SweX Blog – Mathew Porter Web Design

In addition to my recent Acer net book purchase, my girlfriend has had an MSI U135DX netbook.

MSI U135DX Netbook

The MSI netbook has a single core Atom processor and 1GB of ram pre-installed. Although the netbook has no problems with general use, the operating system that is installed is Windows 7 Basic and could do with some more grunt.

The first step I took was to up the built in overclocking facility in the netbooks bios. The steps to do this are below:

1. Press the power button and immediately start pressing the ‘delete’ key to load the bios menu up.
2. Press the ‘right arrow’ key to highlight the ‘advanced’ menu.
3. Press the ‘down arrow’ key to highlight ‘system performance’ and press enter.
4. A tsar rating menu will appear. Use the ‘up’ and ‘down arrow’ keys to highlight your required performance level and press ‘enter’.
5. Now press the ‘F10′ key to save & exit, highlight ‘yes’ and press the ‘enter’ key.

Please be aware that although this performance boost is a great feature of the MSI U135DX, it is advisable that the setting is not left at a high setting for prolonged periods as this will increase the lifespan of you netbooks hardware.

The second thing that I have done to improve the netbooks performance is to upgrade the internal memory, also known as ram (random access memory).

This is a more advance procedure and there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly the MSI U135DX has a pre-installed memory module that cannot be replaced.This impacts how much ram can be added. The motherboard and processor allow for a maximum upgrade of 2GB of ram to be installed. With 1GB of ram installed, only 1GB of matching ram can be added.

Secondly, the type or ram installed in the various versions of the MSI U135DX. The version that I have has DDR3 1066Mhz memory installed. This means that the same type and speed needs to be purchased.

I purchased some Crucial memory for only £10 online which was delivered in 2 days. The process for upgrading the memory is detailed below:

1. Close the laptop lid / screen and turn the netbook over so that you are looking at the bottom of the computer.
2. Disconnect the power cable (if connected) and remove the battery by flicking the unlock battery switch to the unlock position and sliding the second, spring based battery clip. Then slide off the battery.
3. Locate the 9 screws on the bottom of the netbook and unscrew all 9 with a small screwdriver (one screw is located behind a warranty sticker, please note that there may be implications with regards to your warranty for opening the casing / performing any upgrades).
4. Once undone, slowly release the 3 clips of the case located where the battery usually sits and gently start to open the casing (do not force this at any stage, it will gently ease off).
5. Once the case is open you will see the hard drive (this can be upgraded if required) and to the left of it the dimm slot for the ram. Insert the stick of ram with the pins on the correct side (the ram will only fit one way) and enter the ram at a 45 degree angle.
6. The ram module will sit at the angle once inserted correctly, at which stage you should be able to press it down and lock it into the clips either side.
7. Once firmly inserted, attach the casing and connect all screws.
8. Attach the battery and power on the netbook. If the ram is not inserted correctly it will not show in the bios or within windows. If more than 2GB in total (this includes the pre-installed 1GB module that is not removable), then the additional memory will also fail to be recognised.

Please note that this is a brief guide and should be conducted by an experienced technician using correct anti static wrist bands, matts and precautionary equipment. I am  not accountable for any issues or problems encountered and this is a brief summary / informative guide only. Please also note that there may be implications to breaking the warranty seal and / or upgrading the hardware.

There you have my brief guide to upgrading the ram in an MSI U135DX netbook. I felt the need to type a brief guide as I had to do this myself without one. I also thought that informing anybody wanting to do this that the pre-installed memory module cannot be disabled and must be accounted for when upgrading the ram.