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    Upgrading my G73 to i7 920XM Extreme cpu

    Discussion in 'ASUS Gaming Notebook Forum' started by DzNuts, Feb 9, 2010.

  1. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    Anyone have any good articles on how to replace the cpu on one of these laptops?
     
  2. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    It isn't something to take lightly with this laptop.

    Probably a full hour just to take it apart. Seriously, it is bad. Every last screw...
     
  3. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    jerk, why are you trying to scare me ;) I would love it if someone could show me some sort of guide how to open this thing up.
     
  4. allanh

    allanh Notebook Consultant

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    Dz, it is hard as per Justin from Xoticpc. I wouldn't risk it unless you are an authorised ASUS reseller.
     
  5. rschauby

    rschauby Superfluously Redundant

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    Also, you can kiss that wonderful industry leading warranty goodbye...
     
  6. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    do it! don't have the warranty handcuff ya. ;)

    I'm also assuming you have some experience in such a task.
     
  7. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    I might do it with my 620 just to see if the HM55 chipset will allow me to use the integrated gpu.
     
  8. panzer06

    panzer06 His Imperial Majesty

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    Wow so its not like my G50VT where everything is easily accessible from panels on the bottom?

    I sort of liked that approach!

    Cheers,
     
  9. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    ^

    Nope............
     
  10. Megacharge

    Megacharge Custom User Title

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    Yep the G73 seems to be much more difficult to take apart than the M17x, which was more difficult to take apart than my old Clevo. I hope someone manages to put together a CPU swapping guide at some point for the G73, that'd be awesome and worthy of some serious reppage.
     
  11. Dabber

    Dabber Newbie

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    Aramis has already put up the Asus manual that covers disassembly of the G73Jh, on one of the other threads. See Below.

     
  12. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    wish me luck. running a 3dmark 06 bench at 720 then putting in my 920
     
  13. lamer_gamer

    lamer_gamer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Why not run vantage or test out some games for a more modern comparison?

    Crylo, I love your pic.
     
  14. DRevan

    DRevan Notebook Virtuoso

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    Asus Warranty isn't the best in Hungary...people mostly have problem with eee PCs...once it took Asus 5months to fix an eee PC :D
     
  15. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Good luck and have fun!
     
  16. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    I can't get 3d Vantage to fully load, it won't get past the detecting GPU stage... anyone else run into this?
     
  17. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    Done ! I will be updating with benchmarks soon!
     
  18. BaronGalf

    BaronGalf Notebook Consultant

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    So it's a hard work upgraping the cpu ? or it's only a long process ? Also where do you bougth your 920 xm ?
     
  19. evensen007

    evensen007 Notebook Deity

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    Look at some of drake's tear-down pics in the O/C thread. It's a nightmare. (compared to other laptops)
     
  20. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    it was a pain in the as$ ill have pics and benchs soon
     
  21. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    [​IMG]

    stock g73
     
  22. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    [​IMG]


    920xm with 4GB hyber X ram , no extreme mode on in bios
     
  23. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    [​IMG]

    stock
     
  24. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    [​IMG]

    920xm and hyberx ram

    no extreme settings on in bios
     
  25. hirush

    hirush Notebook Evangelist

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    repped, thanks for going through trouble replacing the 920xm cpu. How hard was it for you to replace the cpu? some game benchmarks will be appreciated.
     
  26. Quadzilla

    Quadzilla The eye is watching you

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    Hardest part of getting the whole machine apart for me was getting the keyboard out because some genius decided to use Double sided tape thats pretty much crazy glued onto the machine... The rest was a cake walk and i have already done it twice now so the second time was a breeze except for the keyboard again lol..
     
  27. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    @DzNuts: When benchmarking set you power scheme to high performance. Based on your screen shot it looks like it is set to Balanced.
     
  28. Zulu001

    Zulu001 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Nice job you guys...

    Manual is great,

    Doesn't seem to be alot of little plastic clips to break off.

    Makes me want to run out and buy the 920...
     
  29. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    Be careful with the fan connectors.

    Mine crumbled to pieces when I tried to remove the left fan.
     
  30. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    did you put it back together?

    is your 620 in now?
     
  31. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    well without 1 fan working it won't boot.

    so i have to wait till tomorrow and get an rma replacement from newegg.
     
  32. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Didn't know if you soldered it together or not. Better to do these types of things in the first 30 days. ;)
     
  33. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    Exactly.

    Solder wouldn't work with the plastic.

    I do have another exact connector on an old fan, but my fingers and eyesight aren't good enough to work with wires that small.

    Would be a very easy fix as it works the same as a regualr molex just on a microscale. I physically can't do it.

    Where's a chinaman when you need one? ;)
     
  34. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    It's called old age. :p
     
  35. BaronGalf

    BaronGalf Notebook Consultant

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    Mandrake can you tell me if a 920xm ES is good ? it's the only cpu I can find right now. it's a test unit ? I don't really understand
     
  36. ziddy123

    ziddy123 Notebook Virtuoso

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    I sense Asus has built the G73 they way they did for a reason. They are trying to discourage tampering with their units. I'm starting to think Asus believes that a number of the reasons why they have laptops being sent back for repair is due to people opening up their units when they are not experts, authorized, and are careless. For those who are savvy enough to do it, maybe the design proves that. If you can take it apart, you are able to change the CPU or change the thermal paste.
     
  37. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Depends who you talk to. I think Soviet Sunrise wrote a big report here saying they are just as good but I personally don't use them. It was proven on the M17x that they did not perform as well.

    You can buy new OEM from RJtech but it will cost close to $1200.
     
  38. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Mistakes happen regardless if you are a home user, authorized reseller or a tech from Asus. Making it more difficult to do (IMO) will cause more issues.
     
  39. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    ^

    Agreed.

    I think my technical skills are just as good or better than those at xotic, etc.

    Nothing I can do about brittle plastic that pretty much disintegrated upon me touching it ;)
     
  40. sleey0

    sleey0 R.I.P. AW Side Topics

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    Sucks for me because I just turned 30 :eek:

    What happens at 40? :eek: :eek:
     
  41. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    [​IMG]

    3.45mhz everything else is stock
     
  42. DzNuts

    DzNuts Notebook Enthusiast

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    installing my SSD, then I will run some more benchmarks
     
  43. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    ya know we have a benchmark thread. ;)
     
  44. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    Man run Wprime 8 threads with a 3.4ghz i7 I gotta see how fast that is. You guys with the 3+ghz i7 920's in the G73 are making me jealous.
     
  45. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Mine having issues with random app crashes. I'm wondering if dznuts is having any of those types of issue because our setup is similar.
     
  46. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    Yeah that is a concern, my unit seems 100% fine though I have not done anything to really push it to the limit not even gpu overclocking yet. Well other than run OCCT and Furmark and stuff.

    I wonder just how easy it is to damage the unit in any way with the complicated cpu install process. Or if simply the unit can not run with the 920XM without issues, the hidden bios options could be a sign that they were working on support and never quite finished what they were working on.
     
  47. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    One of those bios options is to enable or disable "Three Strike Counter". I have no idea what that is.
     
  48. evensen007

    evensen007 Notebook Deity

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    Lol drake, you know damn well what that is.

    Looking good Dz! (I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to call you by your full listed name)
     
  49. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    No I don't tell me. I've never seen that in any bios. :(
     
  50. evensen007

    evensen007 Notebook Deity

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    Just a play on words.. 3 strikes and your out... wahhh wahhh wahhhhhhhhhh
     
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