Whether you use your old notebook every day or you’ve consigned it to a shelf in the closet, there’s a good chance that a few inexpensive upgrades can bring it new life. To demonstrate how you can revive a lethargic laptop, each month we’re giving one reader’s old system a mobile makeover. 

Watch this makeover on video >> 

When reader Cindy Hwang bought her Sony VAIO PCG-V505BX back in 2004, she paid $1,800 for the svelte 12-inch system and was more than satisfied with its stylish looks and solid performance. But for a while now, the aging notebook has been displaced by a faster-moving mobile workstation she got from work. While the V505BX was a little too slow to become Cindy’s primary PC again, a few new parts could transform it into a media hub she could use to watch videos, listen to music, or browse photos on her home entertainment center.