Zenbook UX31A can't upgrade RAM need suggestions

[Mcneck]

Hello everyone,

 

I am writing you from a Zenbook UX31A which only has 4GB RAM, at the moment Windows 10 is installed. I noticed some serious performance issues while using the notebook and I suspect the 4GB RAM in combination with Windows 10 are the cause.

I have not yet looked inside it, but from a bit of research I know that the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard. As far as I know its not possible to upgrade the RAM in this case.

Does anyone of you have an Idea how I can improve the performance of the notebook?

I thought about putting something like an optane boosted SSD inside it, so that theoretically the pagefile.sys can be faster accessed, but I also suspect it would not make a noticable difference.

Maybe Windows 7 would be a better choice for a 4GB Notebook since it needs less RAM? Lastly maybe a Linux distribution would also run better, but I have near to none knowledge about Linux, can someone recommend a distribution for a newbie?

I could also sell the thing for 200 with some luck 300€ but I bought for around 1000 a few years ago, and would like to get the most out of it.

 

I am not searching for the "Philosopher's Stone" (I think thats how you say it?) I am just looking for input what to do with my notebook I really like and would like to use for the next few years.

 

Best regards from Germany

Mcneck

 

 

[Blatcher2]

Would recommend a Linux distribution or Windows 10S. I can't believe that you paid a €1000 for that machine given that my 2010 Thinkpad had 8gb for $1000... It is what it is though. 

 

Depending on your workflow it may make sense to pick up a more powerful machine. There are plenty of guides here and online on what to buy at different price points. Buying from the used market is also a good option as long as it's a reputable seller and in good condition.

[Hecknologist]

A faster SSD/optane can help in read/write operations, but the 4GB RAM is still going to be an issue. Windows 7 is still a popular choice for older gaming PCs due to less resource requirements so it is probably worth trying it out. Otherwise, there is always windows 10S.

Some Linux distributions to look at:

Linux Mint: https://www.linuxmint.com/

Based on Ubuntu(Debian) with a more windows-style GUI

 

Pop!_OS: https://system76.com/pop

Very simple to install the OS and software packages. Looks great.

 

Zorin: https://zorinos.com/

Haven't tried this one, but it's designed to look like Windows.

 

You can change the Desktop Environment for linux distros, which can help with system resource usage. Have a look here for some comparisons of some commonly used DE's: https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/

 

If you have some free space on a drive in your laptop you can create a separate partition and install a second operating system on it. If you want to try a different operating system just install over the old one, or if you want more space back for windows 10, just delete the new partition and increase the main partition size back to full.

 

Hope this helps, Good luck!

[Mcneck]

13 minutes ago, Blatcher2 said:

Would recommend a Linux distribution or Windows 10S. I can't believe that you paid a €1000 for that machine given that my 2010 Thinkpad had 8gb for $1000... It is what it is though. 

 

Depending on your workflow it may make sense to pick up a more powerful machine. There are plenty of guides here and online on what to buy at different price points. Buying from the used market is also a good option as long as it's a reputable seller and in good condition.

I looked into my Amazon purchases, it was only 800ish Euros. I really should have looked into the ability to upgrade the Notebook, but back then I was young and stupid... . Also I dont really want to buy a new one since I am a poor student starting with last month

I thought about selling the thing and getting a newer model... but I think it would be a good opportunity to start getting used to linux.

 

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, Mcneck said:

, but I have near to none knowledge about Linux, can someone recommend a distribution for a newbie?

Ubuntu is the newbie Linux. Though with low ram like that you might want to look at one of the sister distros that use a lighter weight Desktop environment. Such as Xubuntu. Even then there will be a learning curve.