Can I upgrade the CPU in my laptop?
I was wondering if you knew what limitations are imposed on a Toshiba Satellite 1800-100 when it comes to CPU upgrades. It’s currently equipped with a Celeron 800, that makes it a 100Mhz FSB coppermine compitable, but would it support a 1Ghz P3 coppermine? More? Less? Cache? Bios flash? And so on. Thanks for your time.
I’m getting this question over and over again. Unfortunately, laptops are not very upgradable computers. You can increase the memory size, install a faster and bigger hard drive, but you don’t have a lot of options on upgrading the CPU. I’ve been looking for this kind of information for months but didn’t find anything that I can trust. If you find any, please post it here so other people can benefit. I guess that laptop manufacturers do not provide any information on upgrading laptop CPUs. Just for fun I tried to install faster CPUs on some new Toshiba models, but it never worked for me.
I think that with Satellite 1800 you have a better chance on upgrading. I found that in Toshiba Satellite 1800 the same system board can handle 2 different CPUs: Pentium III 850MHz and Pentium III 1GHz, but for Celeron processor it has a different system board part number (might be the same board). The only way to find out is to try it, but I think that you understand the risk. This experiment might damage your laptop and you’ll get an expensive paper weight. Here’s a guide for replacing the CPU in Satellite 1805.
April 13th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
i dont know much about computer and i have a Sony vaio fe series laptop, and it has 1.66GHz, .99GB of ram, and i was wondering if there is a way to increase the GHz?
March 21st, 2007 at 11:17 am
My presario Notebook won’t start up. It goes to the windows saying start in safe mode or start in normally. Then I tried all the options but they all take me back to the same screen. It goes to the windows loading screen and back to the Logo screen and then to the screen that ask if you want to start in safe mode or start normally. Please how do I get pass that screen? Help me if possible.
February 26th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
I have just bought a sony vaio vgn-fe8803 this comes with a t5500 processor and I want to put a t7600 which is the highest that it can handle(?) I was wondering if it might be able to handle a higher one, and where I might be able to find guides on taking the laptop apart.
Thanks!
February 17th, 2007 at 11:30 am
When you’re planning to upgrade your laptop’s CPU, try looking for the service manual for your laptop. It always helps when you got a ‘bill of materials’ to keep track of your parts (especially the screws). You can find laptop service manuals here:
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/
The service manual can also provide you useful information in processor support. Example: in the HP/Compaq service manuals Product Description – 1.1 Features, here they usually detail the supported processors for that running model. If you can’t find the service manual for your laptop, check your manufacture’s website for the products, and features of your laptop. If you’re laptop is dated, you might want to check within their database (Support/Drivers/Downloads) for your laptop model.
Secondly, you need to find out the motherboard Chipset (not the processor) that is embedded in your laptop. Example: according to the Intel website, my laptop has a Mobile Intel® 945GM Express Chipset supporting only an Intel Duo Core, Core Solo, or eeekkkk a Celeron Processor!
You can check your Chipset by using CPU-Z or eSupport BIOS Agent. In eSupport BIOS Agent: the program provides you the model and revision number of your Chipset. Example: my laptop shows an Intel 27A0 rev 3 which correspond to a Mobile Intel 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and Intel 945GT Express Processor to DRAM Controller – 27A0. You can also use CPU-Z to check your Chipset (click the TAB under mainboard).
While checking your Chipset, it’s also important to take note of the current BIOS version. Upgrade your BIOS to take advantage of additional processor support and other manufacture’s features.
When checking with CPU-Z, take note of your current Cache, Frequency, and Front-Side-Bus (FSB). And compare it to the newly available processors (TXXXX the letter “T” designated in the front of the model number says it’s a mobile processor):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_2_microprocessors
If there is a major discrepancy of Cache, Front-Side-Bus (FSB), and voltage: Example, Intel Core Duo T2250 Cache 2048 KiB and an FSB of 533 MT/s with a processor die Socket M (FCPGA6 or Socket 479) VS an Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 with an L2-Cache 4096KiB, and a FSB of 4096MT/s with a processor die Socket M, (notice that the cache is double in size while the FSB is quadruple in size), your current setup might not support a new processor.
February 15th, 2007 at 11:50 am
i have a DELL INSPIRON 1100 and having 2.3 GHz Celeron inside it…can i change to Pentium 4 cpu’s?
February 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Hi laptopfreak, great site.
I have a dell inspiron 510m with an intel pentium m 1.5 GHz (478 pin, spec number SL6F9), and it is upgradable have looked it up, but i wanted to know what kind processors are compatible to upgrade to, or do i have to stick with pentium m model with faster cpu speed?
Is the core 2 duo out of the question?
December 26th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
PS to my first question is that if someone can tell me
where the clock multiplier & voltage setting resistors/jumpers are & what their values are for the various positions I can possibly break the 400Mhz barrier (hoping for the 500Mhz range!!!)
David
December 26th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
I just found this site after quite a bit of looking
for info on upgrading the CPU in my Toshiba Satellite 2065CDS. It has a AMD K6-2 366Mhz processor (installed in a “Socket 7″ socket) with a 66Mhz FSB. I have found that the K6-2 can be upgraded to the AMD K6-III (which is highly compatible & is faster because of the added extra on chip cache that runs at the CPU’s internal FSB of 100Mhz not the 66Mhz FSB of the motherboard.).
I know the CPU can be upgraded in my 2065CDS and have a AMD K6-III 400Mhz CPU to put in it.
BUT what I still need is the info on what jumpers/resistors that need to be changed/moved so I can tweek/adjust the CPU voltage & clock settings.
(Note: I am a Tech & know about SMT resistors & how to change & solder them. Also I have had this laptop apart
& have no problems doing so again.).
Does anyone know where these “resistors/jumpers” are located and what their positions are with the voltage & multiplier settings/values?
Thanks for the help. and below are some sites I have found.
David
PS here are a couple of sites I have found for CPU & Laptop info.
1) http://www.cpu-world.com (this is a great site)
2) http://www.upgradeability.com (this is a good site)
December 19th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Hi,
I saw your comment that a PIII 1 GHz chip will work with my Toshiba 1800 which has a Celeron 750 or 800 chip. Do you think the upgrade is worth the effort? Which model of the PIII CPU chip do you think I should use?
Thank you – Great site -
Don
December 7th, 2006 at 2:26 am
To Mike,
Thanks for the offer. I have continued my research, and thus far, have come up with the same conclusion as laptop freak. P4 2.2, and possibly 2.4 is about as far as my system can handle. Would love to use a 3.06, my system just doesn’t appear capable of handling it. Thank you anyway, and good luck on finding a new home for it.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
To Jeff with the Toshiba Satellite a15-127….if you are looking for a Pentium M processor, I happen to have a P4 3.06Ghz 478 socket processor sitting here on my desk…I bought it for my desktop but it will not owrk in desktops(much to my dismay) sooo I would like to find a new home for it. I am not sure if it will work in your particular machine but THIS is the place to find out. If you are interested in the processor just reply back to this board( hope that’s ok Mr Laptop) and we can set something up.
Cheers,
Mike
December 6th, 2006 at 7:41 am
laptop freak, love your site. My question is not as much upgrading the CPU even though I would like to. I have a Toshiba P35 S609. Toshiba has no drivers since 2004. It has the Mobility radeon 9000 IGP card, and ATI will not support it because they say to talk to Toshiba. I can’t use the Aero interface on Vista, and this was supposed to be a gaming PC, but it lacks, I just bought a game and it should easily be able to run it but it lags and toshiba and ATI aren’t any help. I was wanting to see are there any aftermarket upgrades on motherboards that would fit a system like this? Also Toshiba put a Matshita DVDram in the pc and it sux to be nice, matshita is panasonic and the same run around they don’t have firmware to correct the problems. It will not recognize media over 25X. If I ever buy a laptop again, I will make sure the vid card is not integrated. Are there any aftermarket upgrades? Any info would be great. Thanks
December 5th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Jeff,
There is one Pentium 4 2.2GHz processor listed for Toshiba Satellite A15-127. You can find more information if you search on Google by the CPU part number: P000363550
December 4th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Ok Laptop Freak, help me out here, please. I have a Toshiba Satellite a15-127 that is just now out of its three year extended warranty. It came with a Celeron 2.0 M processor, socket 478 I believe. I was wondering if a 478 P4 Mobile processor or similar non-cache handicapped processor could be used in place of the celeron.
December 1st, 2006 at 10:13 am
Okay, so here’s my problem Laptopfreak. It’s very similar to the others, though it has a minor twist to it. I was originally set to receive a Dell Inspiron 1200 laptop from a friend who was upgrading. It runs a Celeron 1.3GHz 478m processor, so after looking up all the stats, I found a pentium 4, 2.0GHz 512FSB chip that all evidence stated would work with the computer.
Problem is, now my friend decided not to upgrade, so I have a chip and no computer to put it in. I really need a new laptop as my Apple G3 iBook 500MHz is getting really freaking dated, and I can’t afford a macbook until next year. I was considering getting another cheap Dell to put it in, but the only one I can find right now is an Inspiron 1000 2.2ghz celeron with a “darker screen” (I think the owner doesn’t know how to use brightness controls).
Any ideas or prompts?
November 22nd, 2006 at 10:01 am
Hi Laptop Freak!
I know that external DC and Power Supply is the same. The question is internal power supplying (called “Octopuss cable” in Tecra S3 by You) for supplying USB ports and LCD etc. Is it with the same DC singnal cabling ? Will DC part on MoBo be power enough to supply all other components.Is it the same DC signals organisation-connector cabling and power?
I have found also english user manual for Tecra S4 here:
http://support.toshiba-tro.de/tools/Tecra/ts4/manual/userman-ts4-na-en.zip
November 20th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Mike,
If you use Google images and search for “Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG” you’ll see that this card is much smaller then Intel 2200BG in Tecra S3. Both wireless cards use different connectors and they are not interchangeable.
According to Tecra S4 specification, it uses the same AC adapter as Tecra S3 – 15VDC, 5A (75W) so you should be fine.
November 20th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Hello Again Laptop Freak!
You can look at the photo and specification of Tecra S4 I found on european Toshiba (german) site(cookies must be enabled):
The next 2 questions are required for consideration with Tecra S3 upgrade possibility:
1) Is the WiFi connector on S4 motherboard compatible with previous Intel 2200BG or is it required to replace it to new Intel 3945 WiFi.
2) Is the power supply from Tecra S3 enough for power this modification enough.
I think partlist of both Tecras and specifications of components answer or questions for cheap tweak the heart of Tecra S3:)
November 19th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Mike,
I haven’t seen Tecra S4 yet. Apparently this model is so new that I cannot even find a list of parts for this model. I’ll create a disassembly guide for Tecra S4 as soon as I get it for repair.
November 19th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Hello laptopfreak,
I’ve been playing with a Toshiba Satellite A45-S120, it comes with a Celeron 2.60 Ghz, I tried putting a P4 3.06Ghz HT and it booted ok, i got into windows (and I could see both cpus), I even encoded movies and ran benchmarks, the thing is that when I unplug the powercord, and the laptop works on batteries there is a noise coming from the CPU area, as if the capacitors or whatever low level electronic equipment was straining a lot to keep powering the CPU.
I made some research and found that Celeron 2.6Ghz runs at 1.25 Vcore, and p4 3.06Ghz HT runs at 1.55 Vcore, so I tried with a P4 2.8Ghz (No HT, and Intel website says it uses 1.525 Vcore) and the same thing happens, It just lasts longer without the noise.
I even tried a p4 2.66 Ghz and It was the same thing, no hangs, no reboots just that annoying sound like if it was saying “I’m about to blow up!!”.
I’m kinda desperate cause I can use any of those processors at no cost, but I can’t afford a newer and faster laptop.
The change from Celeron 2.6ghz to P4 2.66ghz got me a 50% faster “Super PI” results so it would be great to know if that sound is “normal”.
Since then I’ve upgraded from Bios 1.30 to 1.50 but haven’t tried with any p4 yet.
Any response would be greatly appreciated.
All cpus are socket 478, all except the celeron are FSB 533 Mhz.
November 18th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Hi Laptop Freak!
I have found Your new disassembly guide for Toshiba Tecra S3(Sonoma based). As You can see the new Dual Core Toshiba Tecra S4(i945 based)has appeared on market and it is put in the same Laptop case as Tecra S3(the same external holes, outputs and specification except MoBo’s chipset,CPU and VGA).Do You have any access to new Tecra S4 service manual or real device ? If I would order new Toshiba S4 motherboard(i945 based) and Intel Core Duo Mobile Processor it will be possible to reuse all other components (especially NVidia 6600 Graphic Board) in my older Tecra S3 case? Please chceck this if You have any sources to both devices/service manuals.
November 14th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
Danny Lo,
If the laptop BIOS got corrupted, I’m afraid that there is nothing that you can do. You cannot boot the laptop because the BIOS corrupted and you cannot reflash the BIOS because the laptop is not bootable. You’ll have to ship this laptop to HP for repair. A regular laptop repair shop will offer to replace the system board and it’s very expensive. I would call HP and ask them what option they can offer to you, may be they have a “backdoor fix” for this problem and it would be cheaper then replacing the entire system board.
November 14th, 2006 at 6:46 am
Hi,
Because of the battery problem, hp web site told us to update the BIOS on my hp pavilion zv5000. During the update, the server blue screen & power off. After this, I cannot power-on the laptop anymore. Question: don’t know how can we refresh the BIOS again. HP online support told me that is a BIOS corrput. But my laptop is out of warrnty.
Thanks
-Danny
November 3rd, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Well, Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
I’ll look into the memory upgrade. I suppose my question was really
fishing about the motherboard upgrade, but I guess that I could probably
just buy a second hand machine for what it would cost to do that.
Thanks again
Cheers
Mark
November 3rd, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Mark,
I don’t know witch laptop modification you have and I just looked up a specification for Tecra 8000 with 14.1 inches LCD screen. The fastest CPU listed for this model is Pentium II 400MHz. I don’t think that you’ll see any improvement if you upgrade form 366MHz to 400MHz.
Another Tecra 8000 has Pentium III 500MHz CPU in it, but to upgrade from 366MHz to 500MHz, most likely you’ll have to replace the motherboard too.
I would go with the memory upgrade. You said that you have 128MB and I think the maximum is 256MB. If you upgrade the memory, you can see a huge improvement in performance.
November 3rd, 2006 at 5:17 am
Hi There,
Somebody gave me an old Toshiba Tecra 8000. It’s got a pentium II 367MHz, 128 MB of ram and a 10GB (9.35) HD. It’s in pretty good nick and I thought it might make a handy addition to my photo kit (for viewing photos in the field, storing a few extra shots, etc). I put XP Pro on it (which works fine). It’s awfully slow to load pics and wotnot though. Is it possible to upgrade it at all, or are notebook computers locked into a specific configuration? Can you change the motherboards and CPUs for something a little more up to date (like you can for your desktop model)?
October 25th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Mike,
I don’t think that you can replace Pentium M 740 (1.73Ghz) with Pentium 4 (3.06GHz). Pentium M 740 works in conjunction with Intel® 915 Express Chipset Family and Pentium 4 3.06GHz will not work with this chipset.
October 24th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
Hello there:
I recently purchased a Pentium 4 M 3.06 Ghz (part#L511A601 SL7NA) processor 478 socket that I had planned to use in my desktop…I had read somewhere that it would work….well it didn’t….so now I am stuck with it. I also own a Toshiba M60 Laptop which also has a Pentium M processor in it but it is a 1.73Ghz model….what I am trying to find out is if the 3.06 processor will work in the laptop…I cannot find any info as to what socket type the laptop has and don’t really want to tear into just to find out….can anyone help me with this? I have checked Intels site and it sounds like it could be either a 478 or a 479 but I thought I would ask…any help would be greatly appreciated…thanks
September 25th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Paul,
I can help you with laptop disassembly instructions. The guide I’ve created for Toshiba Satellite A105 (www.irisvista.com) should be very similar or even the same for Satellite Pro A100. But I’m not sure if two processors are interchangeable. Please let me know it works out for you.
September 25th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
Hello,
I have a laptop with a core solo processor – a toshiba satellite pro a100 with a 1.66ghz cpu.. now ive heard i may be able to drop in a core2 duo cpu to my laptop but dont know how to get any more info, do you have any ideas?
cheers,
Paul