HP NX6110 CPU Swap?

[Serp86]

I just bought a new HP NX6110 with the intel 915GM chipset. Basically, I am loving it but I am curious as to wheater I can manually upgrade the CPU or not.

Right now it is equipped with a 1.4Ghz Celeron and was thinking about upgrading it to a centrino 1.86Ghz or higher later. My question is: can it be done? Does the centrino physically fit in the celeron socket? Is the motherboard hard-locked to just accept celeron CPU's? Will it support 533Mhz FSB Centrino's?

Any comments are appreciated. From the HP store you can select up to centrino 2.13ghz for this model, but I do not know if they have a different motherboard. Also, if anyone can point me to some sort of guide, I would greatly appreciate it.

Regards,
Jonathan Azzopardi

 

[Athlex]

Assuming it's supported in the BIOS (don't see why not) a CPU swap should be no big deal. Both Cel-M and P-M use the low-profile Socket 479.

I'm getting a 6110 in a couple of days and I plan to tear into it pretty much right away, so I can let you know if I run into anything weird.

 

[bearxor]

I believe you should have no problem. The 915GM chipset supports 533mhz FSB, so it should be easy.

If you're simply looking for increased performance, you may want to try a pin-mod. A pin mod will make the motherboard run a 400mhz processor at 533. So your CeleronM 1.4 will become a CeleronM 1.86. This ill get you a nice performance boost, and unless you're looking for the energy saving features of the PentiumM or just have a 1.86 laying around, this will be a simple solution. See this thread over at notebookforums.com:

http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=80879

If you're brave enough to open a notebook to replace the processor, this isn't that difficult either.

 

[Athlex]

Great find, thanks! I think the 6110 I'm getting has a 1.6GHz P-M, but I don't know the FSB. Are all Dothans 533MHz FSB?

 

[bearxor]

No, the main feature of Dothans are the 2MB L2 Cache. If your PentiumM is a 725 model it is 400mhz FSB. If it is a 730 model, it is 533mhz FSB. I got a 730 with my notebook even when I ordered a 725. I bought a 745 (1.8 400mhz) to pin-mod and it booted, but was not stable. I swapped it for the 725 in my wife's computer so now she has a 1.8ghz processor and I have a 2.13. If you get the 725, you should have no problems clocking it at 2.13.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: bearxor
If you're simply looking for increased performance, you may want to try a pin-mod. A pin mod will make the motherboard run a 400mhz processor at 533. So your CeleronM 1.4 will become a CeleronM 1.86.

I would not assume that to work on a Celeron M. That and if it does work the TDP of the C-M will shoot up and your cooling system may not be able to compensate.

 

[bearxor]

I went with that simply because of all the success over at notebookforums.com of taking 1.5 CeleronM's to 2.0ghz. Yes, the TDP will go up, but not a whole lot, and its extremelt likely, even more so than unlikely, that HP uses the exact same heatsink system in that laptop for both CeleronM's and PentiumM's, just like Dell does for the 6000.

Not saying it isn't without it's risks, as you have to get that wire in there perfect, and words can not describe how small this wire has to be. I mean, it's tiny. It took me a pair of tweezers and about a half hour to fit it down to the right size and make sure it was right.

Standard disclaimer applies to anything overclocking, and this is no different. Having said that, I don't think I've read a single experience where a CeleronM 1.3 or 1.5 hasn't failed to operate just fine at 533mhz FSB. 1.4's are just not very common. As long as the mod is done correctly, the worst thing that can happen is the CeleronM won't be stable at 1.86, and he would just buy the PentiumM 1.86 like he was planning to anyways. The 1.8 I bought allowed me to use the computer at 2.4ghz, but just wouldn't run any games or pass prime. But I used it for two days under normal usage. I'm sure if the 6000 had a bigger heatsink like the 9300, it would have been more of a success.

 

[Athlex]

Originally posted by: bearxor
No, the main feature of Dothans are the 2MB L2 Cache. If your PentiumM is a 725 model it is 400mhz FSB. If it is a 730 model, it is 533mhz FSB. I got a 730 with my notebook even when I ordered a 725. I bought a 745 (1.8 400mhz) to pin-mod and it booted, but was not stable. I swapped it for the 725 in my wife's computer so now she has a 1.8ghz processor and I have a 2.13. If you get the 725, you should have no problems clocking it at 2.13.

Yeah and Dothans need to work with the 855GME and I think it only 'officially' supports 400MHz FSB. Well, I have my fingers crossed mine comes with a 725!

 

[Serp86]

Hey all. Thanks for the replies, and especially for that cpu pin mod trick

However, there may be a problem, as it seems that this version is equipped with an intel 910GM chipset, not the 915GM, but I am not too sure about that. What do you all think? At the HP website, you are able to select both centrino and celeron processors for the NX6110. Do you think that they will make two different motherboards for each chipset, for each notebook? Also, what will change (to the comments just stated above), if it's an intel 910GM chip? Will it still support 533mhz FSB?

 

[bearxor]

910 still supports 533mhz fsb, so yes.

 

[Serp86]

I'm not too sure of that. Over at http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/910gml/index.htm it only states 400Mhz FSB.

How can I be sure which chipset I have? Over at display properties it only says 910/915 GM

 

[Athlex]

Originally posted by: Serp86
How can I be sure which chipset I have? Over at display properties it only says 910/915 GM

You might check Intel's site- they have a chipset identification tool here.

 

[bearxor]

Ok, this is something I did not know. I must have missed the 910 chipset as being a lower-cost entry chipset meant only for CeleronM's. No 533mhz FSB support, and it can do DDR or DDR2. Interesting. Download CPUz or that Intel utility and it will let you know the exact model number of your chipset.

 

[xenon2k]

Here is a cpu-z capture for my nx6110 Celeron-m

NX6110 celeron-m

I too wonder whether upgrading to pentium-m would work because according to Intel the 910gml chipset is only supposed to support celeron-m cpus. However cpu-z says it's a 915 chipset.

The laptop might also be bios locked too to prevent from swaping pentium-m cpus ???

 

[Serp86]

I just checked with cpu-z and it detected it exactly as in the pic xenon posted. Intel utility detected it as 910/915, as did dxdiag. I dont know which is which, but I am thinking that the 915 is more logical since this model is supplied with a centrino processor too.

How difficult is it to reach the cpu? I might try something like that pin mod

 

[xenon2k]

I have just read on a french forum that someone has successfully upgraded his NX6110 from celeron-M to pentium-m.

From:

http://forum.tt-hardware.com/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=017235&p=9

J'ai terminé l'upgrade du NX6110, voici la nouvelle configuration :
Pentium M 1.7 GHz Dothan
1280 MO RAM
80 GO HDD
Intel Pro 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter

Nouveaux menus dans le BIOS :

Advanced > Device Options > Intel SpeedStep technology : Automatic | Disable
Advanced > Device Options > Embedded WLAN Device Radio : Enable | Disable

Nouveau Logo au boot de la machine : "Intel Inside Centrino Mobile technology".

Je dois avouer, c'est pas mal avec un Pentium M ...

Merci au Doc (VonLoutren) pour le 1.7 Dothan

 

[bearxor]

yea, but a PentiumM 1.7 is still a 400mhz FSB processor, which means it would still work. You want a 533mhz FSB processor.

The only way to find out without buying a 533mhz FSB proc and trying it is to pinmod the one you have now. If it does not work, the only thing that should happen is it should boot at it's normal speed of 1.4, instead of 1866, as long as you get the wire in the right hole.

 

[Athlex]

Got my nx6110 on Tuesday. Really nice laptop for the price and the best keyboard I've used on a laptop except for a couple of Thinkpads.

I took a screenshot of CPU-Z and it looks like the board is the same as xenon2k's. Mine shipped with a P-M 730 (1.6GHz/533FSB) instead of a Cel-M, but same motherboard model with a different rev. # and a newer BIOS.

screenshot here

 

[inhotep]

Originally posted by: Athlex
Got my nx6110 on Tuesday. Really nice laptop for the price and the best keyboard I've used on a laptop except for a couple of Thinkpads.

I took a screenshot of CPU-Z and it looks like the board is the same as xenon2k's. Mine shipped with a P-M 730 (1.6GHz/533FSB) instead of a Cel-M, but same motherboard model with a different rev. # and a newer BIOS.

screenshot here

The statement above confirm that Serp86's HP NX6110 can support 400/533 dothans if and only if it has the "910/915" chipsets. The worse thing that can happen is if an update is needed to support the 915spec. The 400mhz dothans will work and it make sense vs. 533 for an upgrade since rest the computer can' benefit from 533.
The motherboard in my Asus is: "82915PM/GM/GMS, 82910GML Host Bridge" and I got a 1.7a(400mhz) in there.
"A common mobility board can be designed with the Mobile Intel® 915GM Express chipset and Mobile Intel® 910GML Express chipset to facilitate a scalable mobile platform."

 

[Serp86]

Guess i'll get a centrino 1.7ghz 400 fsb then, or maybe a 1.8. I don't need much power, but less heat and low power consumption would be nice.

Now, I've never opened a laptop to remove a cpu in my life (just to change hd's and ram), and i have no idea where to begin. Anyone know how to remove the keyboard to access the cpu of this laptop? there are no screws visible, and the whole thing looks like it's not meant to be opened hehe. Any pointers?

 

[Athlex]

If you look at the underside of the laptop, it's mostly held together with black screws. Near several of the screws there's a little keyboard molded into the plastic. If you undo those, you should be able to lift the keyboard out of the way. Once you're in, the CPU heatsink is likely also held in place with screws, but shouldn't be a big deal to get out.

 

[inhotep]

Originally posted by: Serp86
Guess i'll get a centrino 1.7ghz 400 fsb then, or maybe a 1.8. I don't need much power, but less heat and low power consumption would be nice.

Now, I've never opened a laptop to remove a cpu in my life (just to change hd's and ram), and i have no idea where to begin. Anyone know how to remove the keyboard to access the cpu of this laptop? there are no screws visible, and the whole thing looks like it's not meant to be opened hehe. Any pointers?

I think 1.6a or 1.7a will be a better choice since you can OC those to 2.13,2.26, just an good option to have. 1.8a may not be stable @533.
From looking at other HP reviews, looks like your CPU is under the keybroad, but it's not hard to swap. a good place to get pics is at http://www.notebookforums.com/.