9300 upgrade questions

2 GB RAM is the max you can get for the 9300. The brand doesn't matter and the speed difference from getting better timed RAM is minimal as well. Here is a link to the fastest RAM modules you should use: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2508081&name=4

They are 200-pin DDR2 533 MHz (PC2 4200) 4-4-4-12 RAM modules. You can get higher MHz modules but they will be forced to run at 533 MHz.

As for dvd drives, these should work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...20DVD%20Burner

Can't really recommend any brands. I had a Sony that was alright, a Pioneer that's pretty good, and a TSST that seems ok.

Upgrading the processor is possible and not too difficult. And fortunately because of the age of our units the price has come down considerably especially for used ones from pulls on eBay. However, don't expect a dramatic performance impact with a faster processor, but rather an incremental one. The biggest impact on perceived performance is and always has been hard drive speed and since you already have a 7200RPM drive that's off the table.

Next would be processor front side bus speed (FSB) because this is the rate at which the processor can access RAM and the other components of the system. The faster the FSB the more quickly data can be accessed with fewer wait states at a given clock speed. FSB has a much more dramatic affect on performance than over all clock speed as clock speed is a ratio of FSB times CPU clock multiplier. You state in your signature that you've got a 1.8ghz processor, so I can only assume you're running a Pentium M 745 running at 400mhz FSB and not a Pentium M 750 running at 533mhz FSB. If this is the case then an upgrade to a faster Processor will yeild improvements provided you not only upgade to a faster CPU, but one with a faster FSB as well. Examples would be a PM 760 (2ghz @ 533 FSB), PM 770 (2.13ghz @ 533FSB), or the fastest available that will fit in your machine a PM 780 (2.26ghz @ 533FSB). You can pick-up one of these PM 780s right now on ebay for as little as $125 (I just did a search there for Pentium M 780). Awesome considering they were over $700 when first introduced over 3 years ago.

In conjunction however, you need to make sure that you're RAM is up to running at this faster speed, otherwise the faster processor will be stuck accessing your RAM at the slower 400mhz bus speed. So my suggestion would be that if you want to go through all of the trouble to upgrade your processor and increase your RAM, that you purchase 2 identical 1gig sticks rated at 533mhz or better (667mhz sticks will run on an I9300, but at a slower 533mhz, this is what I have). This will allow you to run at maximum performance for your chipset and upgraded processor. Since RAM is pretty cheap right now you should be able to upgrade your RAM and processor for under $200 total and prolong the useful life of your rig for another year or two.

If this isn't within your budget then my advice would be to keep what you've got don't sink anything else into it and save your money to buy a newer more up to date rig later.

I hope this helps.
Ciao

9300's didn't ship with 400 MHz FSB CPU's. He most likely has the 533 MHz FSB CPU. Anyway, that's not important. As Tiburon said, the best stock processor you can get is the P-M 780 @ 2.26 GHz. You would need some new thermal paste as well if you wanted to upgrade. Really, this is the only processor I would recommend you upgrade to, although you might like the speed increase of the P-M 770 @ 2.13 GHz as well. The only other option to get a fast processor is more complicated and risky; its called pinmodding.

A Faster HD only helps in loading the program into local memory, the program itself will not run any faster.

Half of those DVD players/recorders on that Newegg page are for IDE machines, the other half for SATA. My early I9300 takes IDE (just ordered the LG last night in fact) but you have to know which system you have. It's only one screw to remove the DVD player, look at the back and post pics....I suggest you go to the Dell site and download the I-9300 Service Manual, I've had mine completely apart several times.

A cheaper way to more performance but not for those without skills, I added a cheaper 1700 400Mhz CPU to mine, after some pin-mods for speed and voltage, it runs at 2.26GHz....I also overclock my 6800Go....

There were many posts on this board back when the i9300/M170 was more current about pin-modding and O/Cing them. There used to be a great thread "stickied" to the top of the forum describing in detail the procedure as well as photos to illustrate, so an appropriate search should pull in the thread to view.

Doing this however made a lot more sense when the Pentium M 770-780's were going for a mint, now that the price for these processors are so cheap (relatively speaking) the time, effort, and risk to both the CPU and mainboard hardly seems worth the risk IMHO. Which is why I suggested the searching eBay for a used pull route.

On a side note, ZZ you were mistaken, apparently there were some early i9300s that were sold with 400mhz FSB processors at a reduced priced point.

I hope this helps.

Ciao