Difficulty Upgrading CPU/warranty ADVANCED

Long and thought stimulating..........

So my M17 I chose "build for the win" and de-selected the T9600 2.8 chip for the 8400 2.2 chip (-$500 saved) which I shifted to Blu-ray and 3 yr. Extended Warranty (as far as funding choice). I assumed I could cheaply upgrade the chip soon.

These were the buying options: I do not know if Bios changes are involved:
Intel® Core™2 P8400 2.26GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [-$500]
Intel® Core™2 P8600 2.4GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [-$450]
Intel® Core™2 T9400 2.53GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [-$250]
Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9000 2.00GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [-$200]
Intel® Core™2 T9600 2.8GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™2 Extreme X9100 3.06GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [+$350 or $11/mo.]
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB) [+$700 or $21/mo.]
The World's Fastest Mobile Quad-Core for the Ultimate Multitasking Experience!

I have only had this machine for 2 weeks and sniffing around already found for $300 bucks I can get a better chip than the +$700 option QX9300 2.5 (from AW) the following.

Frequency: 3GHz FSB: 1333MHz Cache: 12MB Process: 45 nm Socket: Socket 775 Read More
Dealer Part - Q9650
Manuf Part - AT80569PJ080N Price $321.56
Ship Free UPS Ground
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$321.56

So as prices drop I think I made the right choice on low end CPU to start BUT........

What obsticle is involved in the upgrade/heat?, and is my warranty going to be shot a.k.a should I just cancell it now? Lastly any "dealers" who would do the upgrade and stand behind their work. I saw no upgrade options via Alienware.

If Bios is the question maybe there is a simple upgrade choice I should consider??

Thanks again and I am already thinking MORE.

Scott

 

Good way to void the warrintee becuse if you have a problem and AW finds out that 3 year warrintee is gone.

 

isn’t that the wrong socket type 775 you want 478 p socket

 

That is why I am asking these questions, I am within the time frame to refund and re-think the warranty. As far as the CPU's what I mention is based off my understanding that this is my MOBO and CPU options. Any info to correct or re-direct is appreciated.

LINK:

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/CPUSupport_Model.aspx?ProductID=2765

If this is not my MOBO (AW would not say) please inform.

Thanks Again

Scott

 

hi scott
That is a desktop mobo you are looking at and a desktop cpu
what you want to look for is 478 p socket that is what cpu type is compatible with the M17 .
if alienware have listed this mobo for M17 its an mistake

 

You should be looking to eBay for ES chips. You can have a T9800 for just over $300, or Q9100 for even less.

 

i have been looking at ES chips have you ever had any problems with them

 

Nope, never. In fact, my current T9800 is an engineering sample. As long as you get a final spec QS (Qualification Sample) chip, with E0/C0 stepping, you'll have nothing to worry about. The two I linked to are QS chips.

 

How much can one expect from going quad and keeping near the same freq.?

Here are links
Quad 9100 (2.2)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Core-2-Du...0|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

Dual Core T9800 (2.9)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Core-2-Du...hash=item260380441937&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177


Also would you have to flash the bios to do this?

Anyone know specifically what MOBO is in the 17?

Why are the X9100's more $$$ than the Q9100?

Guru's chime in....

Good chatting!

Scott

 

X is meant for clocking, Although you can do it with the Q but it all goes back to warranty. Kiss your 3year warranty goodbye the minute you do any upgrade yourself.

Figure it this way you have a better bang for your $$ now than you would upgrading to the Q. Its not that much better and if you are gaming with it stick with the X you have, the Q will not give you any better edge.

 

I only have a p8400 2.26,,,,so I am thinking of upgrading from that.

Scott

 

Then do it right send it back to AW and have them change it, dont void your 3yr warranty and do it yourself. It would bee been a waste of $300 if you diy.

 

Ofelas in the For Sale section here has a QX9300 OEM (Not an ES) for sale for $599.00. That's a good price and easy to install. If you get adventurous down the road, you can flash your M17 with a Whitebook BIOS and Overclock it to 3ghz (or more).

Edit: CPU is sold. Someone got an awesome deal.

 

When upgrading are the bios changes needed?

;p

 

no
unlees you want to over clock but ur warrenty will be gone

 

As I understand it, the warranty is still honored if the original purchaser ships the notebook in as received. So, assuming you don't mind re-replacing the CPU with the original if/when you send it in for service, your warranty should remain intact.

 

Ah yes but if we are talking a novice and he destroys a mobo as a result it wont take a rocket scientest to figure that someone was swapping out cpus.

If it was one year warranty then I would say fine but he bought a 3 year one, let AW do it, dont take the chance on screwing it up.

 

I think you should do it yourself. Don't spend the extra money from Alienware. They jack their prices up on their CPUs. The thing is, it's not hard to change the CPU. As far as ordering on eBay,are those reputable sellers? They are from Taiwan and China.

 

How the heck can you "destroy a mobo" while replacing the CPU? This isn't open heart surgery.

 

any number of things could happen. you could short it, break it, screw in screws where you aren't supposed to screw in screws, pull out some wires, etc.

 

lol... I was thinking to myself, "If there's a way to screw it up, I bet I could find it!"

Like my daddy told me - "Son, never bet anything you aren't willing to lose, no matter what the odds are."

So, the odds are low that there would be damage, and that the warranty would be voided by breaking something. But are you willing to risk that to save some cash, and live with the result if it happens?

If the answer is yes, go for it. If it's no, then don't. But go in with the understanding that it's a possibility...

 

If you have a warranty left, i don't recommend violating it. You paid for that warranty, so it seems rather silly to me to junk what you paid for.
Plus many games and such these days only use one or two cores anyway, making a quad core not that useful beyond bragging rights.

Also, laptop processors are generally far more expensive for the performance then desktop processors. As an example, if you were to find the laptop performance equivalent to that desktop quad you posted you'd find that it probably costs about a grand.
It's really kind of depressing, which is why i'm building a desktop. $329 spent and it'll murder any laptop under $1500-2000.

Can't beat a laptop's portability though.



In any case, it's not worth killing your warranty even if you don't kill the motherboard. If later on the motherboard fries itself for something completely unrelated alienware can (and will) claim it is due to the CPU you put in and not help you.

 

It seems that you might have a hard time upgrading it yourself due to possible experience. If you aren't sure you can do it, then I say don't. Just from what I have read, you may want to get it from Alienware.

 

Eh, most of the people who talk about how difficult it is have never even change the processor in a notebook. If you've seen the internal layout of the M17, there's no way you can call it complicated or dangerous.

 

People Look at this guys frist Post. The guy was about to buy a desktop chip and put it in his laptop. There only a few laptops that can support desktop cpus. I think they are Intel P4 Models like Northwood and presscott.

 

Clevo D900C supports Core 2 duo and Quad desktop CPUs
Clevo D900F will support i7 desktop CPUs

 

thats not the point....

any way upgradeing a cpu is easy
1 dont bend the pins
2 line it up
3 drop it in

 

I agree it easy MR.Moo. Becues I work on computers but we have to look at normal people who only play on computers. It like most of us we take our cars to get them fix, smog oil change what ever. Hehe I dont like grease. But I like to pull a laptop or desktop apart anyday.

Hay electrosoft I was not sure my last laptop that supported a desktop cpu was a Clevo. They seem to get to warm for my liking.

 

Hey guys, I have a question that is somewhat related to this. I am looking at buying a M17x within the next few months and was wondering something. If I were to get the p8600 CPU, would I be able to upgrade to whatever processor later on? I mean like a t9600 or qx9300? I know they are listed as options when you purchase, but know that sometimes the mobo's are different. I have swapped laptop CPU's before on my old E1705, so I know what I am getting into.

-Thanks

 

NVM guys, found my answer on another post. Ah the power of search. =p