Replace t7500 Merom with T9300 Penryn?

[Towermax]

A friend's HP DV2500t laptop currently has a t7500 merom. Can it be upgraded to a T9300 penryn?

 

[ericloewe]

You want to upgrade a laptop CPU? Short answer: You might as well forget it.

Long answer:

You'll encounter a number of problems. First of all, the processor may be soldered to the motherboard (varies, could also be socketed).
Second, you'll have to acquire the processor, which isn't trivial.
Third, the laptop's motherboard probably won't support it (if you're lucky there's a BIOS update that adds support for Penryn processors, but it's unlikely).

 

[Towermax]

You want to upgrade a laptop CPU? Short answer: You might as well forget it.

Long answer:

You'll encounter a number of problems. First of all, the processor may be soldered to the motherboard (varies, could also be socketed).
Second, you'll have to acquire the processor, which isn't trivial.
Third, the laptop's motherboard probably won't support it (if you're lucky there's a BIOS update that adds support for Penryn processors, but it's unlikely).

I've disassembled this notebook in the past to replace a defective heatsink/fan unit. There are clear instructions available from HP, and it's tedious, but not difficult. The CPU is socketed.

The CPUs are readily available on eBay.

I've upgraded CPUs on Sony and Dell laptops in the past, so I have some experience here.

The only issue that I'm concerned about is BIOS support--HP doesn't provide any clear info.

 

[ericloewe]

I'd try to find out if the same model with Penryns uses the same motherboard. If so, it's likely you can find a BIOS update to support the newer processor. Otherwise, I'd estimate 40/60 in favor of it not working.

How much does the thing cost? If it's reasonably cheap, it may be worth the shot.

 

[Towermax]

It's $60.00 average on eBay. I don't want it for increased performance, although it'll be somewhat faster (2.5GHz vs 2.2, 6MB cache vs 4MB). However, it uses less energy and doesn't get as hot--and cpu heat is a big problem with this series of laptops--was a major design flaw.

Still checking on BIOS compatibility--no penryns were offered for this series, but the 965GM chipset it uses does support Penryn, and people report success with this upgrade on other manufacturer's laptops--Dell, for example.

 

[Towermax]

Looks like this will work. The T9300 is listed as a repair part in the dv2500 Maintenance and Service guide. The T9300 is used in the dv2500tv/tw and the bios is identical to the dv2500t.

 

[sunilx]

Replacing CPU in most HP laptops is quite easy. It's Dells and Toshibas which require major disassembly.