like I said, pretty sure it's just the main fan bearings that have gone or something.

    Ought to add, the model is PCG-4C1M. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks guys,

    Tim

    Actually I just had a look on the Vaio website and it reckons that the model code is VGN-T1XP/L, in contrast to what it says on the bottom of the machine. Wierd. Questions still stand!
    If I remember right the T1XP uses 1.8" hard disks which have a propriety connector and MICRODIMMS for RAM.

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