Time flies, should I upgrade this laptop?

[tinpanalley]

I've got a Lenovo Y580. I can't believe how time has flied because this laptop is, without question, the longest lasting laptop I've ever had without doing any physical upgrading to it at all. It has more than paid for itself in terms of value for money. Going to Windows 10, despite several people's problems has been no problem at all. I did disconnect completely the fast boot it had built in with Win7 where it would load the system of a small SSD and then use the optical C drive, and I think that made the move to 10 easier.
But of course, going from Windows 7 to 8 to 8.1 to 10, there are things it's doing now it wasn't entirely built to do. So, I'm wondering, what CAN I do to it other than upgrading RAM? Apparently I can go from the current 8GB to 32. I've heard tell of the ability to upgrade the processor on this machine but can't confirm that. Is the RAM even really going to help?
So, I need some expert laptop advice. I can't afford to buy a new one and it isn't even justified because this thing is fine. But I'd like to give it a bit of an upgrade if it's possible. I suppose I wouldn't mind replacing the HDD as well if you think it would help keep things moving (it does get sluggish sometimes). The only info I can provide is the processor: http://ark.intel.com/products/64899/Intel-Core-i7-3610QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz. Also does anyone know any applications that will help me figure out exactly which kind of RAM I can buy?

Thanks for any input, guys.

 

[corkyg]

My old T510 is probably as old. I did upgrade it to use SSD (one for OS, one for Data. Idid that a year ago. I have 4 OS drives - 2 for 7 and 2 for 10. I use all on a rotational basis. I have not upgraded RAM because I am good with 32 bit - no gaming - no multi-tasking. I use it mainly when I travel and otherwise just run updates every month.

I would not hesitate to recommend replacing your HDD with SSD. If you are running 64 bit 10, then RAM would be another good one. You can get the specifics if you run the Crucial selection app.

 

[tinpanalley]

If you are running 64 bit 10, then RAM would be another good one. You can get the specifics if you run the Crucial selection app.

I am in fact running 64-bit 10. So I could go to 32GB but none of these online sites wanna recommend RAM for that combination. So I'm not sure what to do.

 

[nerp]

I'd say go to 16GB ram. Pop in an SSD. You will love the machine even more.

 

[tinpanalley]

I'd say go to 16GB ram. Pop in an SSD. You will love the machine even more.

Why not go to 32, if it's doable? I do light gaming (not casual webgames) and also simple video editing with no effects. Audio editing is something I do a lot more.
What brands of RAM are the ones to go for? Does it matter anymore? Crucial has that tool for finding RAM but obviously they only suggest THEIR RAM.

 

[corkyg]

... Crucial has that tool for finding RAM but obviously they only suggest THEIR RAM.

True, but once you know their designated RAM, you can find equivalents in other brands.

 

[TeknoBug]

Nah that CPU is still good, like others said throw in more RAM and a SSD and it changes everything.

 

[tinpanalley]

True, but once you know their designated RAM, you can find equivalents in other brands.

Nah that CPU is still good, like others said throw in more RAM and a SSD and it changes everything.

Thank you @teknobug, sounds like the advice I'm getting from others. Now @corkyg, can I just take the RAM type they suggest for 4GB RAM chips and buy 8 or 16 instead? Because Crucial is only giving me the 32-bit RAM options.
Also, I assume unless the processor specs page says otherwise, I COULD just install a single 16GB chip for now in the '0' bay and then add another if I needed in the future? I read that video processing benefits from 32GB which is why I keep asking about this.

 

[nerp]

Why not go to 32, if it's doable? I do light gaming (not casual webgames) and also simple video editing with no effects. Audio editing is something I do a lot more.
What brands of RAM are the ones to go for? Does it matter anymore? Crucial has that tool for finding RAM but obviously they only suggest THEIR RAM.

Nothing wrong with going to 32gb if your machine supports it but you really will have to try hard to find any use for that much. Most people don't even need 16. There's a plateau where more memory does nothing for you.

For RAM, I usually go with Crucial. All my builds I go for memory with bare chips, no heatspreaders or bling. It has been more than a decade without a single failed memory stick. I would go with memory that matches the exact voltage and timings that your machine specifies. Generally, any RAM should work fine if it fits as long as it's not way out of spec.

 

[blankslate]

If your video editing is simple and not the majority of what you do with your laptop then 16GB of memory is fine.

As others have said most people don't even need 16... though it is nice to have. And laptop memory is still pricier and harder to find deals on imo.

Going to 32 GB on your system wouldn't do much more than showing off how much resources you have to put into your machine. If you can do that without feeling any pain then it'd be more logical to get a new laptop imo.


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[tinpanalley]

If your video editing is simple and not the majority of what you do with your laptop then 16GB of memory is fine.

As others have said most people don't even need 16... though it is nice to have. And laptop memory is still pricier and harder to find deals on imo.

Great thanks. Good advice echoing what others have said. I think I'm gonna go to 16, and try to get myself a decent but cheap SSD drive. Normally I only buy Samsung but I'd be willing to try something cheaper if the read and write speeds are good.