Travelmate 240 CPU Upgrade - No Worky

I'm trying to get more grunt and more importantly more go/ less battery hammering (not at the same time..) out of an old TM240. So I bought a 2.8 P4 HT (SL7DS) which in theory should work in this board as it has the 852 chipset. However, when I fit it all I get is the wireless light comes on, and nothing more. Oh, and the light doesn't then go off when I press the power button again..

Works fine if I drop the Celeron back in though.

I can try sticking the P4 in a desktop I've got kicking around to make sure it works, but assuming it does, why doesn't it in the laptop? BIOS is the latest available and the board/ BIOS should be the same as the 250 series, which certainly came with P4 processors

 

Which celeron is it ? (sSpec No.)

Are you sure P4-HT is compatible with your system ?

 

Celeron SL6VV - 2.6

I've just dropped a P4 2.6 desktop in, and it fires up and runs fine (only a 400 FSB no HT CPU though), BIOS reports as a TM250. Not a shedload of use though as it still won't run any cooler or suck any less battery than the Celery!

I also dropped the 2.8 HT into an Asus desktop mobo, and lo, nothing. That board certainly can run 533 HT CPUs (although it'll see them at the lowest multiplier I guess), so it's looking more and more like a duff processor

I can't find any definite proof the TM can run an HT CPU, but I can't find any shred of evidence as to why it couldn't either..

 

Wow, is the cooling system that efficient ? How much battery life do you get ? (TDP of 62.6W )

You should really try out the Pentium 4-M CPUs since they operate at a FSB of 400MHz, and have a TDP of ~20W....

Probably the ASUS board, and your laptop, don't support 533MHz FSB CPUs. The chipset and BIOS should have support for the CPU, for it to work. Its not necessary that the FSB will downclock. This was valid in the case of the Pentium M CPUs, since, Bansias and Dothan almost had an identical architecture.

And are you sure HT is supported by the chipset and BIOS ?

 

The Asus most definitely does support 533 - In fact, part of the model number is 533! Though I'm ****ed if I can remember what the rest of it is, as it's sat gathering dust after I got annoyed by a random h/w failure (looks to have been the ****ed AGP card after all that, the one part I desperately wanted to carry over to the rebuild..) and threw an old Sempron box together instead...

I also have a working Asrock board that won't work with the "new" P4, and that also manages 533 no problem. Both support hyperthreading, and both *should* work with the P4 2.8 mobile chip (albeit it at the lowest multiplier).

So either my laptop which probably can run this chip, and two of my motherboards which almost certainly can run this chip, are all knackered, or the chip is. Which doesn't mak me massively happy as it was already little late getting to me, wasn't the cheapest deal I could've got, and now will have to be returned

I've not run the laptop for long with the P4, I just wanted to see what happened. Battery life is dire anyway, it's an old battery and on the Celeron (which is a bog standard desktop one, same as I had floating around in a box - Did the 478 P4 Celerons ever come in mobile flavour?) which gives 30 minutes or so on a good day, and seemed to be no worse with the P4! Temps after running PCWizard benchmark and 3dMark2001 were 34c, so about 1 - 2c higher than the Celeron gives when doing the same (back to back tests, bar the 5 minutes to swap over). Obviously not the ideal solution though, as my reason to go P4 was to lower temps and increase battery life, not keep them the same for a computer that is hardly likely to ever be pushed..

HT is supported by the chipset based on what I've read, but I can't comment on the BIOS. The 250 uses the same mobo and BIOS as the 240, and is a P4 based machine rather than Celeron. but that doesn't really mean a lot I know. Annecdotal evidence is at least a 3.06 P4 will run in these, but again, that might not be an HT spec one, I've not been able to get a firm answer on that. But as I said, both desktops should handle HT and a 533 fsb no problems, which points me towards a duff CPU

I'm easily confused by all the numbers, so not sure what can/ does go in these boards other than the 478 chips with the heatspreaders. It's an 852GME chipset (so should handle the 2.8 I bought in theory) so suggestions welcome1 Seems the older processors that I'm sure would drop in are either hard to come by, and/ or pretty pricey for what they are which is why I went for one that should've worked as it was there and within budget.

 

Hi there, regards from Spain.
Did you finally upgraded your laptop cpu?.
I'm aswell trying to upgrade mine, i own an acer travelmate 244LC, with SL6VV celeron.
I've found a FRU List of Travelmate 240/250.
The CPU list is as follows:
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.26G
2.6 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.25G
2.5 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.24G
2.4 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.23G
2.3 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.22G
2.2 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY KC.NCP01.20G
2.0GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
KC.NP001.306
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 3.06GHZ 512K
1.53V for TM250
KC.NP001.2G8
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.8GHZ 512K 1.53V
for TM250
KC.NP001.266
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.66GHZ 512K
1.53V for TM250
KC.NP001.2G4
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.4GHZ 512K 1.53V
for TM250

2,66GHz and 3,06GHz ( HT) cpu's are 533MHz FSB, first one with 66W TDP and second one with 82W TDP. Official Intel's web page says 852GME chipset is not compatible though. In any case 852GME supports 533MHZ FSB, don't know if mobo does.

No my case i'd like to swap mine with a low voltage Mobile Pentium 4-M 512K, 2,0 or 2,2GHz (SL6V9, SL6VB) without advanced features as enhanced speedstep or hyper threading technologies. These cpu's are low voltage, 1,3v, and not secure BIOS will recognize them.
Any further information is welcome.
Thanks.

 

Finally I swaped my celeron 2,6GHz SL6VV with a Pentium 4-M SL6VB 2,2GHz.
BIOS recognized it as Celeron 1,2GHz (12X99,9MHz).
Laptop runs cooler and its performance is similar or even better.
Is there anyway to obtain the real multiplier 22?.

 

Im afraid not. FSB makes the difference, so since yours is 400, then it'l be recognized by bios as a Celeron.
If your CPU had a 533 FSB, then it'd be recognized as a P4, thus giving full multiplier.

Anyone feel free to correct me!

Just 20 min ago I swapped CPU on a Acer TM240, going from Celeron 2.6Ghz to Intel P4-Mobile 2.0 - as like you, recognized as 1.2Ghz Celeron.

Windows 7 recognizes the CPU as P4-Mobile 2.0. But speed is 1.2Ghz, damit.

 

I thinks its an issue of speedstep technology, though my new CPU had no either enhanced speedstep or hyperthreading technology (intel website).
Regards

 

So you mean that it maybe runnin 2Ghz under full load?!
It might, as I did not yes conduct any futher investigations into the matter, least of all test the frequency during full load.

 

Little bit confused here, I have a TM240 with a celeron 2.8Ghz CPU fitted. Is this the maximum I can fit, or are there faster CPU's that the board will handle?

 

These are the CPU's that will definately fit your computer:

INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.6 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.5 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.4 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.3 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.2 GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL CELERON PORTABILITY
2.0GHZ 128K 400FSB for TM240
--
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 3.06GHZ 512K
1.53V for TM250
--
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.8GHZ 512K 1.53V
for TM250
--
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.66GHZ 512K
1.53V for TM250
--
INTEL MOBILE PENTIUM 4
PORTABILITY 2.4GHZ 512K 1.53V
for TM250
--

Note that your present CPU being a Celeron 2.8Ghz, does not necessarily outperform a Pentium 4-mobile (2.4Ghz), as the latter is of better family.

 

Wow, double necro-posting now!

I can't remember what I did with the old 240 now, it ended up going to a new home where as far as I know it's still working fine.

I've got another one this week, and have just dropped in a SL6FG P4 mobile 1.7 (out an old Dell). Boots fine, reports as running at 1.2 but I'm assuming that's down to the technology - The P4 should be running at way under rated speed when on battery/ ticking over. I don't have a working PSU for the 240 at the moment, so I'm having to charge the battery in a 1360 and swap it back and forth. Makes seeing how it behaves on mains a bit tricky!

Just fired it up again, the BIOS shows it as a 1.2 Celeron in the details page, but hitting esc to see the POST it sees it as a P4 1.7. So I guess the confusion people might be having is the way the CPu is reported in one section of the BIOS, rather than the laptop itself not coping

 

Just to update this for reference..

I couldn't get the 1.7 P4M to ever clock above 1.2Ghz. This annoyed me, although I got excellent battery life and temps, and although the system recognised it as a mobile P4, it just wouldn't behave.

I checked the Travelmate 250 specs, and saw they appear to use a straight desktop P4 (why not, after all, the 240 uses a desktop Celeron).

I dug out a 2.4 P4 (can't remember the code), slotted it in, and no problems at all. Battery life is roughly the same as with the Celeron, and about 10 or 20 mins less than with the P4M (I got a little over 90 mins DVD on the p4M, and just over an hour with the desktop P4 fitted). The BIOS now claims the laptop is a 250, not a 240. The CPU fitted has a 533FSB and 512k cache.

I also tested it with a 2.6 P4, model SL6PP and it worked fine. I went with the slightly slower P4 simply as it draws a fraction less power according to Intel, though the difference was barely more than a Watt.

So there you go, anyone with one of these older models, stop throwing money at mobile spec CPUs, and just get plain old socket 478 desktop ones - They work, and appear to be the factory option anyway!

On a side note, I fitted a wireless card to my current 240 - I went for an Atheros AR5005G (I think that's the model), as there's a guide on the web as to which pin to tape off to allow it to work in a 240. The card works perfectly, but only after taping/ blanking one of the pins on the edge. After that the wireless button can't be used to turn the card off, but as that can still be done with software it's no big deal

 

Thanks for the information, I actually have a P4-M 2,2GHz FSB 400 MHz 512K inside my TM 244LC, working 1,2GHz with nearly same performance of the original 2,6Ghz celeron. Bought a new 6600 mAh battery, average life is near 4hours (normal use).
It is necessary an aditional antenna to install the wireless card?
Do you know any way to fit in a mini usb bluetooth adapter?.
Regards

 

Default Factory Processors for TM 240/250 series:

Intel® Pentium® 4 processor; 400MHz processor system bus, or
Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor supporting Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology; 533MHz processor system bus
512KB L2 cache

Top processor: SL77R 3,2Ghz Mobile Intel Pentium 4

Regards.

 

I used pentium 4 SL6PF 2.8GHz\512C\533FSB to upgrade my travelmate 240 (244xc) no problems works fine, loads better

 

Incorrect. Have just purchased this CPU and it does recognize it in the BIOS but does not proceed further. CPU has been verified to be working normally in another laptop.

The highest CPU that will work in a travelmate 240/250 is the SL77P.

 

Thanks for the feedback, actually I´m running SL77P in my Travelmate 240.
Just thought that SL77R could be a fine upgrade since its the top Mobile Pentium 4 core Northwood 533Mhz FSB 512KB L2.

Compare Intel® Products,

Could be a thermal issue, TDP is 76W, as you say BIOS recognize it.

 

Hi guys. Are you sure about SL7PP???
I just purchased it, and doesn't work. Bios reconigze it, thats all.
Looks like there is an error on intel's site Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor supporting HT Technology 3.06 GHz, 512K Cache, 533 MHz FSBwith SPEC Code(s)SL726, SL77P
where both SL726 and SL7PP are Hyper-Threading enabled.
In Wikipedia List of Intel Pentium 4 microprocessors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and in other sources I found something different...
Looks like only SL723, SL724, SL725 and SL726 from
"Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor supporting Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology; 533MHz processor system bus
512KB L2 cache"
family are supported by Travelmate 240/250, (not verified!)
and SL7Px we can forget about...

 

Hi +jacek+,
I think you´re right, my travelmate 240 fits a SL726 not a SL7PP, difference between them is that SL726 doesn´t features Hyperthreading Technology.
SL726 works fine without any issue in my laptop
I also tried a P4 HT Northwood 3.06Ghz 533Mhz FSB 512K Desktop (without Speedstep) processor and although BIOS recognize it, wont go further.
Have you tried upgrading your BIOS version from 1.14 to 1.15?
BIOS v1.15 as v1.14 has no Hyperthreading support.

 

Hi pelolu
Thanks for confirmation.
I'm going to buy a SL726 now.

My BIOS is up to date (1.15) and I suppose - there is no any hacked version of BIOS for Travelmate 240/250...

 

Did a little research:

Acer Extensa 2700 series, mounts identical motherboard Part Number MB.T3001.001 as Travelmate 240/250 series.

It Features:
Performance
- Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.80 ~ 3.06GHz
- Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.80 ~ 3.20GHz
- Intel® Pentium® 4 Prescott Processor 3.00 ~ 3.80GHz
- Intel® Hyper-ThreadingTM Technology

so BIOS (Advanced Menu screen) has support for Hyper Threading Technology having in mind that:

The function is supported only when the CPU
installed is 3.06G or above. The system will
automatically hide this selection when detecting the
CPU frequency is below 3.06G or the CPU does not
support Hyper-Threading Technology.

Bad news is that there is no support for BIOS or Drivers for Extensa 2700 series in Acer´s website.

Found also that a jumper located on motherboard named SW1 enables an disables, apart from password and bootblock, the possibility for a regulation of the Adapter at 90w or 120w.

SW1 Settings

1 2 3 4
Adapter 90W X X ON X
Adapter 120W X X OFF X

Maybe its necessary an extra power up to 120w for processors above a certain TDP, causing the system not to boot with the adapter fixed at 90w.

Regards.

Edited: It seems Extensa 2000/2500 fit aswell the same motherboard. BIOS v1.16 3.5MB (with HT support). Users guide Extensa 2000/2500

 

My configuration is
Notebook: TravelMate250 (TravelMate 252LMI_DT)
CPU: P4 2.6Ghz/512K/400FSB
BIOS: v1.15 (the latest at Acer's site)

Having read what 'pelolu' wrote above and finding the ServiceManual of the Acer Extensa 2700, which mentions (in page 112 of the book or page 118 or the e-book) that the configuration of an Extensa 2703LMi is P4 3.2GHz/512K I bought a SL7NB processor but it DOESN'T work; No power light, no beep, nothing.

Keep in mind that 'pelolu' is right. The part numbers of both the TravelMate and Extensa are the same but for a reason I can't explain the processor doesn't work.

I guess I have to get a SL726 processor. So people out there, with TravelMate 250, have you tested that processor? Is the SL726 compatible with our laptop?

Hope I will get an answer before I buy another processor and throw more money for my old laptop.

Edit
I just want to mention than the SW1 switch was set in both modes: Adapter 90W / Adapter 120W

 

I'm sorry, I didn't confirm...
I got SL726 processor and I'm using it since few months already on my Travelmate 240 (well, now shows 250 .

Regards

 

Thank you for your answer.
I just bought a SL726 from e-bay and I am waiting to recieve it. As soon as I recieve it I will post my 'results'.

 

Hi jacek and skata,
Yes, SL726 works fine in Travelmate 240/250 series.
Maybe the reason that SL7NB doesn´t works is BIOS support, thats why swapping Acer Extensa 2700 series BIOS in TM 240/250 series could enable HT and Prescott processors.

Regards.

 

Well that maybe is something that I don't want to try, because if something goes wrong there is no way back.

If any of you have tried flashing the BIOS of TravelMate 240/250 with the Extensa 2700 then I will go for it and let you know if the SL7NB processor is working.

 

​

Flashing BIOS is really a risky option, by the way Acer´s website has no support for Extensa 2700, no drivers, no BIOS updates.

 

Here I am again to share my good news…

I just received the P4 3.06/512/533 SL726 processor I bought. I plugged it and WORKS FINE! As +jacek+ mentioned above, now the BIOS says that my Laptop is a TravelMate 250 (with the previous CPU, BIOS was recognizing my laptop as a TravelMate 240)

My old processor (from now on ) the one I just pulled out is a P4 2.6/512/400 SL6PP which was working just fine the last 8 years. Just some extra information, the laptop’s model number is TravelMate 252Lmi_DT

Hope I gave some help to anyone who wants to do a CPU upgrade to his/her old laptop.