Gateway MX6215b CPU Upgrade

I couldn't find any details on upgrading the cpu on this model but this is what I've discovered that works.

I upgraded the BIOS to the latest version available from Gateway website at:
Gateway Support - Downloads & Support Documents - Notebook / MX Series / MX6210

The CPU shipped in this model is a Intel Celeron M410:
List of Intel Celeron microprocessors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1.47ghz, 1mb cache, 533 FSB, 11x multiplier, 27w TDP, Socket M CPU

I tried a Intel T2050 SL9BN Core Duo CPU but the PC wouldn't boot. After reading mainly this forum this issue is the chip set (not bios) doesn't support this CPU. This is confirmed at Intel webpage:
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&so...oOqhhftVQ&sig2=4R0JIyK50i50lOqL3ZIRGA&cad=rja

While the Intel page doesn't list supporting the Intel Core Solo T1350 other similar spec machines upgrades from a M series celeron had worked. I bought a T1350 from ebay after reading the specs here :
List of Intel Core microprocessors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The PC bios and chipset both recognise this CPU with the correct settings and voltages. I've run a burn in test and it only got to about 5c hotter than the original CPU. 74c max after running Pi generator to max out the CPU for a long period. The heatsink system was warm to too at best, never hot and ran for hours without any problems. I've since updated to Windows 7, again without any problems.

The new CPU is much faster in standard desktop operation, everything just responds instantly. According to cpubenchmark.net Passmark the M 410 scored 363 and the T1350 scored 460. The new CPU cost about £10 on ebay and seems to be a really good value for money upgrade from a Celeron M 410.

The swap out is very easy, remove the laptops large bottom plate for memory upgrades. The heatsink is held in by 4 small screw, remove those, unclip the fan power connector. Use a small flat head screw driver to unlock the M socket locking mechanism. Remove CPU, put new CPU in, re-lock M socket, put heatsink/fan in place, do up the 4 screws, replace bottom plate and boot laptop

 

the celeron m 450 is a better choice as it has a score of 493

 

I tried the T1350, 7 quid ebay...I already have windows 7....it booted, notified it had been installed and had to restart..

 

Here's another question when you took apart your laptop to change CPU did you make note of what socket CPU type it was that would help others to see what might work or a higher CPU that will work because that sometimes does help alot to know what the Socket set type is and you can do a Wikipedia and that also provides you a wealth of info as to what CPU will work in that socket set. That is how I upgrade a very old laptop a Toshiba A205 to a T7200 to run Windows 7x64. Also use this as a guide by locating your CPU and seeing what others fits that family line it's not the complete but a user created thread of what they found that works and I used that as well.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...tel-mobile-processor-compatibility-guide.html

Looks like your processor from the Gateway Specs is a Socket M. I myself if price isn't too much would choose this family line. Core 2 Duo would do more to help with that older system but that choice will be up to you to make depending on your financial want and if you think that will work.

 

I'm a little late to the reply party, but I'll jump on this bandwagon regardless.

the socket is M, so the possibilities are indeed limited to a select few good upgrades. I'd be more concerned if the laptop had the microcode to support anything past a Core Duo, though-- some OEMs remove code to implement a corporate planned obsolesence upgrade strategy.
looking at the specs from the google cached Gateway Support site (since any and all links now point to acer-group.com as of the beginning of this month... woohoo.) the chipset is a GMA950, so there's no doubt it'll support a Core 2 Duo in hardware, the question is still more if it'll support it at the microcode level, and if the BIOS will properly support Speedstep and C1E and all of the enhanced C-States, as well as the virtualization instruction set toggling that most other BIOSes of that era would. i'm having my own problem right now with an ML3706 that should never have had a T7200 installed in it that works, but speedstep and anything power-saving is stuck at full blast, making it so I have to use a third-party utility to access and enable these functions so to lower the temperature and battery drain.

T7200 is definitely the best bet for that notebook, if it's supported. I'll go ahead and give my normal recommendation to get some 600+ grit sandpaper and sand the contact area to expose virgin copper, since oxidized copper doesn't transfer heat as good as that of fresh virgin copper paired with your favorite thermal compound. you don't have to go all-out and make it a mirror finish, just expose the fresh copper underneath and make sure it's smooth enough to go back on-- it's not worth doing it any more than that unless this laptop is doing something absolutely critical or you just want to. it shaved a good 10C off the idle temperatures of the T7200 in my ML3706. if you can, you could also consider upgrading what I'd believe to be a thermal pad that's transferring heat away from the GMA950 and replacing it with a copper shim of the same thickness (with non-electrically-conductive thermal compound, i.e. Ceramique 2, on both sides, of course!), which will definitely help keep it cool as well-- you WILL see a temperature increase when you install the T7200, there is no argument. but given that the CPU is better on power savings despite the higher TDP, you'll reap the benefits while sitting idle and also while on battery.

so in conclusion, T7200 is the best bet if the BIOS supports it, upgrade your BIOS to be sure, MAKE A BACKUP OF THE OLD ONE, do the heatsink modifications as noted above (after cleaning it out of dust!), and pat that laptop on the lid-- you just prolonged its life!