Upgrading my laptop just want to double check

Discussion in 'Computer/Laptop' started by wolborg, Dec 9, 2011.

  1. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    I am updating my compaq presario cq60-615DX and what I have picked out is RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820134831 CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T6670 or Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 Penryn 2.1GHz 2MB L2 Cache My socket type is Socket P 478 just want to make sure it will all be compatible. It is a huge step up from stock if it works.
     
  2. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

  3. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    Do you currently have one 2 gig stick or two 1 gig sticks? If you have one 2 gig stick it might be cheaper to buy a matching 2 gig stick.

    That kit should work fine.

    As for the processor, do you already have a Core 2 Duo or do you have a single core Celeron? Stepping up to a C2D would make a noticeable difference, but whether it's worth the money depends on how cheap you can find a processor. Core 2 parts aren't really sold in brand-new devices anymore, so buying one new means buying new old stock so you're paying yesterday's prices. Also bear in mind upgrading the CPU won't change anything else about the laptop, like the video hardware and bus speed. If your laptop is the base model in a series, check the specifications of the higher-tier models. Between that list and http://ark.intel.com you should be able to extrapolate a list of processors that should work. If you want to save money, look for tested pulls (used parts taken from other laptops) or used laptops with broken LCDs (depending on the price). As long as the socket and bus speed match your motherboard, it should just drop in and work.

    I can't pinpoint what chipset you have with 100% certainty. Could you please run CPU-Z and post screenshots of the CPU and Mainboard tabs? It will tell us what hardware you've got to work with, and therefore what memory and processors you can use.

    e: \/\/\/\/ That's why I think a dirt-cheap pull from a donor, eBay, or used parts reseller like geeks.com or Weirdstuff Warehouse is the way to go. It's not really worth putting more than $50 into, but it could work out if eBay has a cheap pull or parting out a donor makes up most of its purchase price. Even a low-end C2D will be a noticeable improvement over the single-core Celery in general. It's still stuck with the GMA 4500, but at least it won't choke when you try to do 2 things at once. Thinkpad T60-class machines should be hitting the off-lease market about now...
     
  4. vskid3

    vskid3 Well-Known Member

    I swapped the CPU in my laptop with one from another laptop, leaving me with two working laptops. It was only worth it because the laptop has a pretty awesome GPU, but for some reason, came with a mediocre CPU. I ended up selling the donor laptop to a friend for maybe $50 less than what I paid originally (less than what the CPU itself goes for on ebay), so it worked out for me.
    However, in your case, it probably won't be worth it unless you get the new CPU for a steal. Nothing else about that laptop looks particularly good, so you would be taking a meh laptop and making it slightly less meh. RAM upgrade is probably worth it, but not the CPU.
     
  5. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    I've been finding them to be no more than $45 which fits right in on my Christmas list. I'm enlarging the pictures now
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  6. vskid3

    vskid3 Well-Known Member

    Ok, with that crappy CPU, an upgrade would probably be very noticeable. However, make sure you are up to the challenge. Replacing laptop CPUs can be either really easy, or require you to tear the whole laptop apart.
    Make sure your expectations are reasonable. Replacing the CPU and upgrading the RAM will definitely make a noticeable speed increase, but won't necessarily let you do more things. Don't expect to be able to play games that it can't currently play, the GPU is still holding it back. It will make the things that it can currently do much faster.

    You might be able to get a better deal on RAM if you find someone here that has upgraded their laptop and wants to get rid of the old RAM. I would upgrade mine and sell you the old sticks, but I can't spare the money right now.
     
  7. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    Make sure whatever CPU you find has (or supports) an 800mhz FSB, because that's what your chipset supports. (If you get a 1066mhz FSB processor, it will either not work at all or clock itself down to match the chipset's bus speed.) People on this site have had good luck running a Core 2 Duo T7000 series CPU on your chipset. Some T8000 and T9000 models also have 800mhz bus speeds, but not as many people have done that swap.

    If you can find a decent C2D and get it in, you'll be happier with the performance. It might even run cooler and get slightly better battery life since most portable Core 2 CPUs support SpeedStep and your Celeron doesn't. :awesome:

    Make sure you update your laptop's BIOS to the latest version from HP/Compaq's support site before you put the new processor in.

    You're going to need some heatsink compound too. A tube of the cheap white stuff is fine. It shouldn't be more than $5 on NewEgg.

    I agree with vskid; playing musical processors with a laptop can be difficult, especially with laptops you find at the big box stores because they usually bury the thing pretty deep inside a nest of plastic snaps and tiny screws. It's not impossible, just take your time and keep track of your screws and you'll be fine.

    Some more processor swap stories here:
    http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardwar ... ility.html
     
  8. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    I have already taken it apart once to clean everything and its like a giant maze. thanks for everything I will tell you if it works after Christmas. :awesome: Is there anyway at all I could upgrade the graphics like one of those PCI to USB card converters? I want to get the most out of this I can.
     
  9. vskid3

    vskid3 Well-Known Member

  10. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    I'd just stick with upgrading the CPU and memory. Drop in a decent C2D and 4 gigs of RAM and that's about the best you're going to get for your money. There might be modified drivers for the x4500 chipset like they had for the GMA 950, but most things should be playable at least. Tweak the settings in the Intel control panel and keep the game texture settings low and you should be okay. It won't be pretty but it will be smoother. Here's a comparison someone made with a similar laptop running through Left 4 Dead on both the Celeron 900 and a Pentium T3200. (Sorry for the crappy music.)

    By the time you buy the ExpressCard to PCIe adapter, power supply, and a video card, you're already about 2/3 the way to the price of a prebuilt OEM desktop PC, or a better used desktop.
     
  11. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

  12. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

  13. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    Thanks for everything you are my new favorite member (Vskid3 close second for just contributing) thank you both and Merry Christmas. :awesome:
     
  14. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    I put in a C2D T8300 and it runs REALLY hot like 160 degrees hot (Fahrenheit) so I put my Celeron back ng and Its still happening is there a way i could improve the cooling?
     
  15. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    Did you clean off all the old heatsink compound from the CPU cooler assembly? (That is, down to bare copper and clean the residue with alcohol.) And did you apply a thin layer of fresh stuff?

    Never reuse already-applied compound or add new compound to old.
     
  16. vskid3

    vskid3 Well-Known Member

    Almost certainly this. Watch some videos on youtube to see how much compound you need, its just enough to fill the gap between the CPU and heatsink.
     
  17. Mako321

    Mako321 I like purpale ponies

    Just don't do it like Apple and you'll be fine.
    http://paulstamatiou.com/macbook-too-ho ... -literally
     
  18. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    Two great tools for applying and removing heatsink compound:

    Spreader: Lop the end off a disposable plastic knife about 1/2" from the end, and taper it for flexibility. (Only taper one side, so the other stays smooth.) If you do heat sinks a lot, use a cheap silicone spatula.

    Scraper: Get a sticky note (or cut a small square of printer paper) and curl the ends up so it looks like an extruded teardrop. Use the round part like a scoop to pick up as much of the old compound as you can. This makes it a LOT easier to clean up with alcohol, and works on both white silicon glop and the hard grey stuff Dell uses.

    You need a surprisingly small amount of compound most of the time. A dot about the size of a pea is more than enough for desktop Socket 478 and 775 CPUs. You should be able to get a couple applications out of those cheap little tubes. Remember, the paste is only there to fill the tiny imperfections in the CPU and heatsink mating surfaces.

    Holy jeez, I thought some early P4 Dells were bad. (Think malleable aluminum foil crushed between the CPU and a heatsink made of accordion-folded stamped sheet steel.)
     
  19. wolborg

    wolborg Well-Known Member

    thought I cleaned it looked again dust bunnies were in there so I smite them.
     
  20. bic

    bic Well-Known Member

    Not just dust in the fan. Did you apply thermal compound to the processor and chipset before you reattached the heatsink?