Well...a new laptop is always nice, there might be some other things I can recommend (although you might have checked these already). For you USB ports not working, look in Device manager (Go to start menu > run > type: devmgmt.msc > click ok). Look for any yellow exclamation points or red x's under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers." It may be that you need to update drivers for that particular laptop from Toshiba, try downloading them from:
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/home.jsp?nav=Download. Another good place to update: Microsoft or Windows update if you are using MS Windows.
As for your fan failing, that's best dealt with by a pc tech in person, though I suspect it might have something to do with something shorting out in there. Might have something to do with another faulty component in the laptop involving power, especially if there is a burning smell (In a desktop, a faulty power supply will often fry anything new you put in a computer). Or, it could just be something with the fan, but it's all speculation from here.
Sounds like you live in a hot place, remember heat is the ultimate enemy of your laptop. Sometimes in an older laptop (although yours isn't that old) it is helpful to get a cooling bay that you can place it on top of. These are generally pretty cheap and are a good investment.
Finally, for the memory, those darn things change so fast and often that they're probably obsolete, but if you can find another computer that is compatible, I wouldn't see why not. A wonderful website for detecting the type of ram on your laptop automatically besides consulting the manual is crucial.com. Once you know the ram type, you'll be able to find another compatible computer. Hope this helps a bit.
