Getting max performance/speed from my laptop??

[BevillTheDevil]

While playin poker whenever my pokertracker fires my laptop either freezes or slows down really bad. This use not to happen and is really starting to tick me off. Im not very good with computers but is there anything simple i can do to make my laptop run faster? I have only the programs needed open...and im not sure what processes i can end or what else to do. I have a latitude D610, Intel Pentium M processor 1.6GHz, w/ 504 MB RAM if that helps...

[ohgeetee]

I haven't used it in a long time, but does pokertracker do any indexing of its database? depending on how it stores the info, it may be loading your past history whenever you open it, and that history has now gotten huge. If PT has a way to index or archive its data, i would look into that. You might want to post this in software forum since someone else may have come across it.

[NL Newbie]

Format, Update drivers, install only required software, defrag.

[goldtoes]

More memory wouldn't hurt if your motherboard supports it. That processor isn't amazing but isn't bad.

You can also try a defrag because maybe when it's trying to read your hand histories they're fragmented throughout your drive.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
504 MB RAM

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have shared video memory you can go into the bios and give the most ram to video you can, typically 128 meg.

If it's not set to the max it can really slow down your computer.

[bort411]

Can you explain this? Seems like the opposite should be true.

[BiPolar_Nut]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
504 MB RAM

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have shared video memory you can go into the bios and give the most ram to video you can, typically 128 meg.

If it's not set to the max it can really slow down your computer.

[/ QUOTE ]

What????

32 bit color @ 1600x1200 resolution is 1600 * 1200 * 32 bits = 61440000 bits which is 960000 bytes which is 7500 Kbytes which is < 8MB. Set your vid RAM to the LOWEST setting thst is 8MB or above to free up as much system RAM as you can. You either brain farted that one or got it backwards.

Diff story for 3D gaming.


Anyway....the real issue is that if it used to run fine and now it doesn't w/ the same apps...it's either a RAM/defrag issue due to your PT database growing or you have other (spyware) problems.

Defrag, run Spyware scans using AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy (typed those URL's from memory so google them if they don't take you to spyware removal program sites).

Bump your vidcard memory down in BIOS, and disable services you don't need......a few that come to mind off hte bat are windows messenger, Remote Registry, NetBIOS helper, Server (if you're not sharing any drives or printers), Logical Disk Manager (If you aren't using logical drives), Protected Storage, Help and Support, Performance logs and Alerts, RunAs, Wireless Zero config (if not running wireless using windoze to configure it for you), Telnet, Telephony, and Workstation (if you aren't needing file or printer shares on other computers on the LAN), Task Scheduler, and prolly 10 more but that's a good start.

Disclaimer...I'm tired, drunk, and about to go zzz....I think the links and info I provided were accurate, but can't guarantee it.....I do know I'm right about the shared vid mem and pretty sure I hit on the most common services to disable (start/run/services.msc). Surely someone will correct me if I goofed on something.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you explain this? Seems like the opposite should be true.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty computer literate and can usually go into theory, but just let me say that I got a new laptop real cheap and didn't realize it had shared video memory.

So the first thing I did since I'm a computer genius is I went into the bios and "tweaked" the shared ram.

Let me state that it slowed to a total crawl with 8mb, and also at 16mb, and pretty slow at 32mb too, so I just put it back to the default max of 128mb where it was fine.

So, I guess I have to say, try it.