Upgraded Acer 3680 Celeron CPU to a T5300!

Actually, I'm still in the middle of my Bluetooth project. This T5300 thing was a minor distraction, but I'm so grateful that you led the way.

Back to Bluetooth, I have yet to find a Widcomm Bluetooth dongle that works with the Vista drivers shipped with the 3680, AND costs less than $10. Yes, there's a $30 one available on Ebay, but that's not as much fun. In the meantime, I've tried 3 different Bluetooth dongles with an ISSC chipset, and there are issues with the Bluesoleil drivers that ship with the dongles. I'm still looking...

 

I could not flash my bios, in my registry I only have hkeys, i am the only user and shows full control in all except special permissions, I do not have adminstrator file in users . did the cmd net user admin password thing and said completed sucessfully, but there is no admin logon. In swinflash screen is bios.ak for backup and then 13508.wph for specify new bios. I hit enter and says cannot load driver

 

is it worth upgrading to T1350?
I have 3680-2574 and indication are point towards no duos.
I haven't take apart of my laptop yet so not sure what chipset I have.

PC wizard 2008 gives me following
NorthBridge : Intel i943/940GML
SouthBridge : 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Controller

NorthBridge Information :
Architecture : Direct Media Interface (DMI)
Manufacturer : Intel (Acer Inc)
Codename : Lakeport
Revision : A3
Bus Speed : 133.4 MHz
FSB Frequency : 533.4 MHz (QDR)
FSB max. Support : 667 MHz
RAM max. Support : DDR2 (667 MHz)

So is it for sure 940 or have chance to be 943?

 

jayj
how did you find this upgrade page, was it just a simple search, or is there a link out there on a blog ?
i'm asking because i saw a link to here on a blog last week and now can't find it.

 

A quick question about clock speed...

My 3680 has a Celeron 440 M (1.86ghz) and is running Vista Home Basic.

If I were to go cheap and pick up a T2050 (1.6 ghz), would I end up kicking myself over the 260 mhz decrease or do the dual cores more than make up for it?

Thanks...

 

I did a google search.

 

Don't buy the T2050, it has been tested and found to not be compatible with the 3680 motherboard.

 

Hi Jayj, I tried the T5300 and it didnt work for me as I had a 940 so I bought the T1350 and fitted it tonight and im actually quite surprised at how much of a difference it has made. Im running Vista Ultimate so anything would probably be better than the Celeron. Give it a go!

 

we need to catalogue all these celeron swaps, upgrades on the first post Krazy.
sorry that it means more work for you, but it would make it easier for Newbies.
to spot the upgrade they are going for.
maybe with a link to the first person to do there upgrade.

 

That sounds nice, I'll get working on it.

 

I think it comes down to date of manufacture.
did a hunt around on the net and found this.
Model / Codename ZB2
CPU (Processor) Intel® Celeron® M processor 410/420/430 (1 MB L2 cache, 1.46/1.60/1.73 GHz, 533 MHz FSB) or higher (removable, not included)
RAM (Memory) Up to 2GB (2 sockets) DDR2 533MHz RAM (removable, not included)
Chipset Mobile Intel® 940GML Express
Video Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950, up to 224 MB of shared system memory, supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0

 

I have heard rumors that some people have 4 gigs of RAM on the 3680, any truth to these Acer Urban Legends

 

Now that would be sweeeeeet!

I encourage 3680 owners to upgrade their HD. I upgraded to a Hitachi 7k200 7200 RPM HD w/16mb cache in January...

When I swap in my OEM western digital HD, it takes 3 minutes to boot vista... the Hitachi takes about 40 seconds.

Im thinking of making a youtube video so people can see this. Its unbelievable!!

IMO, the processor upgrade, 2gb RAM, and 7200 RPM HD made my 3680 faster than my desktop (3.2ghz P4).

 

heres one for all the acer knockers out there.
im sitting with the wife on the sofa and we have three acer laptops running

will post a pic later.

 

That HD uses perpendicular recording too. I upgrade Mac Mini's and MacBooks with those and it makes an easy 20+% performance boost. Nice thing is they use LESS power than the OEM unit's in the MacBooks. I think it was like .1 watt or amp less but still less.

Used Xbench to test pre/post and it showed an CoreDuo mini (1.83) with GMA 950 and 2gb ram before was 73.-- and after it was over 100. A 100 score baseline is what a typical PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5ghz with SATA 300 drives would get.

Does anyone know what SATA controller is used on the 3680? I'm curious if it's a I or II. Can't find exact info aside from generic SATA controller. I AM getting one of those Hitachi's myself... The 16mb Cache is the latest revision... But I'm waiting till the 3rd gen's come out... SATAII, 16/32mb cache and capacity's to 500gb!!!! Hoping the current will go cheaper... Newegg has the best price for those drives, but watch the cache size as you want the 16mb.

 

Yes, use the Mini-PCI 802.11n Intel card.

 

I've got a T7300 coming out of another laptop later today... Twist my arm! I'll give it a shot tonight. I'll post results afterwards.

Not sure if you got my message before about the Mac Mini CPU's, but 667mhz Bus is compatible with mine 3680-2682 (Cel 440 OEM CPU).

And a 2gb PQI Memory stick was recognized as 2gb, system showed 2.99gb ram after restart (1gb stick in the other slot)... Wasn't mine so I had to put it back in the iMac but it worked. For the current price of less than $30 seems like a worthwhile upgrade but keep in mind if you don't use it you still have to power it. In day to day my system is showing 1.5-1.7gb physical ram free... In Linux it's showing 1.7gb thereabouts most of the time so it's not a Windows thing, it really is no using that much ram as it was before with the Celeron.

 

im twisting your arm

thats the one i want to try the T7300

but it's a 50/50 if it will work.

 

just purchased a new aspire laptop for wife.
aspire 5715Z. chipset PM/GM965 which means the only upgrade it will take is a T7***
as i already have a T7300 sitting about waiting to go in a laptop and i only paid
£280 with pp. looks like its getting done tomoz will let you know how it goes.
fingers crossed.

 

can't wait for someone to pull off this t7xxx swap! them things is expensive!

 

WORKS! WORKS! WORKS! T7200 WORKS!

Did some searching around last night before I tried it, this spec sheet from intel gave me the twist I needed. If a 5600 worked then 7200 should work so I took it apart again... However the CPU is not mine so it was tested half apart but booted up into Windows were XP showed it and CPUID showed it as well. Both cores working. That's about the only testing I did. Unsure if it's stable but it worked without a hitch.

As a side note, careful taking these apart a lot. Was hearing some slight snapping and creaking noises when re-assembly this time. Don't remember hearing them before.

YMMV

Acer 3680-2682 refurb purchased June or July 2007.

http://support.intel.com/support/viiv/sb/cs-021546.htm

 

Thanks!

Do I understand correctly, though, that the T2250 does work?

FYI: Aspire 3680-2682, Celeron 440M, i943/940GML (according to PC Wizard)

Thanks...

 

IVE DONE IT

pulled out a celeron m530 and dropped in a T7200. and to make matters even better. only had to take one panel of the bottom for cpu and ram.

vista took ages to start was thinking i had no chance then whoosh it started saw the T7300 and the e power asked which setting i would like so i max'd it battry+cpu's.
the wife is well impressed. just converting and avi file to mp4 just to see how it goes

the chipset for this swap was pm/gm965.

 

OK so how are your laptops operating now with the new processors, have you ran into any problems at all. I am really excited cuz i have a acer aspire 3680-2472 and im wondering if i too can do this upgrade? it would be so cool because i do like this lappy i thinks it a great deal and with this kinda upgrade it just would be so awesome! so maybe some could get back to me and help out

 

chad ive been running test after test ive took temp readings and it seems to like the new c2d better than the celeron.
i think the only thing holding it back is the slow hard drive

as you can see only four screws removed the whole cover
how lucky was I

 

DOoooooo Itttttttt

Trust me, it will turn your 3680 into a 3,680,000,000,000

 

ok so what specs do i need for this to work, i have read u need a certain bios ver. and i have that exact one,, now i just wonder if that my 3680-2472 has the same insides as yours

 

BIOS: 1.305+

What's important is the Chipset. 943 or 945gm are what you want. 940's can only go core-solo (I think) but that's not a bad thing either. Depending on when it was made seems to make a big deal too. FWIW my Logic board looks NOTHING like the picture above... Also my 3680-2682 has a 945GM chip on the board (just under the heatsink... That doesn't or should I say DID NOT touch the heatsink... One small piece of aluminum and now it does (not even a dent in the paste-weird but it's fixed).

943's according to intel can go CoreDuo or Dual Core. Core2Duo's seem (and this is only from reading here) to be able to run the T5xxx series.

945GM's can go T7xxx series so it appears, and later 960's are more than capable.

My 3680-2682 HAD Cel 440, now runs T2250 without a hitch. Other's with same models are running T5300's. I would stick with 32bit/64bit CPU's. So if your Cel is a 4xx then a 32bit cpu, 5xx would be 64bit (should also be 960 chipsets).

The other posters/creators are gathering solid data so be sure to post your exact specs. Further back in the post (page 1-3) there is a link to some software that will assist you in telling you what Chipset your running.

Also FWIW Geeks.com has what I turned mine into, a 5500 1.73 Core Duo with 1gb/120gb/DVDRW for $479... So make sure what your doing is cost effective...

 

YES YES YES! Works great. Battery life doubled. Performance... Eh, it's better. Good thing is the chips are cheap on ebay. Sold the Cel 440 for $2 less than I bought the T2250 for.

 

ok this is the specs i obtained from PC wizzard:

Intel i943/940gml
bios version v1.3505
Type : Intel Pentium
Internal Specification : Intel(R) Celeron(R) M CPU 520 @ 1.60GHz
Model Number : T2330
Codename : Merom
Revision : B2
Technology : 0.065µ
CPU ID : 6.F.6
CPU IDEx : 6.F.6
Microcode : MU06F6C7
Mobile : Yes
Socket/Slot : U2E1
Upgrade interface : ZIF Socket
Supported Speed : 1600 MHz (or more)
Supported Voltage : 3.3V

anyone ever had pc wizzard show a pentium dual core intel sign in the corner on a celerom m 520?

anyways i hope those specs are the important ones,,thanks for the help guys, look foward to a response!

 

Well done mate!!! Congrats

 

I'm going to be honest with you. There is a very high chance that your Acer is a 940GML which means no Core 2 duo, but we can still try for a Core Duo or Solo.

 

hmmm, well that kinda sucks doesn't it , Ok so a core 2 duo is out of the question in my case then?

 

mine (sorry the wifes) laptop showed dual core in the corner thats why i took a day old laptop to bits and put the T7200 in it.
so far all i have found is the ram gets warm.
empowering seems ok and battery life has a 30% increase.
so far all is well.

 

i could feel my heart pounding in my boots as the laptop was only 24hrs old,thats the warranty out the window

Vista loves C2D cpu's
you have to take your time cleaning all the compound of the Gpu.

 

I am sure you will post the procedure for the world to see. And learn.

Cheers,
Theo

 

T2700 is faster

 

Out of curiousity, I just took my 3680-2682 apart, and there is a plastic cover glued on top of the 94xGM chip. I didn't feel daring enough to pry it off, so I put it back together after taking some photos.

You can also see that there is a light blue Sil-Pad so the 94xGM does touch the heatsink - it just doesn't get the same amount of cooling that the CPU gets. There's another Sil-Pad on the far right side of the heatsink, for an inductor. My guess is that's part of the battery charging circuit.

 

Krazy, Call me crazy but he's already running a Core2Duo... See the code name "Merom". He's running a Merom core already, if it were me I'd go Merom Based Core2Duo.

 

Mine does NOT look like that either. I'm gonna have to take the chance and take it apart again this time take a few snaps. Same model, yet I know it doesn't look like that. What's the DOM of your unit? I see Rev E on the logic board...

The parts are sorta in the right spot. Also Bluetooth came with mine... What upgrade to bluetooth did you do? I've got my Keyboard and mouse working and my BT headset as well for Skype.

 

"Backwards Compatibility

Intel's Core 2 Duo mobile launch is one of those very rare moments in Intel history where a brand new CPU is introduced and it is backwards compatible with existing motherboards.

If you've got a Core Duo notebook with a PGA Socket-M interface, all you should need is a BIOS update and a Core 2 Duo CPU to upgrade your notebook. If you've got a BGA CPU, then you're unfortunately out of luck as desoldering 479 balls from your motherboard without damaging it isn't for the faint of heart.

Obviously there are some caveats, and you'll want to check with your notebook manufacturer to make sure it supports Core 2 Duo on your particular model before upgrading. As far as Intel is concerned, the only stipulations for Core 2 Duo support are on the chipset side and are as follows:

http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2808


If you've got a 945GM or 945PM equipped notebook, then the Core 2 Duo should be a drop in replacement for your Core Duo processor. The upcoming Low Voltage and Ultra Low Voltage Core 2 Duo processors will also work in the 945GMS chipset, and none of them will work in the 940GML chipset. "

 

have had the laptop running 24hours non-stop and all is still fine.speed step works,running with all specs. vista loves it but needs faster hard drive.
its ok having a faster cpu, but if the hard drive is slow

this can let the laptop down a touch.

 

Alright Guys it's great that we can put in a T7200 and a T7300, but let us not lose sight of the initial meaning of the project. To make a cheap alternative to the current expensive Core 2 Duo systems. Of course if you guys just want to continue for testing purposes that is up to you.

 

I'm 100% with you on this one. That's why I'm continuing to troll Ebay for a faster CPU that still costs ~$75, about what I paid for my T5300. If I can find one and verify that it works, I'll sell my T5300. If it doesn't work, I'll resell it. Either way, I'll be able to contribute to your knowledgebase.

 

The date code is 0705.

Here's the bottom side before removing the heatsink assembly:


Here's the top side of the MB (the tricky HOLE9 is just above the right screw of the X-shaped metal heatsink bracket):


I made a homebrew internal Bluetooth module (click on the link in my signature for the gory details):

 

i only used the T7300 because i had a one on the shelf no cost.
but your right to purchase a T7*** is over the top for a cheap upgrade.
but as a test it shows you need to upgrade to much for it to run at top speed.

the T5*** is a better cheaper option and most of the internals are already set-up for it.the T7*** needs faster ram,harddrive motherboard to be cost effective.
T7*** cheaper to buy new laptop than to upgrade.

 

well hold on since the t7300 does that mean i could drop in my t5250 from my other acer as a direct drop. it's the santa rosa 1.50. if so I have a t5300 for sale for cheap

 

Actually is the t5250 a better processor then the t5300 hahah.

 

never mind jumped teh gun different sockets I remmeber (just waking up)

 

i got the wife her laptop for the purpose of upgrading and using the spare T7.
ive got an extended warranty on my laptop and don't want to wreck that.
T5250 v T5300 will have a look.leavem