CPU Compatibility checking: how to determine if CPU is compatible with notebook?

Hi everyone.

I'm currently considering upgrading my notebook, putting in a new CPU and/or a GPU.. I have found this info about my notebook, but what I have is the T5800 one.. Does this document mean I could upgrade the CPU to the specified models there? Also, which do you consider the most cost-effective upgrade among the models?

Thanks in advance!

 

You should be able to swap the CPU for any of those listed.

Under chipset is listed 'Intel PM45'.
Google search 'intel ark PM45'.
First item is a list of processors compatible with the chipset (for quad compatibility depends a lot more on the BIOS, also doesn't list OEM cpus): http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=35515

By the way, why do you want to upgrade your CPU? This would determine what CPU you should upgrade to.

Honestly, I think your CPU and GPU are quite well matched.

 

Like the G50Vm, Acer also decided to stick a pos in it lol. You should be able to use any Monetivina DUal core that your bios supports. Its hard to tell if there are any it doesnt, but looking at what your model was configured or could be configured with is always a good way to know for sure what works.

Just about anything in the new range is an upgrade, but you might not notice anything day to day unless you go for a real upgrade in speed or happen to be playing games that are cpu bottlenecked. The increased fsb and cache will show up in benchmarks and if your ram is 800Mhz and is being held back to 667mhz then that will free it up to 800mhz and also perform better in a benchmark.

T9400 should be affordable and actually a noticeable performance increase, isnt listed on that page but your notebook takes equivalent P series and 35 watt cpu's so no reason it shouldnt.

 

Well, actually I'm doing nothing more than thinking for the future. I was thinking that instead of buying a new laptop after a year or two, maybe I could just upgrade this rig to catch up. I know, a year or two and the notebooks that go out might have ten times as much power as what I could upgrade to, but at least I could catch up a bit, right?

Also, I'm considering upgrading my GPU, and TehSuigi opened my eye to the possibility that I could get in an HD 4650 in this rig o'mine. Just hope a 500-dollar upgrade is better than at least a 1,200-dollar new laptop altogether, lol. (saw the prices at eBay, )

I was also looking at the T9400 on Wikipedia, 'coz I thought it was the cheapest but best choice. BTW, how would you know your RAM speed? Can that be changed? Is it just the memory chips or does it depend on the motherboard?

 

The chips will usually but not always say on the sticker. Grab CPU-Z it will tell you what speeds the memory is reporting capable of, note that DDR(ddr2 in this case) is double data rate 667mhz ram will usually say 333mhz and 400 for the 800 rated. So if the speeds look like half dont be suprised.

On the G50Vm-X1 that had the 800Mhz FSB T5750 the 800Mhz ram was reporte being capable of 800Mhz but showed it running as 667Mhz (or 333).

 

The PM45 supports 800MHz DDR2 RAM.

 

I see in CPU-Z that DRAM frequency is at 332.5 MHz..does this mean I have 667MHz memory chips? I went to the SPD tab of CPU-z and the two 2GB chips I have both are PC2-5300 (333MHz)..

 

Yes its 667Mhz ram then not being held back by the cpu as in the situation with the G50Vm. I do not know how the notebook will react to the 1066mhz cpu but good things assumed the fsb:ram ratio will just change. 4GB of Enthusiast DDR2 800Mhz CL5 is only 50 bucks might be a good investment when you do the cpu swap.

 

Intel Compatibility Guide

You match the CPU with the chipset. To find out what chipset you have, use CPU-z.

 

But of course this is not 100% true, He also has the unfortunate option of santa rosa chipset cpu's (which the guide does not deny) but the bios could prevent some cpu's from working as well though im not familiar with microcodes we usually assume quads wont work in yours.