M70Vn and Q9100: need help

Hello everybody

First, I'm French, sorry, nobody is perfect

I'm an happy user of this Asus Notebook M70Vn, for 2 years, tomorrow: run well, like a clock

It's equiped originally with Intel 2 Duo Core P8600 (socket P (PGA 478) 2,40 GHz), PM45 Mobile Chipset, nVidia (G96) 9650M GT (1 G DDR2), 4 GB DDR2-800 (PC2-6400), Realtek Sound Card HD ALC663, GbE ETH NIC Realtek 8168C and 2 X 250 GB Seagate HDD (5400 RPM).
I upgraded it with 2 X 500 GB Seagate HDD (5400 RPM) and 8 GB DDR2-667 (PC2-5300).

Now, I want to try upgrading it with a new CPU, ... and later, maybe with 2 SSDs.


Recently, too quick & with too enthousiasm I bought on eBay a Quad Core Q9100 (socket P, PGA 478) for 150 € ... and now, I'm beginning to believe it's not compatible with my machine, more precisely with the BIOS.
For my chipset and the CPU socket it's OK, but for the BIOS, I'm not very sure.

See compatible product with PM45, here (look Compatible Products, Q9100 is in list, in third place).
The Q9100 I bought, it's an SLB5G, like describe on Intel website (look Ordering / Specs / Steppings)

What I understand about this, it's a question of CPU microcode present in BIOS.

So, I investigate a little about CPUID and my BIOS, so found this - but I'm not sure very well can you confirm please?

Q9100 CPUID is (01) 067A(h), am I right??

see here on Wikipedia: Core (microarchitecture)
and here : SLB5G (Intel Core 2 Quad Mobile Q9100)
plus this (search result on Google image):


Now, If I search in my BIOS version 206 for CPU Microcode and CPUID with this soft AMIBIOS BIOS Module Manipulation Utility or this one AMIBCP_V3.37(Windows)
I find this:


For whose they want to verify, they can download M70VN BIOS v206, here
Simply extract it and rename m70vnAS.206 to m70vnAS206.rom, then open with one the softs linked above.

CPUID 0676 is linked to my P8600 ... and other CPU like the T9400 (see here)
So, I see the CPUID 067A in the list of CPU Microcode of the M70Vn BIOS: can I deduce that Q9100 is supported by my BIOS?

After other searches on Web I found this
T9600 (reported as supported on Asus M70Vn web site)
T9800
T9900
QX9300
So, these four CPU have same CPUID than Q9100, but some are Core 2 Duo, and one is Quad Core!!

Questions: is it normal? can u explain me why these four different CPU have same CPUID? what do you think about it?

Can my M70Vn supports Q9100 or not?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

I do know for sure that the M70vn will support the T9600,T9800,T9900 however I dont recall if we ever did any Q9000, Q9100 or QX9300 upgrades to that model. If you gain confirmation that there was a successful installation of a QX9300 the Q9100 should be fine.

Ive done some reading on some of the other forums that you posted on and I will say that the G71 and G72's that they listed are completely different chassis's all together and have a slightly wider thermal window. They were designed to house the quad cores.

I would be reluctant to suggest that it will work, if it does then make sure to watch your temps closely until you know that the extra tdp causes no heating issues.

 

Hi Joseph@XoticPC,

thanks for your answer

and for your advice about heating issue and Q9100 TDP if it can work on M70Vn (I know the P8600 TDP is 25 W, and TDP Q9100 is 45 W, but if I collect TDP with SiSoft Sandra for example, during use of my laptop, sometimes, I can read 37 W for my CPU - the Core Voltage are sligthly different 1,150V max for P8600 and 1,175V for Q9100).

EDIT: Seeing the pictures of the G71V and G72Gx, I'm not very sure that the thermal window is so wider in comparison with the one on the M70Vn.

I have too a Notebook Cooler, the Zalman ZM-NC2000, it will be enough, no?
Can buy another one, if necessary - not too expensive

About the G72Gx (supports Q9000 and other CPU Core 2 Duo - and here, it seems it can support the Q9100, but I can't find the webpage which describes the G72Gx tested with the Q9100 CPU on XoticPC) and the G71V (supports QX9300 and other Core 2 Duo), here what I find if I explore their BIOSes:

for the G72Gx:


for the G71V:


So, they have too the 067A CPUID in BIOS like mine, and what can you tell me about this?

PS:I have read too this thread about G51 and Q9100, and on this post, look what it saids

some MSI GT725 models support the Q9000 (like GT725-003FR, see this page in french)

so I download the BIOS of GT725, and search the CPU microcode, here is what I obtain:

Perhaps nobody test them?
Until July 2010, Asus support said that this model only can support 4 GB Max RAM - I have emails to prove it
So, another French person & me, tested it: it supports; until now, I believe we are the only two guys in the world who have 8 GB on this model and why?? because Asus said "M70VN limited to 4 GB max of RAM"
But on the website, they continue to spread the 4 GB limit... nothing change for them

I want to believe... until real tests, in situation

 

Eh. They say 4gb max because that's what they tested it with, and they don't want to support anything they havn't "tested" themselves.

And by tested, I mean "sold in that particular configuration".

 

okay, "sold in that particular configuration'' doen't mean anything for me

then, I would like that Team Support doesn't affirm in several mails, this product could only support until 4 GB max, if they don't test anything else.

In that case, how can they strongly affirm the M70Vn can't support more??
They can't because they don't know in practice, in real.
And when you don't know pratically, you don't affirm, that's all!

And here it is the only "until 4 GB max":


however, it was so simple to know if it was possible: just a little reading in Intel website - and/or use of some softs reading specs data about the computer himself ... and you knew everything about support for 8 GB.

finally, it's not my first request:

I want to know if somebody here know enough well the reading of CPU Microcode in BIOS and can tell me, with the data I reported here, if there's a chance or none that my laptop supports the Q9100 (sorry for my English).

 

Just wanted to pipe in and say the G51 was a case where some models could support a quadcore, but others could not. It was determined by other users on this forum that it wasn't a microcode issue, it was some sort of hardware "lock" that prevented the CPU from booting into any OS (it could POST but that's it).

Your M70 might have a similar case about it. Personally I'd just settle for an X9100 and overclock it to well past 3.5 GHz.

 

do you have a M70Vn? it seems nope

what "hard lock"? present in CPU? in MB? where?

 

Non, j'ai ne pas. I mentioned this only to serve as a possible example, since the M70/G50 are from the same timeframe.

We reached the conclusion it was in the chipset. By hard lock I mean it was a hardware lock somewhere that was preventing us from doing so. Microcodes were replaced, BIOSes flashed, but nothing would let it boot into Windows (merde!).

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...ore-2-quad-support-via-bios-modification.html

 

you're french dtd00d?

 

I would be very surprised

G50Vt, G51Vx and M70Vn for example have same chipset: PM45

In the Intel webpage for PM45 chipset, it saids that this chipset is compatible with QX9300, Q9100, X9100, which are all Quad Cores [as I already said above, in my original post]

so, if it is really the PM45 chipset which "hard locks" the boot into OS with Q9100, then, Intel gives disinformation or misinformation about its own products... very strange

 

Haha, non, je suis americain. Mon francias est terrible, et est moins de votre anglais

I studied near Paris last semester for electrical engineering

Yes the PM45 chipset itself supports quadcores, but Asus put a lock on which computers could accept it. For example, no G50vt nor any G51vx-RBBX05 can use quadcores, but other G51vx's can. I, too, have tried to see what quadcores I could use, but settled on the E8335 (T9800) in my signature below.

 

Okay

I made an error, G50V series can't support Quad Core like Asus said.

but it's hard to believe
G51Vx can support Q9000 (QuadCore) and a quietly list of C2D --

but Asus would change, lock the chipset PM45 to avoid another Quad Cores like Q9100 or X9100?? Why they choose so difficult way (I guess) to do that?

 

Not sure, but I think there were certain models that were stripped down to be sold in stores, and other models that were sold only through online resellers. The ones sold in stores (G51vx-RBBX05) have the hardware lock from Asus. Could be to retain a better value on their higher-end laptops, or perhaps the licensing is cheaper or something. I don't know.

But if you're having trouble with putting a Q9000 in, it could be from a similar issue.

 

It's probable!
another thing I think about is power supply
when I search Asus laptop which supports C2D & QC, I found N71vn (see here: http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=hP3MX57qQromegNj), if
I remember well.
I note on Asus webpage for this model, it needs an AC Adapter
of 120 W for QC & 90 W only for C2D.

Here it is:

And, after I read the thread you quote above, I'm almost sure,
it can affect the well boot of any OS if QC is settled in
the laptop (no boot /w QC on battery or mis-reco of QC
in BIOS, good reco of QC but no OS boot, plus crcdisk.sys
error with Windows => perhaps CPU takes all power that
PSU can provide, so there isn't enough to supply HDD?
Maybe, what I'm saying is totally foolish?)

 

Hi, everybody

I'm getting the Q9100, but, but, I'm very disappointed.

First it's not a SLB5G (OEM) but a a QAVK (ES = Engineering sample), I think it's not a stable CPU


Secondly, I can't test it because I can't dissassemble the CPU himself on my laptop, cause the heatsink seems to be soldered (is it the term?) to the chipset.
Anyway, I can't remove the heatsink (after removing the screws, I can't move it, even a little) and I don't wanna force the removing, which can cause break my laptop.

But, if anybody can tell me how I can do it without damage, perhaps?

 

Hey dude, could you tell me how you extracted the BIOs to check the Micro codes support. I'm currently trying to upgrade a P7350 to a quad on HP DV5. I know its a long shot, i just want to try.

 

Okay

I have tested the Q9100 today: it doesn't work with the M70Vn
Vista isn't loaded with it, and any OS (Seven, Linux (= Live CD)) too.
No error or BSOD nor kernel panic, but no loading at all: the OSes are hanging .... with black screen

If I replugged the original CPU (P8600), everything is well!!

Additional infos:
- Due to these two dies on its back, the Q9100 isn't fitting correctly with the heatsink: it takes more place when the heatsink is soldered on it (you see like a bump when the heatsink is applied on the CPU)
So, possible overheating may result!

- In BIOS, the CPU is recognised as Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU @ 2,26 GhZ

For everybody who wants to know, it's not a hardware lock in the chipset that blocks the system, but simply the different disposition of the pins on the socket for Q4C (Montevina) in comparison with C2D (Montevina) - so, manufacturers have to build specific platform which supports this new disposition.
See here: http://laptoplogic.com/news/detail.php?id=3149

or here: http://www.behardware.com/news/9069/mobile-quad-core-starting-in-2008.html

Otherwise, no luck!!

 

You're right Joseph
Q9100 doesn't work, but T9900 works perfectly
Here is the results (sorry, in french!!!):
NB: Aida64 reports wrong socket P: it's not a 479 pin socket, but a 478 on my machine!

P8600...


Zeb-Bench:


Aida64:




HWINFO32:



... Vs T9900:


Zeb-Bench:


Aida64:




HWINFO32:


temps stay good:
24-27° C in idle to 51-53° C in load for the T9900,
versus
28-30°c in idle to 50-51° C in load for the P8600

it's great!!!!!!!!

PS: how can I edit the title of my topic???