Thoughts - Upgrading notebook computers

In this blog, I focus on upgrading and to some degree modding notebook computers.  In general, upgrading notebook computers is not something that's discussed and when it is discussed, it's usually isolated to RAM and hard drive upgrades.  Granted that anything other than RAM and hard drive upgrades tend to be more difficult to perform.  So the question I'm going to answer is, "Why?"

Windows 8 and older computers

When Windows 8 went RTM, I downloaded the ISO that day and because I only seem to have old computers in my house, I tried to install Windows 8 on them.  Right off the bat, I'm at strike 2.

According to reports, Windows 8 is DESIGNED to run on netbooks, see review of Windows 8 Developer Preview and netbooks here.  Windows 8 was meant to be lighter and more efficient.  There are fewer running processes than Windows 7 and has a lower memory footprint than Windows 7.  All of these reports in theory should make Windows 8 faster than Windows 7.  The question then is, why is doesn't Windows 8 work as efficient or better than Windows 7 on my old notebook computers which works well with Windows 7 and can run laps around netbooks any day of the week.  This should be easy!

Thoughts - Return of the Ultraportable Notebook

With the advent of the netbook, marketing and mass public enthusiasm killed the high performance ultraportable notebook computer.  I'm not kidding with the whole "killed" word either.  High performance ultraportable notebooks (smaller than 12 inches) no longer exist.  The Sony VAIO TT (11.1") disappeared from sale in the US in 2009 (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/19/vaio-tt-disappears-from-sonys-us-site/).  Since then, there have been no products released to fill the gap, at least in the US.  Interestingly enough, Panasonic continues to offer the high performance 12.1" CF-NX and the 10.1" CF-J10 notebook computers.

MsMpEng.exe Hell

MsMpEng.exe is the antispyware component of Microsoft Defender antivirus software suite.  It's also part of the commercial Microsoft ForeFront antivirus software suite.

I run a Intel Core i5 M520 dual core processor running at 2.40 GHz, however, when MsMpEng.exe kicks in, the CPU utilization spikes to 100%.  The system becomes completely unresponsive until MsMpEng.exe completes.

PCI and PCI Express Notebook Expansion

I haven't tried one of these myself, but I'm highly tempted to get one.  I read about it here on forums.nvidia.com.

Magma creates an external expansion system that works with both laptops and desktops:

• The PCI expansion system allows you to expand the number of PCI slots using ExpressCard/34, ExpressCard/54, OR CardBus.  For desktops, you have the option of a PCI Express host card or a PCI host card.  Find it here at Magma.  PCI video cards still exist and a quick search on newegg.com shows acceptable PCI cards.
• The PCI Express expansion system allows you to expand the number of PCI Express slots  using ExpressCard/34 ONLY.  For desktops, a PCI Express host adapter.  Find it here at Magma.
• For those of you with a Thunderbolt port, a Thunderbolt PCI Express expansion system is available here at Magma.

This upgrade doesn't come without a price.  As of 2012-05-03, the PCI expansion system for 1 slot is 1159 USD, the PCI Express expansion system for 1 slot is 829 USD, and the Thunderbolt PCI Express expansion system for 3 PCI Express slots is 979 USD.

Make sure you look over the specifications as there are bandwidth and power restrictions.  Check the compatibility page for more information.

Update 2014-01-11

A while back, I ran into something called a ViDock (Video Dock) or eGPU (External GPU). Search for DIY ViDock or DIY eGPU. It's an external PCI express slot outside a laptop with a standard ATX power supply powering the video card. It hooks up to a laptop using a mini PCIe card or a ExpressCard interface. There are more professional versions of the ViDock (for example, Village Instruments ViDock, VillageTronic ViDock, etc) if you don't feel like doing it yourself and don't want to pay for the Magma premium. Definitely an interesting setup. I haven't tried it myself, but it looks like fun!

• http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5846&review=how+to+upgrade+laptop+graphics+notebook
• http://forum.notebookreview.com/e-gpu-external-graphics-discussion/397667-lets-figure-out-how-make-diy-egpu-previously-diy-vidock.html
• http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2109-diy-egpu-experiences-%5Bversion-2-0%5D.html

Dell Latitude E6410 Upgrade

I have a Dell Latitude E6410 for work and I have to say, I like the laptop.  The build is good and it's very easy to service.  It has one plate on the bottom that exposes all the components including the heatsink and fan assembly, CPU and GPUs.

Linksys WRT160N Overheat Solution

I have a Linksys WRT160N that I used for about 1 month before it crashed hard.  I took the device apart to discover that the Broadcom chips get very hot to the touch.

OS Upgrade/Downgrade Tools : Universal Extractor

When upgrading or downgrading an OS, there's 1 tool in my toolbox that I can't live without, and that's Universal Extractor.  Universal Extractor will explode most any installer file so that you can manually install drivers.  This is particularly useful for manufacturer provided installers that verify the version of the OS before installing.

Alienware Aurora m7700 Upgrade

So now that my Alienware Aurora m7700 is working great (see article where I had to send the laptop in for repairs), I have the need to upgrade it.

Alienware Aurora m7700 original specifications can be found here:

• Release Year: 2006
• Display: 17" 1900 x 1200 pixel display.  Nvidia GeForce Go 6800 Ultra graphics card PCI Express 256 megs of graphics memory.
• Battery: 12 cell 6,600 mAh Lithium Ion battery. 220 watt brick charger.
• Performance: AMD desktop CPU. Athlon 64 x2 4200+. 2 memory slots for PC400 SODIMMs.
• Motherboard: VIA K8T890 chipset.
• Size: (H x W x D): 2.1” x 15.6” x 11.7”. Our unit weighs 12 pounds, 5 ounces.
• Drives: 8X dual layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW.  80GB hard drives SATA 150 RAID capable.
• Audio: Sound: Realtek AC97 Audio for VIA chipsets, high-definition audio with surround sound, five built in speakers (one is a subwoofer). 3.5mm standard stereo headphone and 5.1 SPDIF jacks. Built-in mic.
• Networking: Realtek RTL8169/8110 Gigabit Ethernet and 56k V. 92 modem.
• Ports and slots: One PCMCIA - Type II/Type I card slot with CardBus support, 4 slot card reader (reads 7 media types). One parallel port, one serial port, one DVI connector, One S-Video out connector, Video-IN Ports (TV-Tuner required, not included, two PS2 connections, two mini IEEE 1394a (4-pin) ports, 4 Hi-speed USB 2.0, one headphone jack, 5.1 channel out (S/PDIF) / Line-in, microphone in, gigabit ethernet RJ-45, 56K V.92 modem RJ-11, Infrared port for Data transfer.

Fighting Obsolescence : Stereo System

If you've got a spare computer sitting around and/or you've got a stereo system that you're not using very often, you can put together a music jukebox.  The great thing about a computer controlled jukebox is that you can remote control it via Remote Desktop (RDP), leave the audio output at the computer and, viola, centralized control over music.

Components:

• Stereo System.  I've got the Sony CMT-RB5, a 3 piece stereo system.
• Any laptop that can still decode MP3s, play CDs, etc.  The good thing about this, is that the major hurdle in this case isn't the MP3 decoding.  That's a low CPU overhead task for any Pentium generation processor.  In my case, I've got an HP Compaq Evo N410c.
• 3.5 mm Male to 2 RCA Male Audio Cable
• Software:  Windows Media Player, Foobar2000, Winamp, Musicmatch Jukebox, etc.
• Or service:  Pandora, Spotify, Last.fm, etc.

Trying to revive the Sony VAIO PCG-N505VX

So it's March 2012 and I'm trying to revive my Sony VAIO PCG-N505VX.  This is the 2nd iteration of the famous Sony VAIO 505TX that turned laptops into a fashion statement.  The N505VX was featured as a fashion accessory in ads and was small enough to fit into a purse.  Why you ask do I even care?  Sentimental reasons.  It's still the thinest and lightest notebook I own and it still runs.

Resources:

• http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_sony.html - Provides a comprehensive list of Sony VAIO 505 enthusiast information.  However, it's mostly in Japanese.  Use translate.google.com to read the page in english.

Today, it's old and it's slow.  I managed to upgrade the harddrive to the 40GB variety, but haven't made much headway into getting a more modern operating system that would work, that is short of going back to Windows XP SP3.  Windows 7 won't install because it has a minimum of 512MB RAM limitation, unless I modify the Windows 7 boot disk to ignore that minimum RAM requirement.  I've tried Ubuntu, but the Gnome interface is too heavy for the 128MB RAM and Pentium II 333MHz processor.  Xubutu and LXDE is better, but once you load up an application, it's all over.

Amazon Kindle 2 LCD Repair

I was given a broken Amazon Kindle 2 because it was dropped and the LCD cracked.

Find the disassemble guide here on ifixit.com.

Amazon Kindle 2 e-ink LCD part number: ED060SC4(LF)

The e-ink LCD replacement/ED060SC4(LF) on eBay averages $60.  Very expensive.  So for the moment, I'm sitting on it waiting for prices to come down on the replacement parts.


I've also seen the e-ink LCD replacement on Alibaba, I've never tried to buy anything off the website, but it looks promising.  It's a global supplier website so some suppliers have a higher minimum order quantity.

Fighting Obsolescence : CRT TV

The digital age has made obsolete the CRT TV, and I'm not even talking about the HD CRT TV.  I'm referring to standard definition CRT TV with only 3 types of input:  S-Video, RCA, and RF coaxial.  Consumers are throwing out (hopefully recycling) CRT TVs and replacing them with high definition flat screen TVs (plasma, LCD, LED, etc) with the purpose of watching high definition television programs over air, cable, fiber optic, etc.  However, the internet age is changing the landscape of traditional TV.  Instead of watching TV when the broadcaster wants you to watch the program, consumers are watching TV when they want to watch the program.  Content providers such as Hulu, Crackle, TV.com, YouTube, Netflix, etc, allow consumers to watch content on their own schedule.

What does this have to do with obsolescence?  To accomodate the largest number of internet users, online content is generally 240p (320x240) or 360p (640x360).  This is lower than the lowest definition flat screen HDTV (480p).  Now, the question I ask is, if you want to watch internet content in the comfort of your living room couch, why do you even need an HDTV?

The answer, you don't.