{"id":75896,"date":"2021-07-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=75896"},"modified":"2021-07-01T14:46:12","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T19:46:12","slug":"how-do-i-upgrade-my-old-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/75896-how-do-i-upgrade-my-old-laptop\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Upgrade My Old Laptop?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chances are, if you\u2019ve been in the editing game for more than three or four years and work on a laptop, you have at some point experienced the frustration of working with a machine that just feels far too slow. At some point, you\u2019ve begun to question whether it\u2019s time to get a new one. Partly because you need it, partly because we all love brand new shiny, expensive things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they are expensive. The only thing more astonishing than the performance of some high-end laptops these days is the price. And that may well be enough to put you off. So, what\u2019s next? So perhaps you hammered into Google “how to make a laptop faster,\u201d and you ended up here. So, is it doable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well…it depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Key Factors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, we can\u2019t speak universally for every laptop out there. Each laptop model is a specific case. It may well be that the one you have is not really \u201cmade for upgrading.\u201d The innovators never wanted you to go undoing those minuscule screws and tampering around in the back. If that\u2019s the case, when buying your next laptop, look for a model that does<\/em> have the ability to be upgraded. You\u2019ll thank yourself further down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re lucky, there are four key areas to bear in mind when looking at how to speed up an old laptop \u2013 particularly when it comes to film editing. Upgrade any of these, and you\u2019ll soon see a massive performance improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CPU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This is the most vital part of your laptop. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the \u201cbrains\u201d behind all the operations, performing heavy calculations. Editing videos on your laptop is a very heavy and intense task. Your CPU is doing the heavy lifting in the background, generating previews as you edit, as well as encoding and exporting your videos. In other words, CPU = how much lag you\u2019ll experience while editing and how long your renders will take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the CPU isn\u2019t powerful enough, this may well be where you\u2019re experiencing some issues. An i5 chip is a \u201cbasic\u201d chip that\u2019s very cost-effective and can handle the day-to-day. However, a core i7 or i9 processor will be much improved in multitasking and handling the high demands of something like video editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you want a 6-core CPU at the minimum. If you get up to 8, 12, or 16, then you\u2019ll be flying. To check which core you have onboard a Windows laptop, open up the System app. It\u2019ll give you the exact details of the processor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re on a Mac, choose the Apple menu (\uf8ff), then select \u201cAbout This Mac.\u201d This opens the overview of your Mac, including the Mac model, processor, memory, serial number, and version of macOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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RAM (Random Access Memory) can be confusing because it\u2019s a bit like a CPU. Basically, RAM is your laptop\u2019s short-term memory. It processes the quick requests from any program you have open and allows you to simultaneously run multiple programs fast and efficiently. So, the more RAM you have, the better your laptop will perform when running your editing software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, RAM can also help with caching preview files for playback. If you\u2019re working with higher resolution video (4K is quickly becoming the norm), you\u2019ll need more RAM. At the very least, for 1080p HD footage, 16GB is ideal. For 4K, you should be aiming for 16GB minimum, but got up to 32GB if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also bear in mind what else is open at the same time as your editing software. Additional programs like web browsers and other creative suites will all use RAM, reducing the amount of power allocated to editing. Even just running your OS is going to use a large chunk of RAM. So, by the time you add things up, you may find that your NLE doesn\u2019t have much RAM to work with. This could be why your laptop feels slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graphics cards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Graphics cards are less important in comparison with CPU and RAM. In fact, technically, you don\u2019t even need a graphics card in your laptop when using most<\/em> editing software (the exception to the rule is DaVinci Resolve). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that being said, GPUs are still very useful. Your NLE can run smoother and faster by taking advantage of the hardware acceleration for encoding and rendering your edits. If you do a lot of work, particularly with color grading or motion graphics, a GPU is essential. There are a LOT of options on the market so we\u2019ll take a look at that in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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There are two ways to go when it comes to storage. SSD (Solid State Drive)<\/a> and HDD (Hard Drive Disk). While an HDD will offer more storage at a lower price, it runs a lot more risk of a mechanical fault. This is because it uses a physical needle arm to read your data from a spinning magnetic disk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As anyone knows, in video editing, you really do not want to risk losing your files. It\u2019s an editor\u2019s worst nightmare. So, we always suggest the SSD option. An SSD can access data up to 10X faster than an HDD, and there\u2019s a lot less risk of disk failure and data loss. The performance difference really starts to play out when editing 4K footage. If your laptop is carrying an HDD, you may notice that the frames begin to drop off when a number of clips are streamed simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Upgrading Your Laptop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now you understand the key factors, let\u2019s take a look at how to make a laptop faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CPU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll start off with the bad news. Sorry to say it, but upgrading your laptop processor probably isn\u2019t a viable option. While there are a slim number of models out there where you could plausibly do it because the processor is interchangeable, they are expensive and difficult to find. For most laptops, the processor is soldered directly into the motherboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, processing power is locked in. Permanently. So, let\u2019s focus on the things you can<\/em> upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some potentially positive news on the RAM front. It\u2019s usually very easy to upgrade IF you\u2019re a PC user. Most (but not all) laptop models on the PC side are designed so that you can open up the back and install new cards into the designated slots with relative ease. If you\u2019re a Mac user, unfortunately, it\u2019s not so great. Most Mac laptops have had the RAM soldered to the board since 2016, which makes things a lot trickier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, try using a tool like Crucial\u2019s Memory Advisor<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 you can quickly enter the brand and exact model of your PC laptop to find out key information such as the maximum amount of memory the laptop can carry and how many memory slots are available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For Mac users, we\u2019ve got everything covered right here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice that it will list memory modules available for you to buy that are compatible with your laptop. All you need to do is purchase the sticks and install them. The method to do so may differ slightly for each model, so we recommend finding the tutorial on YouTube specific to your laptop model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OWC has a vast range of video tutorials for installs, including memory<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graphics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

GPUs are an interesting one when it comes to how to speed up a laptop. Depending on your model, you may or may not be able to upgrade it. Some cards, just like most CPUs, are soldered to the motherboard, which makes upgrading significantly more difficult. However, if you\u2019re lucky, there are plenty of other laptop designs that will allow you to upgrade the GPU because they\u2019re connected to the motherboard via an expansion port instead. Do your research on this before opening anything up or making rash purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provided you can<\/em> do it, there are a few things to bear in mind here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n