Upgraded CPU in laptop, now it randomly shuts off???

Lakeshorecoupe

Junior Member
Aug 19, 2014
9
0
0
Hi all, new here.

I have a cheaper Toshiba satellite c55t-a5218 touchscreen that came with a intel 2020m processor. I recently upgrade the processor to a i5- 3230m and now the laptop shuts off randomly. CPU is not getting hot, sits around 40-50c, I even got it to 70c running some stress test software and it still wouldn't shut off. I don't really know whats going on here, bios is updated as well. Don't know if I need a driver update or something or got a bad processor. It will shut off on me just browsing the internet or just sitting there with the screen open, happens after about 45min or so. Any ideas?

Also shuts off regardless if its plugged in or ran off battery power

New processor

http://ark.intel.com/products/72164/Intel-Core-i5-3230M-Processor-3M-Cache-up-to-3_20-GHz-rPGA...

old processor

http://ark.intel.com/products/71142/Intel-Pentium-Proce...

This is the board the laptop has..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/310978955239?lpid=82...
 
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VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,572
10,207
126
Blame Intel. They have chipset locks. Pair their lower-end chipset(s), with higher-end CPUs, and they will shut off after some minutes.

Edit: This is to keep up their fat profit margins, and prevent laptop makers from being able to sell, say, an i5 laptop, without paying Intel the chipset price premium for being i5 compatible.

You can google this phenomenon if you don't believe me.
 
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Makaveli

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2002
4,966
1,561
136
Blame Intel. They have chipset locks. Pair their lower-end chipset(s), with higher-end CPUs, and they will shut off after some minutes.

Edit: This is to keep up their fat profit margins, and prevent laptop makers from being able to sell, say, an i5 laptop, without paying Intel the chipset price premium for being i5 compatible.

You can google this phenomenon if you don't believe me.

I believe it.

You really have to do your home work when upgrading laptop cpus!
 

jj109

Senior member
Dec 17, 2013
391
59
91
Blame Intel. They have chipset locks. Pair their lower-end chipset(s), with higher-end CPUs, and they will shut off after some minutes.

Edit: This is to keep up their fat profit margins, and prevent laptop makers from being able to sell, say, an i5 laptop, without paying Intel the chipset price premium for being i5 compatible.

You can google this phenomenon if you don't believe me.

I googled this phenomenon and all I got was pages of people complaining about junk Toshiba laptops.
 

Lakeshorecoupe

Junior Member
Aug 19, 2014
9
0
0
I googled this phenomenon and all I got was pages of people complaining about junk Toshiba laptops.

Haha, well the stock cpu is fairly comparable in specs to the i5, minus the higher clock speed, more cache, better technology etc... which made me think it would work without a hitch, but apparently not. Any laptops that are more upgrade friendly or no?
 

Lakeshorecoupe

Junior Member
Aug 19, 2014
9
0
0
Or i guess, no different processors will work on this laptop? Or do they have to be pentium processors like the original 2020m?
 
Feb 25, 2011
16,991
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If it wasn't compatible it probably wouldn't boot. Those machines are available from Toshiba with a pretty wide variety of CPUs.

Assuming it should work: either the new CPU is faulty, or you could have damaged something doing the swap.

Put in the old CPU and see if the symptom goes away. If it doesn't, you probably damaged something tinkering around in there. (No disrespect or slight intended - laptops are a pain in the arse to work in, and it's easy to break something inadvertently.)
 
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Lakeshorecoupe

Junior Member
Aug 19, 2014
9
0
0
Since you are able to install a new CPU in a laptop yourself with applying thermal paste and all. Then why didnt you check compatible CPUs before buying one?

Because I'm not a computer wiz, just someone who like to tinker. Didn't think this processor would cause a problem judging by the specs and using common sense. I also didn't know such utilities were out there to find compatible CPU's, and there is also no info for upgrades regarding this specific laptop. Good answer? I'm here for help, not to be criticized.
 

ShintaiDK

Lifer
Apr 22, 2012
20,378
145
106
Im guessing i have the hm70 chipset since my stock 2020m is listed under there. Looks like i dont have many options as far as upgrades go unless i get a laptop with a different chipset...?

Correct. You can doublecheck in either device manager or running CPU-Z. If HM70, then you are restricted to Celeron and Pentium chips.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,572
10,207
126
Correct. You can doublecheck in either device manager or running CPU-Z. If HM70, then you are restricted to Celeron and Pentium chips.

Thanks for the link, Shintai. That's what I was trying to point out. Intel's chipsets are locked to certain CPU families, and while they will boot with other CPUs of the same socket / pinout, they will shutdown after a brief while.
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
Thanks for the link, Shintai. That's what I was trying to point out. Intel's chipsets are locked to certain CPU families, and while they will boot with other CPUs of the same socket / pinout, they will shutdown after a brief while.

I know Intel is out to make money, but do you really believe they intentionally set it up so the system would boot and then just shut off after an arbitrary amount of time? From my experience that is not how Intel engineering and validation rolls.
 

ShintaiDK

Lifer
Apr 22, 2012
20,378
145
106
I know Intel is out to make money, but do you really believe they intentionally set it up so the system would boot and then just shut off after an arbitrary amount of time? From my experience that is not how Intel engineering and validation rolls.

Blame the OEMs, not Intel.

This is what you get when an OEM demands to save a few $ and go (too) cheap.

The system boots because the BIOS supports it.
 
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VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,572
10,207
126
I know Intel is out to make money, but do you really believe they intentionally set it up so the system would boot and then just shut off after an arbitrary amount of time? From my experience that is not how Intel engineering and validation rolls.

Simply, yes. That is my understanding of how it works.
 

bradly1101

Diamond Member
May 5, 2013
4,689
294
126
www.bradlygsmith.org
I don't think it's ever a good idea to upgrade a laptop's cpu; heat is the usual culprit. Laptop cooling is usually right up against the line. What are the temps.?
 
Feb 25, 2011
16,991
1,620
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I don't think it's ever a good idea to upgrade a laptop's cpu; heat is the usual culprit. Laptop cooling is usually right up against the line. What are the temps.?

He said in the first post. They're fine. (The two chips in question have the same TDP.)