Can I put Core 2 Duo in this laptop?

[KingGheedora]

Sony VGN-FE550G

Currently has Core Duo T2300 CPU, and the chipset is Intel 945GM Express.

What's the best CPU I can put in this thing?

 

[mpilchfamily]

Very few Laptops have upgradable CPUs. You'll need to open it up and verifi the CPU is in a socket and not soldered dirrectly to the main board.

 

[MJinZ]

Very few Laptops have upgradable CPUs. You'll need to open it up and verifi the CPU is in a socket and not soldered dirrectly to the main board.

Actually, most laptops have upgradeable CPUs.

 

[Paperlantern]

Very few Laptops have upgradable CPUs. You'll need to open it up and verifi the CPU is in a socket and not soldered dirrectly to the main board.

I have NEVER seen a laptop with a cpu soldered to the motherboard and I have personally serviced over 1000 laptops and hundreds of different models. A CPU costs at most a couple hundred bucks, the board is usually triple that or more, manufacturing a dust busting machine where cpu failure is certaily possible isnt cost effective, 99.999% of all laptops have sockets for CPUs and are at least replaceable, if not upgradeable to an extent. Depends on if that line of laptop has any headroom, if there is a model above that with a faster processor, more than liekly you have the same board and you have every possibility to put at least up to that speed if not faster (if the socket is the same along with voltages and power consumption).

 

[KingGheedora]

I have NEVER seen a laptop with a cpu soldered to the motherboard and I have personally serviced over 1000 laptops and hundreds of different models. A CPU costs at most a couple hundred bucks, the board is usually triple that or more, manufacturing a dust busting machine where cpu failure is certaily possible isnt cost effective, 99.999% of all laptops have sockets for CPUs and are at least replaceable, if not upgradeable to an extent. Depends on if that line of laptop has any
headroom, if there is a model above that with a faster processor, more than liekly you have the same board and you have every possibility to put at least up to that speed if not faster (if the socket is the same along with voltages and power consumption).

Any idea if this motherboard will support a C2Duo?

 

[ther00kie16]

The chipset does support merom but it requires a proper BIOS. Through google, all I found was someone trying a merom without updating the BIOS and failed. The newest bios came out 7/17/06 here: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNFE550G
However, first merom came out 8/28/06
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_2_microprocessors#Notebook_.28mobile.29_processors
It's very unlikely that they would release the bios 6 weeks before the cpu came out, especially in the notebook market. Also, the only thing the site mentions about any changes with the new BIOS is ability to use certain monitors.

My suggestion: sell the laptop and buy a new cheap core 2 laptop ($500 deals almost every week from Dell, HP, etc).

 

[Paperlantern]

I agree, if a machine does NOT have a dual core proc in it to begin with, you have little chance of it supporting one, ESPECIALLY in the notebook realm of things. I would sell it for what you can get for it and buy a C2D machine, holidays are coming, you will more than likely find a decent deal on one. Or keep the old one as a spare, youll never know with laptops, if you get one that has an issue out of the gate and have to deal with mftr to get it fixed, youll be upset not having a laptop to use at all.

 

[TimeKeeper]

Any idea if this motherboard will support a C2Duo?

Most likely not for 945GM.
http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/chipsets/945gm/945gm-overview.htm


Supported CPU will be following:
http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyID=22731


I kinda agree to sell your laptop and buy something w/ newer chipset.
I had the chance to grap Acer Extensa 5230E from Bestbuy for $250. (expired deal)
Which come w/ GL40 and Celeron 900 Penryn @ 2.2Ghz.

Then I got a T6400 Penryn off fleabay for $50 shipped.
Now I have a pretty impressive performance laptop w/ W7 64-bit for only $300.