Test Netbook Specs
Both of these netbooks feature fairly standard configurations, although perusing Dell’s outlet store will quickly show that many buyers add numerous bells and whistles to the base unit. The Asus Eee PC 1000HE we used was completely basic, but the Dell Mini 9 we purchased from the Dell Outlet added a built-in Bluetooth module (at a cost increment of $20) to an otherwise stock model.
| Machine | CPU | RAM | Drive | Networking / Bluetooth |
| 1000 HE | Atom N280 | 1 GB DDR2-667 | Seagate 160 GB 5,400 RPM | Wired: Atheros AR8121 GbE Wireless: Azurewave 802.11 b/g Bluetooth: Broadcom BT-253 |
| Mini 9 | Atom N270 | 1 GB DDR2-800 | STEC 8 GB mini-PCI SSD | Wired: Atheros AR8121 GbE Wireless: Broadcom 802.11 b/g Bluetooth: J613H BT module |
| Machine | Display | Ports | Video | Battery |
| 1000 HE | 1024x600 10.2" | 3x USB 2.0 SD Card slot RJ-45 LAN Microphone Headphone jacks | Mobile Intel 945 Express Standard VGA D-15 | 6 cell Li-on 48 WH (min 2.9 Ah) 7.4 V 10.7 oz/305 g 137 x54 x 37 mm |
| Mini 9 | 1024x600 9.0" | 3x USB 2.0 SD Card slot RJ-45 LAN Microphone Headphone jacks | Mobile Intel 945 Express Standard VGA D-15 | 3 cell Li-on 64WH (min 2.1 Ah) 14.8 V 7.5 oz/ 215 g 140.6 x 68.5 x 44.7mm |
What You Need
Our obvious candidates for upgrade are RAM, which we upgrade from 1 GB to 2 GB in each machine, and storage. Even though our Dell model shipped with 1 GB of DDR2-800 installed, we upgraded both machines to 2 GB of DDR2-667 (PC2-5300) because 333 MHz is as fast as the Atom processor family can access RAM. For our testing, we paid $24 for a 200-pin Transcend DDR2-667 SO-DIMM. Ours came from Newegg, but you can get it anywhere, sometimes as cheaply as $20-22.
When it comes to storage, the machines diverge. For the Asus, we replaced the stock 5,400 RPM 160 GB Seagate ST9160310AS with two different drives to see how they fare. The drives were a 7,200 RPM Seagate ST9250410AS 250 GB hard disk (goes for $60 or less) and a SuperTalent MasterDrive SX SSD SAM28GM25S (goes for $325 to $350). For the Mini 9, we replaced the stock STEC 8 GB mini-PCIe with a SuperTalent 32GB SSD FEM32GFDL (goes for $87 and up at etailers). We also found a Class 6 32 GB SDHC memory card from Ritek (goes for $82 and up).
The best news here is that the only tools you need appear in the last photo on this page (in fact, we used only the small Philips head screwdriver in this small set to make all of our system modifications).
