Z96j configuration

Hey guys im looking to be buying a z96j within the week. I dont know alot about computers in general and just had some questions about what i should configure my z96j to.

Im not too sure on what i should get for main memory, either the 512mbx2 oor the 1gbx1. I heard that the 512mbx2 will have more power, but the 1gbx1 would be easier and cheaper to change in the future if wanted. I probably wont be swapping memory so should i get the 512mbx2? Is it that much better?

Also im stuck on the hard drive, how much faster is 100gb 7200 hard drive than the 100gb 5400 hard drive? How much more heat will the 7200rpm hard drive produce? Is it really needed if im not doing alot of multitasking?

Thanks alot.

 

Any luck freebyrd? I'm in the same boat as you with the z96 and can't offer much to help our case.

 

you guys can find these posts on these forums guys, just use the search button.

here's the answers.
7200 rpm vs 5400 rpm isnt noticable.

And about the RAM, go with the 1024x1. That way if you wanna upgrade in the future to 2gigs, you can just buy another stick instead of throwing out 2 sticks of 512 and buying 2 sticks of 1 gig.

The 512x2 dual channel doesnt make that big of a difference ...

 

O believe me i have been searching alot, but couldnt get a solid answer. Like i said before i dont have much experience with computers and just wanted to make sure. Thanks alot tho for the answer.

 

the 7200 will have more of an effect if you're doing a lot of things that constantly draw on the hd...or in some of the more current fps games it can noticeably decrease loading times...if you aren't doing either of these..it isn't worth the extra money..and no it does not produce more heat

 

My palms area already sweating enough on this 5400rpm HD, the 7200 will get significantly hotter.. and most of them also make high pitched whinin noises.

 

I personally would not shell out for a 7200rpm, the price difference isn't really justifiable. I have 1x1024MB and 5400rpm disks on both my Z63A and Z96JS and I'm quite happy with them. I have 1x Kingston KVR667D2S5/1G PC2-5400 SODIMM (Kingston chips) on my unit and it works fine. Make sure you get PC2-5400 (DDR667) since the price difference between PC2-4300 (DDR533) is not really that large and the system can run it at that speed.

There's a minimal difference in using dual channel unless you're using something like Photoshop or other RAM intensive operations. If you intend to get dual channel, it's usually better to buy them both at the same time to reduce problems with matching sets. ex: Kingston makes laptop RAM, but buying Kingston with the same part number doesn't necessarily guarantee that you will be getting the same chips. Sometimes you might get Micron, some days Infineon, some days Mosel, and some days might even be Kingston-badge chips. They usually come in boxes of 25, so chances are good that the chips on those modules ordered at the same time will be the same at the supplier when you order it.

As far as 5400rpm vs 7200rpm, can't really comment because I don't have a 7200rpm laptop disk, but for DESKTOPS this is generally true:

- average seek time on a 7200rpm HDD compared to a 5400rpm of the same configuration (ex: platter densities, number of platters) is usually quicker (ie: Windows shows up on your screen much quicker),
- power draw is higher since the motor is forced to spin faster,
- power dissipation is generally a fair bit more (more waste heat).

Also, the last I saw, a Seagate 80.0GB 7200rpm costs *MORE* than a Seagate 100.0GB 5400rpm. Crazy price difference.

 

I agree with all of the posts here. I wanted to add one more item.

I have on order a z96J. I chose to get 1 stick of 1g ram for the same reason that Mystery described.

The hard drive is the main bottleneck in computing performance according to some experts. Now, I am going to add that I do not have any data to back that up. This is just something that I've read and remember.

I went with 7200rpm. I have heard that there is no significant difference in performance between 5400 and 7200 unless you plan to play 3d games (which I do). If you plan to play fairly modern 3d games, you will want the extra performance added by the 7200. So, Halo 2 for instance might be considered a decent 3d game that *could* potentially benefit from a 7200 drive. Doom3 and other graphics intensive games apparently are not playable on your z96j so there is no reason to contemplate a performance boost if that is your intention. You did not mention anything about games. However, I thought I would add that in case that was one of your considerations.

 

The 7200rpm drive will also be beneficial if you plan on editing audio or video. The concensus seems to be that it won't produce significantly more heat. Search the archives (especially the "Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades" forum) for many long discussions on the topic.

 

I would get 1GB 1x1 ram. Cheaper, no noticeable difference in performance whatsoever, and you still have option for future upgrades.

A 7200 RPM hard disk is normally only a few degrees warmer than the identical 5400 rpm disk. There is a bigger difference between hard disk models and brands than there is between hard disk speeds.

Loading times will be significantly faster. Your OS will boot noticeably faster, programs will open faster, searches will take less time, and loading times in applications will be much shorter. Price differences are also not very big unless you are looking at bigger hard disks. For 40, 60, and 80GB, there generally isn't that big of a price jump. Bug beyond that, it can grow significantly. If you need a large hard disk, and you don't care about loading times, go with a 5400 rpm HDD. If you want a smaller hard disk, or you care about loading times, get a 7200. A 7200 makes the laptop feel so much closer to a desktop.

 

Im on a z96j right now with 2gb ram and 7200rpm 100gb hard drive. Ive never felt the palmrests be too warm.