Windows Vista Laptop Internet Speed Help

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

Hi. I was wondering if any tech experts out there could help me out. My family recently bought a laptop with 1.93 GB of RAM, an AMD Athlon 1.90 GHz processor and an 802.11 b/g WLAN card. VMK is extremely slow. When a firework explodes, my computer stutters. I think that there is a problem with my internet. All offline games run super fast. On my desktop, VMK runs fine. Does anyone have any suggestions? (The desktop runs off of an ethernet cable attached to the wireless router. The router transmits at 52MB/Sec, and my internet is about 1 MB/sec)

Thanks!
Goofy

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

Update: I tried connecting an ethernet cable to the computer, but it was still slow.

 

[EyoreFANS12]

Hmm, How Is Your Connection?

 

[mtlhddoc2]

I have one word for you:

Norton

Yep, almost every new PC or Laptop comes with Norton or MacAfee Virus protection and either program will easily drain 25% or more of your system resources. Remove Norton/Macaffee and replace it with "Avast!" (search Download.com for it.

 

[aengus]

fireworks is a graphic nightmare also. Is it one of those funky shared memory graphic cards?

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

Hmm, How Is Your Connection?

Internet connection? Fireworks works fine on my Desktop which has the same internet connection.

I have one word for you:

Norton

Yep, almost every new PC or Laptop comes with Norton or MacAfee Virus protection and either program will easily drain 25% or more of your system resources. Remove Norton/Macaffee and replace it with "Avast!" (search Download.com for it.

McAfee is loaded onto the desktop, and it takes up 30,000 KB of RAM. On my laptop, I have Norton, and it takes up 10,000 KB of RAM. My Desktop has 512MB of RAM, and my laptop has 2GB. I think I'm ok on RAM since the total RAM useage is 50% on my Laptop, and the total RAM useage is 80% on my desktop (I have a special program to measure RAM on both.)

fireworks is a graphic nightmare also. Is it one of those funky shared memory graphic cards?

I know nothing about graphics cards, but my Vista PC Rating is 3 because of graphics (it takes the lowest score.)

Any ideas on how to update the graphics other than buying a new card?

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

My graphics card info:
"nVidia GeForce 7150M with shared graphics memory"
Yes, aengus, it is "one of those funky shared memory graphic cards"

 

[aengus]

My graphics card info:
"nVidia GeForce 7150M with shared graphics memory"
Yes, aengus, it is "one of those funky shared memory graphic cards"

ICK! Rofl. I put a graphic card in my desktop to resolve the problem I had, not sure what you can do with a laptop.

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

ICK! Rofl. I put a graphic card in my desktop to resolve the problem I had, not sure what you can do with a laptop.

There's a 8100M card at BestBuy. Maybe the GeekSquad can install one.

 

[Horse]

Most laptops have an integrated graphics card. It's the reason why I haven't been able to update mine. Desktops can easily be replaced.

Shared memory as in it has additional memory or not? From my understanding, you want a card that has it's own memory that way it doesn't use up a chunk of your computer's.

 

[mtlhddoc2]

wait, 50% usage, and 80% usage?

Yikes!
There is your problem 50 and 80% of RAM used? WOW.
And Macafee lies, it uses easily 20-25% of total system resources (of which RAM is only a small part)

On system boot, all of my computers have less than 10% of total system resources used and less than 5% of RAM (I have 1 gig on my desktops and 2 gig on my laptop).

How big is your swap file? I would bet your swap is rather full on both computers, if you cannot find a way to increase your swap, or free up resources, you can buy a SanDisk memory stick (make sure it says "with Ready Boost") and it will use the stick as additional swap space, thereby increasing your swap allocation.

But the first thing you should do, with that much ram being used on boot, is run msconfig and disable anything you do not use. All new computers come preloaded with lots and lots of junk that runs on startup, and alot of installed programs like to dump themselves in the startup group (like AOL, which is another memory pig).

If you are still having trouble after this, I doubt I could help you any more and you should take your laptop into a shop and have them help you.