Anyone ever upgrade to an SSD?

I agree with localhost, your laptop is just too old. You can pick up a cheap model laptop that has way better specs than the current model you have. If you have access to microcenter, frys, costco, even Amazon have good deals on lower end model laptops.
I am kind of surprised though that a 2009 model laptop was still using SATA I interface. SATA II had been around quite a while at that point.

 

Giving my +1 to both of these posts.

 

Don't knock it until you've tried it. I have upgraded various older systems with SSDs with good results. Yes, a newer laptop with an SSD would be all-around faster, but bargain bin laptops generally don't come with SSDs and would require you to purchase a separate SSD anyways.

An older laptop with an SSD will be more responsive than a newer laptop without an SSD, as long as CPU or GPU bottlenecks don't come into play. Those two bottlenecks will depend on what you use the laptop for.

 

I recently gave away a 2006 laptop that was IDE. It was a $800 laptop at the time.

 

...my recommendo is valid. dump that POS 2009 Sony or get an SSD and hope it will be faster (it will be
only somewhat faster but not like a 2016 would be)

 

When buying a new laptop, I'd spend the extra little bit to get a business-grade one (Lenovo ThinkPad, HP Probook, Dell Latitude, etc.). The build quality is dramatically better.

 

I agree with this. At a minimum you can try the solid state disk and when it isn't groovy enough for you (infact is that laptop running W7 or did you upgrade to W10?) just pull the disk and put it into your next laptop. It'll likely have a mechanical disk anyway unless you spend mucho.

 

I agree with this. I returned a $1100 ($900 sale) Asus laptop for a Lenovo Thinkpad. Even though the Lenovo isn't spec'd quite as high, it's a much more solid laptop.

 

Thanks for the help guys...basically, it sounds like i shouldn't waste my money upgrading the laptop, and just get a new one when it finally dies. I just can't see paying 800+ for something I don't use daily anymore. And I could buy lower end (I actually also have a lower end HP that I got for cheap), but it is crap, and I don't like using it, hence wanting to keep my VAIO.

 

I would look into buying used. Last fall I was in a pinch when my laptop died and I had $400 to replace it with. I looked at the cheap dells etc at retail stores but couldn't bring myself to buy one. I ended up buying a secondhand MacBook Pro which was 4 years old but still had an i5, 8gb ram, and a 256gb SSD with the money.

I haven't come across a situation yet where it has been inadequate but I also have full-fledged desktops for the heavy lifting. YMMV

 

cheap 400-500 Acer laptops with Intel chipsets seem to be rock solid laptops

cheap 400-500 Acer laptops with AMD chipsets, I have had 2 of 3 degrade early (motherboard issues, bluetooth issues, graphics controller issues)

and for the love of God if you buy memory stay away from crucial it's garbage. never had a problem with Kingston

crucial, all crucial I ever owned, crap out in 2 years or sooner

SSD ? not sure on what or which brand is best I have some now never failed so.....I also never had an HDD
fail (knock wood) except two seagates inside an Iomega 1tb raid pair, they had known controller issues and died within
weeks of each other. my replacement with rev 2 of the same drives runs fine

 

I have crucial ballistix RAM in my desktop at home with no issues. Have used it in the past on previous builds with no problems either after years of service. Maybe its hit or miss. I have also used kingston and corsair with no issues either. For SSDs, the only one I have (currently use) is the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB. It runs great and no issues to report after a year and a half as my OS drive.

 

memory must be hit or miss,

I used crucial in two laptops....after 6 months BSOD and rebooting all the time
at random intervals

thought it might be heat....nope. tossed out the crucial chip, rock solid. installed kingston, never any issues

 

Second on Kingston, I tried Gskill on a swing and it has been great since. I've used crucial, Samsung, Kingston, and Mushkin disks and been fine so far.

Most of the chips come outta the same Chinese sweatshops anyway.

I have a $300-last-of-the-sorta netbook Acers I love. It's a pocket ultra book without the horsepower and metal body.

I also second shopping used. Just be prepped to fully format it. You're gonna install Linux anyway, right?

 

I haven't tried Crucial RAM, but my SSD is a Crucial M4. Other than a firmware bug in the beginning, it's been a solid drive. I also have a Kingston SSD doing nothing at the moment, an Evo 840 in one of my laptops, and a brand I never heard of came with my ThinkPad.

I used to get Kingston RAM from Best Buy when it would go on sale years ago. I've had ADATA and G.Skill in my last few builds, no issues.