CPU upgrade

[JamesFairless]

I've got a Lenovo 3000 N200 laptop with a Mobile DualCore Intel Pentium T2310, 1466 MHz (11 x 133) CPU.

I'm no pc technician but, hopefully someone on this site who reads this is.

I have in my possesion an Intel Pentium Dul-Core T4500 SLGZC 2.3GHz 800MHz CPU.

Is this CPU compatible with my system? Any advice would be very helpful.

 

[3870x2]

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Penti...um Dual-Core Mobile T2310 LF80537GE0201M.html

From this source, it looks like it is possible. You might have to upgrade the bios, and there might be issues with power (as in not getting enough, which won't hurt anything).

From the looks of the specifications listed, it can't hurt to give it a try, where the worst case scenario is a no boot.

If this is your first foray into laptop CPU replacement, a few tips:

1. Organization is your friend, and patience is your enemy. A pillbox or a small screw case works wonders on the different screws.
2. Don't force anything. If it isn't loose, there is another screw somewhere, lurking.
3. Do not do this on carpet. Do not wear socks. Touch something metal before working on it.
4. Usual laptop removal may vary, but usually goes as follows: screws on bottom, cd tray, plastic hiding keyboard screws, keyboard, splitting the case, wifi, a lot of wires to unplug, cpu fan, cpu. If you are lucky, you have a CPU that is easier to access, though this usually isn't the case.

Good luck!

 

[JamesFairless]

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Penti...um Dual-Core Mobile T2310 LF80537GE0201M.html

From this source, it looks like it is possible. You might have to upgrade the bios, and there might be issues with power (as in not getting enough, which won't hurt anything).

From the looks of the specifications listed, it can't hurt to give it a try, where the worst case scenario is a no boot.

If this is your first foray into laptop CPU replacement, a few tips:

1. Organization is your friend, and patience is your enemy. A pillbox or a small screw case works wonders on the different screws.
2. Don't force anything. If it isn't loose, there is another screw somewhere, lurking.
3. Do not do this on carpet. Do not wear socks. Touch something metal before working on it.
4. Usual laptop removal may vary, but usually goes as follows: screws on bottom, cd tray, plastic hiding keyboard screws, keyboard, splitting the case, wifi, a lot of wires to unplug, cpu fan, cpu. If you are lucky, you have a CPU that is easier to access, though this usually isn't the case.

Good luck!

Thanks for your help, it's well appreciated. The link you supplied is very useful also.
Fortunately the CPU is extremely accessible as I only need to remove 1 cover and remove the fan and heatsink. As soon as the heatsink paste is delivered I will attempt the upgrade. Maybe I should invest in an earthing bracelet also.

Once again - many thanks

 

[shovenose]

Thanks for your help, it's well appreciated. The link you supplied is very useful also.
Fortunately the CPU is extremely accessible as I only need to remove 1 cover and remove the fan and heatsink. As soon as the heatsink paste is delivered I will attempt the upgrade. Maybe I should invest in an earthing bracelet also.

Once again - many thanks

Grounding straps, etc. are completely pointless. Just use common sense
The CPU **should** be compatible, but update the BIOS first.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

the cpu **should** be compatible, but update the bios first

this

 

[OneMoar]

all depends on if the board supports 800Mhz FSB

 

[JamesFairless]

Failed Attempt

Well, I installed the CPU to see if it worked.

The PC booted-up to the windows (vista) login screen - I didnt check the BIOS though (oops) - when I signed in to my profile the PC shut itself down. I tried again and the same thing happened, so I re-installed the original chip. Now my laptop is working ok.

I'm guessing I should have checked the BIOS to see if the CPU was recognised or not. I don't know how to update my bios, but that would be a subject for a different thread on this site. Thanks for any help you have given but does anyone know if this would be a typical BIOS update fix or an incompatible/broken CPU?

 

[AlienIsGOD]

I don't know how to update my bios, but that would be a subject for a different thread on this site

Actually the current thread serves this purpose as well. A cpu upgrade is more than just installing the chip, the BIOS most of the time has to be updated to ensure compatibility. Im sure someone can help you with the proper procedure, i myself have found that laptop bios updating isnt that hard compared to desktops and the various methods to update the BIOS, ie. DOS, Windows, windows based utility.

 

[OneMoar]

Actually the current thread serves this purpose as well. A cpu upgrade is more than just installing the chip, the BIOS most of the time has to be updated to ensure compatibility. Im sure someone can help you with the proper procedure, i myself have found that laptop bios updating isnt that hard compared to desktops and the various methods to update the BIOS, ie. DOS, Windows, windows based utility.

you are talking about a laptop here
laptop bios's are pretty much never updated for better cpu support
and it should't be needed either way there is no difference between the old and new cpu here other then the FSB is higher and the core is clocked higher
the only time you need to update the bios for a newer cpu is one of the following
1. major architecture change IE adding FX support to a AM3 board
2. if you want the power savings to work
anything else should be fine so long as the cpu's are in the same family
can you get us a CPU-Z report
mainly we need to know what the chipset of the motherboard is
everything I have read on that laptop tells me that the motherboard does not support 800Mhz FSB Cpus the max is 667 _unless_ you have one of the last of that model made that has the newer GM965 chipset all the rest of them use the GL690 that doesn't support cpus with a 800Mhz FSB

 

[erocker]

Well, I installed the CPU to see if it worked.

The PC booted-up to the windows (vista) login screen - I didnt check the BIOS though (oops) - when I signed in to my profile the PC shut itself down. I tried again and the same thing happened, so I re-installed the original chip. Now my laptop is working ok.

I'm guessing I should have checked the BIOS to see if the CPU was recognised or not. I don't know how to update my bios, but that would be a subject for a different thread on this site. Thanks for any help you have given but does anyone know if this would be a typical BIOS update fix or an incompatible/broken CPU?

Seems to me that it is possible that Windows shut your machine down due to a driver issue? I would think to update the bios you would need to find the model laptop that came with the T4500 CPU, and flash to that... If they are compatible.

 

[OneMoar]

Seems to me that it is possible that Windows shut your machine down due to a driver issue? I would think to update the bios you would need to find the model laptop that came with the T4500 CPU, and flash to that... If they are compatible.

or he didn't install it correctly
if it POSTS it should run but if there is some weird FSB down-clocking going on that could cause it to fault

 

[JamesFairless]

Rated FSB

can you get us a CPU-Z report
mainly we need to know what the chipset of the motherboard is
everything I have read on that laptop tells me that the motherboard does not support 800Mhz FSB Cpus the max is 667 _unless_ you have one of the last of that model made that has the newer GM965 chipset all the rest of them use the GL690 that doesn't support cpus with a 800Mhz FSB[/QUOTE]

I used CPU-Z and here are the results

Processor 1 ID = 0
Number of cores 2 (max 2)
Number of threads 2 (max 2)
Name Intel Pentium T2310
Codename Merom
Specification Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T2310 @ 1.46GHz
Package (platform ID) Socket P (478) (0x7)
CPUID 6.F.D
Extended CPUID 6.F
Core Stepping M0
Technology 65 nm
Core Speed 1463.0 MHz
Multiplier x Bus Speed 11.0 x 133.0 MHz
Rated Bus speed 532.0 MHz
Stock frequency 1466 MHz
Instructions sets MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, EM64T
L1 Data cache 2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L1 Instruction cache 2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L2 cache 1024 KBytes, 4-way set associative, 64-byte line size
FID/VID Control yes
FID range 6.0x - 11.0x
Max VID 1.250 V

Like you stated, it seems the current rated bus speed is showing as 532MHz

I will include this part of the repost also, as others have mentioned BIOS updates, although I expect the larger CPU BUS bandwidth would mean incompatibility

DMI BIOS
vendor LENOVO
version 68ET21WW
date 06/01/2007
ROM size 1024 KB

Thankfully I only spent a tenner on the CPU - time to look for another (compatible) one then

Thanks for all your help people - very helpful.

 

[silkstone]

If it boots, it doesn't sound like a bios issue nor an incompatibility, although it still might be a good idea to update.

Often laptop manufacturers will use the same motherboards for many model of laptop, if there is a model with the CPU you intend to upgrade to, it will work.

I recently upgraded a laptop with a Celeron M520 (Old pentium celeron) to a core2 Duo T5300. I could have gone for a T7200 or T7600 also, but I didn't realize before I bought the T5300.

 

[JamesFairless]

A bit confused

What silkstone says makes sense, except lenovo have a laptop in the same family that was released at the same time with an intel t7500 chip - this runs at 800mhz fsb. The rest of the laptop specs are the same as mine also (except the pcu speed)

I may just give up instead of risking buying another one and having the same problems.

Thanks all - I am enlightened with your knowlege

 

[silkstone]

Head over to this forum http://forum.notebookreview.com/

Have a search for your laptop. If you get no hits, start a thread asking.

Lots of people there with knowledge and experience of upgrading laptops.

You just, basically want to find what chipset your mobo has. You will then know if it is supported. Have a look in the motherboard section of CPU-ID and it should tell you.

 

[OneMoar]

I stand corrected
http://support.lenovo.com/en_CH/downloads/detail.page?DocID=DS002492

update the bios
bewarned there is a chance that it will turn the machine into a paper weight

 

[silkstone]

just make sure the battery is plugged in and fully charged and the risk will be minimal. All assuming it is the correct bios of course.

 

[itsakjt]

Did you apply the thermal paste properly when you installed the new CPU? And did you install the heatsink and fan correctly? If it booted, it should be compatible. Maybe it shut down because it simply overheated because the heatsink may not be enough to cool the new CPU. Try another time later and also get a live Linux copy.

 

[JamesFairless]

Installed and working

So I went to the lenovo website and followed the rubbish/lacking instructions to upgrade my BIOS from v1.05 to v3.05. I disabled vistas rubbish/annoying User Account Control first as this always causes me headaches.

Once the BIOS was updated I re-installed the T4500 cpu and re-booted.

BIOS showed the CPU correctly, so I started windows. Everything works fine with my new processor, although the cpu gets very hot.

I'll probably re-install my old one again until the thermal heat-sink paste arrives, as the temperature of core 2 reached 97c - way too hot - just running my desktop!

Once again,, thanks guys, for all your support. I wouldn't have been able to do thiis without your help.

 

[OneMoar]

So I went to the lenovo website and followed the rubbish/lacking instructions to upgrade my BIOS from v1.05 to v3.05. I disabled vistas rubbish/annoying User Account Control first as this always causes me headaches.

Once the BIOS was updated I re-installed the T4500 cpu and re-booted.

BIOS showed the CPU correctly, so I started windows. Everything works fine with my new processor, although the cpu gets very hot.

I'll probably re-install my old one again until the thermal heat-sink paste arrives, as the temperature of core 2 reached 97c - way too hot - just running my desktop!

Once again,, thanks guys, for all your support. I wouldn't have been able to do thiis without your help.

it should not be running any hotter it has the SAME TDP as the old one in fact it should run cooler because it s a 45nm chip vrs a 65nm
check your mounting again you botched something up
did you plug the fan back in ?
http://ark.intel.com/products/32431/Intel-Pentium-Processor-T2310-1M-Cache-1_46-GHz-533-MHz-FSB
35WATT
http://ark.intel.com/products/42925/Intel-Pentium-Processor-T4500-1M-Cache-2_30-GHz-800-MHz-FSB
35WATT

 

[JamesFairless]

what the

The temp only ran that high when I first booted windows, then dropped to a comfortable 50c.

What was strange though: all my 3d games ran at less than half the fps, even though a faster cpu was installed.

I checked intel's site and it assured me the drivers were all up to date for the cpu.

I guess there must have been a bottle-neck in the system - the cpu trying to push too much data through the fsb? idk.

I reverted back to the original cpu and my fps are back up to where they were before.

This is a bit confusing - I was assuming that a faster cpu meant better shading in my games, but apprently not.

Well, I guess you never know unless you try.

 

[silkstone]

Thermal throttling perhaps. Check the heatsink is making good contact.

 

[itsakjt]

^+1
And use good thermal compound and make sure to disable power states. 97 degree C is too much at any point of time.

 

[OneMoar]

if he changed the cpu then windows 7 may have been running WinSAT in a effort to update the system rating
intel specs the max operating temp as 100c but I Have never seen a Penryn get that hot there is a T4500 in my laptop and it runs about 75 80C full load
double check the mounting and make sure that the cpu is fully seated
you need to quit changing the cpu around
put the new one in and we will help you get it sorted

that said that laptop has Intel GMA video
changing the cpu isn't going to do much the graphics chip is quiet terrible and not good for anything more then basic surfing)

 

[JamesFairless]

I've left the t4500 in which is currently at about 45c temp. The thermal compound ive ordered is New 1g Gold Thermal Grease Paste CPU Cool Heatsink Silicone Compound #2, When it arrives I will install it on the heat-sink asap.

The performance is slightly better. I ran x3 rolling demo - before I had avg 36 fps on lowest possible detail (1024x768). Now I can turn the shading up for nicer graphics and get 34 fps which used to get about 24 fps.

Right now CPUID Hardware Monitor is showing my highest temps at 58c and 63c for cores 0 and 1 respectively.

I'm pretty sure you were correct about the thermal throttling.

Everything seems to be working as it should and windows boots quicker now. The fan is constantly on now as I updated some drivers for it, whereas before it would constantly start/stop allowing overheat.

I'll just use my laptop for occasional internet surfing until the thermal paste arrives. When Ive used it I'll post the temp/stability. Hopefully the max temps will be lower then.

Once again, I'm eternally grateful for all support. Cheers