• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Have you ever upgraded the processor in a notebook?

D

dxkj

Lifer
This is a generalized question since Im kinda toying with the idea right now. I have a Compaq 1214SR Presario notebook, has a 850mhz duron in it.... it also takes Athlon's.

What I want to know from you is, if you've done this, how hard was it, complex, chance of ruing everything etc 🙂. I already posted in Cpu/Overclocking but not too many opinions there.


thanks 🙂
 
I have opened more than a few laptops and for the life of me cannot remember if the chips are hard soldered or removable....most of my experience is with IBM, Compaq, and Toshiba units....makes me want to go and open a few right now to check 🙂
 
Haven't done so myself, but on my Inspiron 8200 it's incredibly easy. Pretty much like a desktop CPU.
 
i upgraded my HP Omnibook 6000 from a P3-700 to a P3-900. Went perfect and I'm very happy with the results. Before I did the upgrade I called HP and asked about it and they told me the processor is soldered to the mobo... but umm, yeah, it isn't 🙂
 
have you tried going to Compaq's site and seeing if they have manuals on how to take the laptop apart? IBM had a part-replacement manual that I used to take apart my Thinkpad 600E and upgrade the CPU. Of course, I only did that after I found some Thinkpad user groups online, and read that people were doing that.
 
yeah i checked with compaq err HP , and they were very unhelpful.... the most helpful FAQ for this computer they had was that "any" key actually refers to any key at all, not a particular named one
 
yeah forgot about HP support for this kind of upgrade. your best bet is to visit their support forums. This is where i learned everything i needed to know. there is a ton of helpful people there and a lot of them actually know what they are talking about. they usually are pretty willing to post the service manuals in pdf form for you to download as well. you definetly should have this for your machine before you even think about taking it apart.
 
I have done extensive work with Dell Inspirons and the CPUs were not soldered to the board. However, to remove the CPU requires removing the heat sink. Although this is not difficult, it destroys the artic silver equivalent between the HS and the CPU. This meant that when you put the new CPU into the motherboard, the HS did not have a good connection. If you have a way of restoring the arctic silver equivalent, then you should be OK.

IBM and Dell have extensive documentation online describing how to disassemble and reassemble their laptops. I would imagine Compac has the same. Check these out before doing anything.
 
oh yeah, i forgot, i upgraded my friend's fujitsu lifebook c from a p3-450 to a p3-550... not much but we got the proc for free 😉
 
also, if you can find part numbers to the motherboard, you can see if the Athlon and Duron models share the same part number. if so, then there's a chance that the CPU isn't soldered on, and a swap might be easy.
 
Originally posted by: dxkj
Thanks that forum looks promising but most of it is HP product oriented, IE pavillion etc
Click to expand...

yeah they are just starting to migrate the support for compaq to it. this one looks like your best bet: link
It says it's for "notebooks - Armada, EVO, LTE" but i see some pavilion posts in there.
 
Yea you can upgrade the CPU in that laptop. You need to update the BIOS first and then get a CPU. I think that board can take the 45Watt Athlon's.

You can get Mobile Athlons at Newegg.com for pretty cheap for a mobile chip that is.
 
A friend of mine at work did, but we had a soldering station: link. He said it wasn't that hard, but it was a scrap motherboard anyway, so there was no risk. The cpu transplant worked though.
 
Hmm, this sounds like it might be a good way to add some life to my old P166 MMX laptop. Too bad it has some kind of evil security screws holding it together. Anyone know what kind of screwdriver you need to open up an old Compaq laptop?
 
Yea you can upgrade the CPU in that laptop. You need to update the BIOS first and then get a CPU. I think that board can take the 45Watt Athlon's.
Click to expand...


Just a few questions 🙂

1) how do you know it can be upgraded
2) do you know what the highest end processor that motherboard can take?
3) hp site isnt giving me much help, where can I find a good bios upgrade for it?
 
Originally posted by: Electrode
Hmm, this sounds like it might be a good way to add some life to my old P166 MMX laptop. Too bad it has some kind of evil security screws holding it together. Anyone know what kind of screwdriver you need to open up an old Compaq laptop?
Click to expand...

What are you going to put in it, a 233?
 
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: Electrode
Hmm, this sounds like it might be a good way to add some life to my old P166 MMX laptop. Too bad it has some kind of evil security screws holding it together. Anyone know what kind of screwdriver you need to open up an old Compaq laptop?
Click to expand...

What are you going to put in it, a 233?
Click to expand...

If I can find one, yes.
 
Originally posted by: dxkj
Yea you can upgrade the CPU in that laptop. You need to update the BIOS first and then get a CPU. I think that board can take the 45Watt Athlon's.
Click to expand...


Just a few questions 🙂

1) how do you know it can be upgraded
2) do you know what the highest end processor that motherboard can take?
3) hp site isnt giving me much help, where can I find a good bios upgrade for it?
Click to expand...


1) Have put Ram in a 1200 series. The CPU looks just like a Desktop socket A. You have to check and see if the board can take a 133Mhz CPU or ONLY 100Mhz cpus. Also the 1200 series came with 100Mhz Athlon4's when they first came out, So I know they will do at least a Athlon 4, maybe a Athlon XP mobile.

2) Not sure. Compaq has a web-board that you can ask and maybe someone ahs done this already

3) The BIOS upgrade is at compaq.com. Click me for the BIOS and other driver updates
 
Originally posted by: dxkj
ah thank you 🙂


do you have any tips for taking it apart?
Click to expand...


Take your time and DON'T FORCE ANYTHING. If it seems stuck check for another screaw or a latch?

Not that hard, just the plastic in laptops is thin so they stay light, but are also fragile.

 
heh I just noticed that I dont have the right screw driver to get those funky screws out.... guess that sets me back a bit 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top