Thinkpads Forum

Ok well i just got this laptop from my friend as a gift and it is a IBM thinkpad celeron 500mhz like a 6gb harddrive and 32mb ram. It is slow as hell i got it hooked up with a usb wireless adapter but its just way too slow to even use and the "Virtual memory minumum is too low" error pops up all the time. I was just wondering what i could do to speed it up. Should i buy more ram for it? Please give me your advice so i can get this baby running smooth!

Thanks alot!
Chris.

welcome to the forum.

flip it over and find the 7 character model-type # on the black and white sticker. post it back here. it'll help us help you.

3892A717 FACTORY ID: M
DOES THAT HELP?

or is it type 1161 - 210......thats actually 7 characters.

looks like you've got an i1200 (1161-210).

here's an overview:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4KYMXL
and available driver updates:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ry=1161210

you might want to read through the overview and then through some of the publications, available from the "user's guides..." link on the sidebar of the 2nd url above. that should help you get an idea of what's possible with your machine.

hth, at least to start.

kemper420 wrote:I was just wondering what i could do to speed it up. Should i buy more ram for it?

An increase in RAM from the 32MB it currently has would definitely help. The online documentation for your system lists 160MB as being the maximum. That can be accomplished by adding in a 128MB PC100 low density module. Those can be identified by simply counting the number of individual memory chips on the module. There should be eight for a 128MB. Current prices on eBay for them are running around $7 to $10:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0262737042 (Micron MT8LSDT1664HG)

What operating system does it have? Windows 98 originally came with the laptop. If it has been updated to Windows 2000 that's probably okay but if XP has been installed then you may not have enough memory capability for XP to run as fast as you want.

I got windows Professional 2000. I dont plan on doing \much on this laptop, surf the net, play some cheap games, use messenger and email.
Thanks for all the advice so far guys

Anything else i can do to give this laptop a boost? The minimum virtual memory is too low error always pops up. IS ram all i need?

i'd start with the ram. the ebay link shows it's cheap and 160mb will be much better than 32.

from what else i've read in the links i posted, there was only one other hard drive made for this model, a 12gb, and it was a japan-only option. i don't know if there are any 3rd-party drives you can use.

Can i get any more ram then just 128mb? Is that the highest i can go?

Also is there any wireless card i can put in this laptop or is that asking too much? I got a d-link usb internet adapter and i got a linkysys router and the connection isnt too good when im up in my room(2nd floor) and the router is down in the basement it always disconnects.

kemper420 wrote:Can i get any more ram then just 128mb? Is that the highest i can go?

160mb is max for your model. 32mb is soldered on the board and the slot will take a 128mb module.

there was another i1200 model that had 64mb onboard, so it could get to 192mb total using the 128mb module.

Someone told me i can get a 256mb pc-100 memory??

kemper420 wrote:Also is there any wireless card i can put in this laptop or is that asking too much? I got a d-link usb internet adapter and i got a linkysys router and the connection isnt too good when im up in my room(2nd floor) and the router is down in the basement it always disconnects.

i'd try a pcmcia wifi adapter. the specs say you've got 1 type III slot.

kemper420 wrote:Someone told me i can get a 256mb pc-100 memory??

might be. but the question is whether the machine will even recognize it. that ? i can't answer. maybe some will chime in.

you might want to ask this in the legacy hardware forum: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewforum.php?f=6

By the way all those driver updates ( Cant get to them quite yet cause my laptop is way to slow atm.)
What drivers should i download? Im not sure which ones i need.

kemper420 wrote:By the way all those driver updates ( Cant get to them quite yet cause my laptop is way to slow atm.)
What drivers should i download? Im not sure which ones i need.

good question... some would advise "if it ain't broke, don't mess with it". if you have access to another pc with better 'net capability, you might want to browse the list, read the text files, and decide on a case-by-case basis. much will depend on what state your machine is in currently. ex: current bios level, etc.

Thanks alot!
Well i got that exact sdram in rkawakami's link. It should be at my house in about a week it is friday so i will have the wait over the weekend. I hope i will be able to actually use it without falling asleep waiting for it to load.

I was thinking about buying this wireless card http://www.futureshop.ca/marketing/vend ... &langid=EN

The system requirements are
System Requirements: CD-ROM Drive, 600MHz Or Faster PC, 256MB RAM, Available PC Card Slot, Windows 2000/XP (Service Pack 1)/Vista

I have 500mhz, 160mb, windows 2000 pro. Do you think it would work on my i2000 ??