Laptop CPU upgrade???

[kd2777]

I have been building my own computers for a while now and think of myself as above average (not anandtech abouve average, just the above the common folk). But my wife on the otherhand doesn't care at all about the innards of a computer, and when she picked out her laptop she choose pne with a 2.8 celly in it. And that makes me cringe inside. I went along with it at first because I convinced myself I would never use it but it is acctually quite fun to be able to sit in the living room and watch sportscenter and surf the net at the same time (multi tasking if you will). Anyway she picked up this laptop because it had shiny black plastic on the sides aposed to the dull plain plastic, never once giving though of what is under the plastic. My thoght was scince the laptop only set us back around 750 and the cost of a new 1.7 pentium m is 300 then for about 1000 I should have a nice computer. Can this be done? And is the process just like my desktop? Lastly is there any other considerations I should keep in mind.

Thanks

System:
2.8 celeron
768 DDR RAM pc-2700
unknown chipset
15.4 wide screen
intergated graphics
windows xp home

 

[OdiN]

Hello, I regularly disassemble and reassemble dead laptops in order to fix them. First off, you can't upgrade your system to a Pentium M, you must use a Pentium 4 Mobile because the Pentium M requires the Intel 855 chipset. Yours probably has the 845 or 865 and will not support the Pentium M.

Next...if you want to get a P4 Mobile, it could be pretty simple, but it could be hard too. You've got a computer with a nice shiny finish. That means it's easy to damage with the slip of a screwdriver so you would have to be very careful. Next, you need to make sure your BIOS supports the CPU you want to add before adding it. You'll have to contact the manufacturer for this info, or look it up on the website. More than likeyl it will work fine.

When taking apart a laptop, especially for the first time, be very slow. You may find you can get to the CPU after just removing the keyboard, or you mave have to remove the LCD and remove the plastic casing to get to the CPU/mainboard. It all depends on the brand and model.

Here are some tips - look carefully for the "mystery screw." Almost all laptops have them. Sometimes screws are hidden under those rubber feet on the bottom, or underneath stickers. Breaking the seal of a sticker may void your warranty, so beware. Also, sometimes screws are underneath the battery or tucked away in small places you don't always think to look. Don't try to force anything too much...if something won't come apart, there is probably a screw or something holding it together.

Also - make notes. I find that sometimes the best thing for me to do is get some paper, a pen and some scotch tape. Draw a simple layout of the laptop, label the screw holes (just draw circles or something) and then as you unscrew each screw - tape them to the paper. This way you will know where each screw goes. Sometimes there are different lengths and it's just easier to do it this way than to waste time putting the wrong screw in. I do this especially when I take something apart and know I won't be putting it back together for a few days - you can forget little details that a diagram will let you remember. Of course, if you have a repair manual it will usually have all this info....but most people don't.

Just go slowly, and work carefully. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Also if you have a camera and can take pictures of a problem area I may be able to hep

 

[Abhi]

Another thing which you might want to consider is the heat generation...

Make sure the heat generated by your new chip is too too much over your old one.

 

[kd2777]

Thanks guys, I'll email my manufacturer and see what my upgrade options are and the chip set of my motherboard.

KD

 

[Mingon]

Originally posted by: kd2777
Thanks guys, I'll email my manufacturer and see what my upgrade options are and the chip set of my motherboard.

KD

Actually its likely to be a 128k desktop CPU in which case your best bet is a 2.4 / 400 chip it can be done, I done the same thing recently.

 

[zephyrprime]

Yeah, it sounds like it uses a desktop chip since it's so cheap.

I would be very careful about upgrading if I were you. Heat would be a big problem. In fact, heat may already be a big problem. Was this notebook a no name brand by chance?

You already have a celeron 2.8 and a real P4 won't really be a whole lot faster since you don't have much of a heat budget to increase the clockspeed.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

if your going to be opeing it make the effort to apply AS5 too. my friend voided his Dell warranty because he was so bent on doing so,but it dropped the temp of his 3ghz laptop 10C. every laptop is OEM,and every OEM maker uses cheap thermal grease. AS5 is the way to good.

i did the same for my old P3 laptop, did amazing things considering Dell didn't even PUT any kind of thermal exchage material. it was merely un-lapped metal against the core. i was shocked dell would even do such a thing.

 

[kd2777]

It is an eMachine laptop. I emailed the manufacture about the chipset and they said basically they wouldn't give it to me because they didn't recommend upgrading. They also said that if I wanted to know then I could take it to a third party and they could open it up and look for me......what a help. So it sounds to me that the option for me is dead. Maybe in a couple of years when I need to squeeze a little more life out of it I can upgrade.

Thanks

KD