Upgrading my 600M questions

I have a 600M that I want to upgrade (I used the search function, but came up nil). I know it probably is better to buy a new one, but I got it for free because my niece stepped on the screen. Checked with a regular computer monitor and it boots and works fine.

So while I was disassembling the laptop I decided to give it a good cleaning and the keyboard was looking kind of yucky even after hosing it down with contact cleaner. So I'm putting in a new keyboard just on aesthetics and general hygiene.

I had to take off the palm rest because the touch mouse thingy wasn't sitting right. It was missing a screw, but can't find the screw.

Anyway now that I have the heatpipe and heatsink unit out I am considering doing a CPU upgrade and I got a few questions.

It came stock with a Celeron M 1.4 and 512Mb (256 x 2) of 333 Mhz Ram.

What kind of CPU's can I stick in here? Can I stick in this 1.86 Celeron without any big problems?

Will the CPU run at 533 FSB and the memory at 333 Mhz? I'm kind of at a loss here as all my experience is with AMD processors. The last Intel I had was a 386-DX25. :laugh:

Seems odd to me that Dell put in 333 ram and a processor that ran at 400 FSB...

Is it a good idea to replace NiMH battery I found up near the speakers in front of the main battery?

When I pulled off the heat pipe assembly there was what appeared to be some TIM that I removed. After I removed it I realized that it was a thin piece of aluminum AND some TIM. Do I need to get an exact TIM replacement or can I use some Ceramique I got laying around?

Is the piece of aluminum TIM necessary to get the heatpipe at the correct height about the CPU or will the screw pressure resolve this?

If I have to use the aluminum TIM, where can I get one?

 

You can only add 400Mhz CPUs, Celeron or Pentium M up to 2100Mhz!

As for memory the system could (the system manual says it depends on the system) support up 333Mhz memory. The asymmetrical RAM/FSB is totally normal: my old desktop ran at 333/533, my current 1520 has 667/800, although there are systems with symmetric RAM/FSB, like my d610, which has 533/533.

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

Will this CPU be good to go? Also what about the Centrino's, are they okay?

I assume that I can get faster ram modules, but they will still only run at 333, correct?

 

Yes it should work, but you will probably need a BIOS upgrade (do that before swapping the CPUs). Pentium M=Centrino, and yes they were the creme de la creme for mobile before the Core2.

As for the RAM it can be done, no problem, but 333Mhz modules are cheaper.

 

Yeah I just checked the egg and I found some 333 Corsair/Crucial 512K sticks for under $30 each.

Now that I have the heatsink out do you know anything about their Thermal Interface Material (TIM) as in my OP?

 

Bump on my TIM question?