Should I get a new CPU or more RAM first?

[i want a laptop]

Fuck i never thought of that, well there are 4 RAM slots and only 2 are used, the other 2 are like those continuity ram sticks or something that is used for RDRAM. Well if the ram doesn't work I'll return it...shit...never thought of that.

 

[Computer Head]

if you give me a model number of the computer or the motherboard, I can check to find your maximum memory supported. Also I am not 100% sure, but I think RIMM (or RDRAM) has to be installed in pairs. of course, you would remove the C-RIMMs and put the actual RAM in its place. All slots have to be filled either with RAM or C-RIMMs.

 

[MikeReiner]

If your just on a cheap wanting a computer for browsing the web and what have you.. get more ram. I wouldn't bother getting a new cpu, that computer is way too outdated to bother.

 

[JogaBonito1502]

I reckon you should build a new computer. Or buy it used. I'm sure you could find a Dell for $75 or so. I'm trying to sell mine w/o a PSU and HDD for $40.

 

[i want a laptop]

Well I just installed the 512MB of RAM. Windows says I have 640 now. Perfect. It is faster, next thing I need is a new hard drive, this one is big enough, just loud and I think pretty slow, I think it is the only thing holding back my system, when I double click firefox, I think it is the HDD making it take 2 or so seconds to open, not my CPU, and while in firefox, it is decently fast, so I think the CPU is fine. I either want to make a "homemade" SSD out of a compactflash card and an IDE adapter, (I love silence in a computer) but getting a 4GB compact flash that is just as fast if not faster than this hard drive, will be expensive.

I would only install windows and the basics onto the compact flash, looking at my hard drive now, Program Files and Windows folders take up 2.3GB. So 4 GB would do me fine for the basics. I would keep my harddrive, hook it up to a IDE - USB adapter, and solder a power switch to the drive, (I can solder, I got skills) so I can turn the drive on and off, so I have a 40GB really loud USB drive that I can turn on and off at will!

But the thing is, the compact flash card, I don't know how to test my current hard drive for like a benchmark in speed, and I don't know exactly how accurate those stats are for the compact flash cards are in terms on writing and read speed, I bet most are overexaggerated.

Or I could just get another IDE hard drive that would be good, like a new Western Digital one or something...I don't know. I like quiet.

Anyway, what I should do right now, is get a program to test exactly how fast my hard drive is in terms of seek speed, write, and read speed, anyone got any good suggestions on a good program so I don't have to dick around looking thru 1000 on google?