Looking for better parts for my laptop

dahcakedemon · Sep 26, 2015

Hello all,

I was recently thinking of building a gaming PC, but because I am still in school, my parents said that I should wait until summer and see if I have good grades than. The problem is, my computer isn't very powerful, so I was thinking of first getting some parts to upgrade the laptop, if it's possible. If it is, I was wondering what pieces I could use to upgrade it? I have a Lenovo G50-80. Here is a Speccy page: http://speccy.piriform.com/results/hQTwkJCchC2AyW4pCHEYDit Because it doesn't specify the processor, it is an Intel(R) Core i3-4030u. The parts I am looking to upgrade are the RAM, and if possible, a better video card that is compatible with the CPU.

So, is upgrading my laptop recommended or not? If so, what are parts to upgrade? Thanks!

jaguarskx · Sep 26, 2015

The only thing you can upgrade is the RAM and the hard drive (either a larger hard drive or a SSD). There is nothing else you can upgrade. The Intel HD 4400 graphics core is integrated in the CPU which is soldered into the motherboard. Only specific models of expensive gaming laptops (usually at least $1,400) will have an upgradeable GPU. I stress only specific models since there are $2,000+ gaming laptops with dedicated GPUs soldered into the motherboard.

Installing another stick of 4GB RAM will allow the RAM to operate in dual channel mode. Having only one stick means the RAM operates at half speed or single channel mode. That can boost integrated graphics performance by 5% - 10% depending on the game.

Installing a SSD will allow the laptop to feel more responsive because read / write speeds are much higher than a standard hard drive. That means the laptop will boot much faster and programs will launch much faster. But it will not have any effect on game performance except for load times.

dahcakedemon · Sep 27, 2015

jaguarskx :

The only thing you can upgrade is the RAM and the hard drive (either a larger hard drive or a SSD). There is nothing else you can upgrade. The Intel HD 4400 graphics core is integrated in the CPU which is soldered into the motherboard. Only specific models of expensive gaming laptops (usually at least $1,400) will have an upgradeable GPU. I stress only specific models since there are $2,000+ gaming laptops with dedicated GPUs soldered into the motherboard.

Installing another stick of 4GB RAM will allow the RAM to operate in dual channel mode. Having only one stick means the RAM operates at half speed or single channel mode. That can boost integrated graphics performance by 5% - 10% depending on the game.

Installing a SSD will allow the laptop to feel more responsive because read / write speeds are much higher than a standard hard drive. That means the laptop will boot much faster and programs will launch much faster. But it will not have any effect on game performance except for load times.

Okay, but I am not sure if I have integrated graphics or not? How can I tell?

jaguarskx · Sep 27, 2015

#1 - The are no Lenovo G50-80 laptop models with dedicated graphics. None.

#2 - If you look at the Speccy screenshot you provided under Graphics (in the Summary section) it states "Intel HD Graphics Family". I know it is the Intel HD 4400 graphics core because under CPU it states the laptop has a "Haswell" generation CPU. If it had a dedicated GPU it would stated under Graphics. For example, my Dell Latitude 3540 has a Radeon HD 8850m dedicated GPU. It is listed as "Mobility Radeon HD 8850m" right under "Intel HD Graphics Family".

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