is it possible to upgrade my M15x CPU?

I bought my M15x in 2010 with Intel Core i5-M540 attached to it.
I am just wondering if I can upgrade it to any decent second or maybe third generation of i7. Will it perform better than first generation i5 I have now?

I'll be hoping that it will cost me around $500 bucks (where buying a new alienware machine would cost me $2000)

 

The motherboard of the M15x does not allow CPU upgrades to any 2nd or 3rd generation processors, and hence M15x users only have a limited option to upgrade to a better first generation i7 processor.

You might consider the 920XM or 940XM, they both cost around 400-500 for an OEM chip on ebay or maybe cheaper if you decide to go with a QS chip. Basically if you were to overclock these processors it may even match the performance of a 2860QM (2nd generation.)

QS and OEM chips do not differ significantly; I myself use a 940XM ES chip and I have encountered no problems so far.

And yes, they would perform better than your current processor.

 

Simple ans is yes! Get yourself an ES 920XM off ebay. Cheap, fast and effective upgrade that paired together with a 7970M and 8GB's of RAM will see you through the next few years

Agreed with Onego. OCing these chips to 24/25x multi across all 8 threads will give you performance somewhere between the 2820qm and 2860qm. That is nearly stock 2920xm performance!! Your i5 is old news.

Also getting yourself a ES 920xm probably costs less now than a comparable performing OEM 2820qm !! Bear that in mind

 

I just upgraded my i5 540m to a i7 920xm, easy switch. I also sold my old processor overnight for 120, so the net cost was only like 130 since the i7 was 250. I would definitely recommend going that route

 

Yeah the 920xm is a beast, I got mine for $250 on ebay just a couple of weeks ago, the 940xm is a bit costly still....

 

Not to mention there being no benefits going the 940xm route. Both chips OC the same using throttlestop. There is basically only one difference: price.

 

wait wait wait are you referring to ATI Radeon 7970M? I thought you can only upgrade CPU on any notebook, not GPU. Or this is different in our case because it is Alienware?

I have 5850M right now and I'm looking forward to your reply

 

I am running the 7970M yes. Previously the 6990M. The M15x uses a standard MXM 3.0 socket that can accomodate A and B modules. B being the larger size reserved for high end cards. Many laptops use this socket so it is easy to upgrade. Clevo and MSI as well as Alienware for example.

However the 7970M is giving me grief at the moment due to lack of working drivers! The hardware is so new that AMD themselves don't support it yet. Hold on to your 5850M until at least AMD have the good grace to release official drivers for the 7970M!

The 6990M runs very well on the M15x. A tad hot it must be said but very stable indeed. I had zero problems.

 

that's sad, but then it's great when you mention our machine can still perform as well as those with second generation CPU.

How about the replacement process? do we need an expert hands to rip apart our beloved notebook or we can actually do it our own?

 

For the replacement process, we can actually do it on or own. If you are you sure how you can always refer to the Alienware M15x Service Manual. It only takes around 10 minutes to replace the GPU or CPU.

 

The process is indeed Anggrian. If you are not experienced.. Do head to youtube and check the official dissembly videos by alienware and watch it though a couple of time. It is straight forward but it will help you alot.

Also do not rush...ever. Period. I have done GPU and CPU replacements many times however just this weekend when I swapped the 7970M in and the 6990M out the whole process took me about 1 hour. The components involved are too costly to botch up. Take it slow are all will be fine. Also get yourself a ES chip not a OEM. ES 920XM can be had for under $250 which is MUCH cheaper than a OEM. Put the rest of your budget plus whatever you can sell the 5850M for towards purchasing a 7970M when the time is right for you.

In the end together with what I sold the 6990M for I paid not even 100 pounds for the 7970M! Always take into consideration the money you get back from selling older components

 

Also, if you didn't know the M15x can handle up to 16GB RAM.

I'm intrigued as to where you got your ES i7 920XM for $250 (what does ES stand for?)?
I'd very much like one, however it's around $600 on ebay even for a used one?

What are your thoughts on pre-owned CPU's?

 

Pre-owned CPU's are fine. I would buyl with confidence as Intel processors are so tough. When was the last time you ever heard of someone killing their CPU. Even if OCed heavily they keep on ticking. At least since the core 2 era.

The 920xm is a desktop 920 chip with unlocked tdp/tdc and multi. However intel have limited the voltage on the 920xm to allow it to fit thermally in a laptop's acceptable TDP. This means that no matter what you do to a 920xm it can and will be able to take alot more.

SLV 7 voltmodded it and was able to OC it by 100% to 4ghz* stock 2ghz on 4 cores) across 4 cores and thing was still stable. Disgustingly hot but stable.

Without a voltmod there is adequate voltage to take the chip to about 3.3ghz across 8 threads or roughly 2820/60qm performance! So even if you took it to that frequency and left it their with good enough cooling it would be a walk in the park.

Therefore buying a used chip is safe enough.

 

Intel Core i7-920XM - 2 GHz Quad-Core (BY80607002529AF) Processor OEM 0735858211307 | eBay

bid away! currently about $200. Ship worldwide.

 

ES is stand for Engineering Sample, just like QS...

 

Would I have to pay a customs charge if its shipped to UK? I bought a 460m and had to pay £40 separately to Royal Mail as customs charge

 

Ah, very nice. I will look into it.
I do a lot of 3D and video editing, so a faster CPU would be a dream.
I just didn't have an extra $600 at the time of purchase.

I've never upgraded a CPU before, would I have to change input/output voltages in the BIOS?

I realised I was on eba.com.au. lol. fai.
I went to .com and found heaps for $200 - 400 price range.

Thanks for clearing that up.

@Anggrian - Sorry for stealing the thread, man. :S

 

No there is no need to change the input/output voltages at the bios. Just simple plug and play.

 

*drools*

Hmm... Fix car?... upgrade laptop?... fix car?... upgrade laptop?... A tough decision.

 

What's wrong with the car? Can you live with it? If yes. Upgrade your laptop

 

Ha!

Engine mount has a crack... But you see, I'll be getting my tax return soon, so I'll just have to spoil myself... And still be able to fix my car! XD

 

That sucks! Makes me feel glad I haven't got a car to spend money on

You say you do much 3D work and encoding stuff. Getting this CPU will be $200 dollars well spent. You can practically run the 920xm twice as fast and with 2mb extra lvl3 cache too!

 

And I wished I was stationed where you are King. The endless amount of parts I could have from my Evo!

 

Hmmm but cars cost ALOT to run here. An Evo would set you back about 80,000 yen road tax alone (5,000 yen for smallest 660cc yellow plate cars) yearly. Plus the mandatory bi-yearly service that HAS to be done by law usually sets you back well over 200,000 yen each time especially for a vehicule of such power. Also if you leave your town and drive on the highways you pay LOTS too as every highway entrance and exit is tolled! To name a few costs..haha

I might settle for an electric bicycle soon and call it a day and even that is pushing the boat out

 

Yep, cars are nothing but a black hole for money!

Yeah, I'm studying animation/film.
I figure it will, I just spent $300 on a new graphics tablet, a better processor will be next on the list.

Now just to find a GPU that will do me good for After Effects rendering via CUDA and I will have a machine that will last me a couple more years.

I'm pro-upgrades... I have a friend who buys a whole new system almost every year, don't see the point!?

 

Indeed! A brand new M17x R4 equipped with i7 3610 and 7970M still isn't better than our trusty M15x! Lol. Sure it has sata 3.0 and support for these new msata ssd's etc but raw performance wise the M15x can still cut it and that is why upgrading still makes sense.

 

920XM won't let you down..., it still as fast as 2nd Gen i7...

 

^^^^yeah the m15x oc and modded is excellent, but if i had the chance to purchase an m17x r4 i would.....