adding some RAM and a new storage to a older ThinkPad

[thedighubs]

hello dear Community - good day

i am using a Thinkpad T420 notebook for some years now - and i run it with Linux OS
well: i am lovin this Thinkpad for its robust case.

now i want to ensure that i can use it for some more time: therefore i want to do some thing for it: here are the planned upgrades.

a. RAM: 4pg up to 8gb
b. Storage: 300GB HDD change to 256GB SSD + DVD Caddy & 500 MEG HDD

what do you say?

 

[manly]

welcome to the forums.

2011 era notebook? I'd spend as little money as possible, although there certainly would be a noticeable benefit from 8GB RAM + an SSD.
There was a thread in FS/FT where somebody was giving away some DDR3 SO-DIMMs; that's the type of deal you want to be looking for.

 

[Tech Junky]

noticeable benefit from 8GB RAM

Not really with Linux. I packed mine with 32GB on the server and it really doesn't need more than 2GB at any given time. Though reboots to clear the cache reset the counters.

SSD

This will improve things a bit but, more importantly replacing the old HDD that would be prone to failure at this point would be the priority.

what do you say?

It's a cheap upgrade. If you don't need more modern HW for apps then go for it. If you need more power though then looking for a new laptop would be a better place to put the $$$. Clevo has some really cheap options if you go barebones and add your own RAM/M2.

Clevo Barebone Laptop Series - R&J Technology, Clevo Barebone Notebook kits, Laptop and desktop system builder

your Memory hard drives build your laptop based this Clevo Barebone Series select from options provided build

rjtech.com

I grabbed one a couple of years ago and they shipped for free and no sales tax. I also upgraded it to a UHD panel myself in about 10 mins for better visuals. They ship with generic panels that leave me wanting more but, if you're used to 1080p they should work just fine.

 

[manly]

Not really with Linux. I packed mine with 32GB on the server and it really doesn't need more than 2GB at any given time. Though reboots to clear the cache reset the counters.


This will improve things a bit but, more importantly replacing the old HDD that would be prone to failure at this point would be the priority.

There's a massive difference between 32GB on a headless server and 4GB on a GUI desktop. Even if I found the most lightweight desktop OS that's still relevant today, I would refuse to be stuck with 4GB of RAM. It's very hard to do tabbed browsing of the modern web without adequate RAM. The only exception is a mobile device, and even then, 4GB is considered poverty class today.

Anybody will tell you that an SSD is a huge improvement over spinning rust, not just in benchmarks, but in actual real world feel. It's more than just "a bit" of improvement. One of the best upgrades I ever did was replacing a laptop's HDD with an SSD in 2013. And that was SATA 1.0.

But again, a 2011 PC is so old that I'd want to spend as little money as possible. Obviously used RAM and SSD that works reliably; and if somebody is giving away DDR3 when you pay just the postage, that is ideal. You can get a TEAM Group CX2 256GB for $18+tax on Newegg. That seems reasonable, but not a dollar more.

OP also floated the idea of buying a slimline caddy to hold a 500GB HDD; if he doesn't already own these parts, I think that's likely a waste of money unless (again) it's nearly free.

I agree with you that if this basket of goodies costs even $90 total, I'd rather roll that money into a modern laptop. It doesn't even have to be brand new; PCs depreciate so quickly you can likely get a great deal on a 2021 laptop.

 

[Tech Junky]

GUI

Depends on which one you use. I have XFCE installed for RDP access and it's low profile. When you use what comes with most default installs like GDM3 or similar then yes more RAM might be preferable if not running a dGPU.

Of course an SSD would be preferable to a spinner. I swapped the spinner in my car for a mSATA last year just due to age and it was ~$50 for the drive and adapter needed since the system was using PATA. It would have been nice to expand the storage but the OE drive was using some odd format that would have required more time spent than it was worth. I swapped to an Android unit for the display and it uses a simple micro SD which is more efficient for moving data to/from. The mSATA though runs the car's OS though for quite a few functions.

spend as little money as possible

That should always be the goal with tech / laptops. That's why I suggested the Clevo as they're well beyond low priced to comparable specs. No reason to pay retail for same performance. For the few bits I added to mine it would cost me $4000 under a different name when my total comes in under $2000.

 

[thedighubs]

hi there - dear Tech_Junky and manly
many thanks for the quick answer - and for all the great tipps.

There's a massive difference between 32GB on a headless server and 4GB on a GUI desktop. Even if I found the most lightweight desktop OS that's still relevant today, I would refuse to be stuck with 4GB of RAM. It's very hard to do tabbed browsing of the modern web without adequate RAM. The only exception is a mobile device, and even then, 4GB is considered poverty class today.

yup - agreed.

Anybody will tell you that an SSD is a huge improvement over spinning rust, not just in benchmarks, but in actual real world feel. It's more than just "a bit" of improvement. One of the best upgrades I ever did was replacing a laptop's HDD with an SSD in 2013. And that was SATA 1.0.

yes i - understand.

But again, a 2011 PC is so old that I'd want to spend as little money as possible. Obviously used RAM and SSD that works reliably; and if somebody is giving away DDR3 when you pay just the postage, that is ideal. You can get a TEAM Group CX2 256GB for $18+tax on Newegg. That seems reasonable, but not a dollar more.

yes i think youre right

Of course an SSD would be preferable to a spinner. I swapped the spinner in my car for a mSATA last year just due to age and it was ~$50 for the drive and adapter needed since the system was using PATA. It would have been nice to expand the storage but the OE drive was using some odd format that would have required more time spent than it was worth. I swapped to an Android unit for the display and it uses a simple micro SD which is more efficient for moving data to/from. The mSATA though runs the car's OS though for quite a few functions.

thank you


above all -
thanks - for the heads up!!