[Jhazon]

I have an older model HP Compaq Presario C700 with two 512mb RAM sticks. The laptop works ok and would like to keep for as a 3rd PC for a few of my charity group works. The laptop runs slow over the last year. I just cleaned up some malware items and did a clean of history and files (those simple things within my knowledge set). The fan speeds up and the laptop gets hot. The response time is poor.

 

What can I do to get this laptop in workable condition? any test I should run? what about upgrading RAM?

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Putting Vista on 1GB should have been criminal. Yes, a RAM upgrade would be good. I would also put in a SSD, the hard drive could be failing so you would hit two birds with one stone. However, I would look into the overheating issue first. Sometimes a processor will slow down when it is overheating. Best way to deal with it is to open it up, blow it out (fan could be blocked) and replace the thermal paste.

Some models have easy access to the fan, might want to look into that first.

It has a Core2 Duo processor, so it might be worth giving it a little attention.
Here is a program to look at the actual temperature http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Edited by Trevorever, 18 April 2014 - 03:14 PM.

[Trevorever]

Putting Vista on 1GB should have been criminal. Yes, a RAM upgrade would be good. I would also put in a SSD, the hard drive could be failing so you would hit two birds with one stone. However, I would look into the overheating issue first. Sometimes a processor will slow down when it is overheating. Best way to deal with it is to open it up, blow it out (fan could be blocked) and replace the thermal paste.

Some models have easy access to the fan, might want to look into that first.

It has a Core2 Duo processor, so it might be worth giving it a little attention.
Here is a program to look at the actual temperature http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Edited by Trevorever, 18 April 2014 - 03:14 PM.

[Jhazon]

Thanks Trevorever, I blew out the fan and... my goodness, what a mess!! Used nearly all of the duster spray can until there was not more dust/dirt. SSD? How do I know how much or what type of RAM to put in the laptop?

[Trevorever]

You can use the Crucial scanner to find what type is compatible and how much it will take.http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner

SSD=Solid State Drive. Unlike a traditional hard drive, it has no spinning disks inside of it so it is faster. It really does make a difference.

Edited by Trevorever, 19 April 2014 - 08:50 AM.