CPU upgrade possible

Hello All,

My Laptop details
Dell Vostro 1015 Core 2 Duo, Chipset GM45, T6670, 2.2GHz,
4GB RAM DDR3 (2 GB Upgraded)
Penryn, Socket P, FSB 800 MHz,
BIOS version A06

Want to increase speed and performance.
Is it possible to upgrade to higher level CPU. Like T9300 or any other Core 2 Quad CPU?
Any suggestion to upgrade.

Thank You,
Answers Appreciated

 

@marvic_44 something like T9300 - or better T9900/X9100 - yes. Core 2 Quad - very unlikely, there is only a handful machines accepting it. You can also upgrade to 2x4GB RAM, just use low density modules (8 chips on each side, 16 total) RAM. Good luck!

 

Thank you, Starlight5,
Core 2 Extreme X9100 and Core 2 Duo T9900 FSB is 1066GHz
My Laptop is 800 GHz, will support it with 1066.
Have to change mother board also or Only CPU?
What about silicon or thermal cooling pads with heat sink.

 

@marvic_44 if you have GM45 chipset, it will support these CPUs without any problem. Don't forget to upgrade to latest BIOS version. If for any reason it doesn't work, install back the old CPU, run cmoswpd.exe -k from DOS-bootable flash drive, turn it off right away and install new CPU - it most likely will.

Heat-wise, all T9900 are E0 stepping and run pretty cool. X9100 E0 are extremely rare, almost no chance to get one, and C0 CPUs run hotter - but if your cooling is good, they are easy to overclock.

T9800, T9600, P9700, P9600 are all viable choices, too. If your machine is always plugged in, cheaper E8435 or E8335 will do as well (they lack some power-saving technology or two, good otherwise).

 

For the price of these chips (~$45 or so) and the fact that (if compatible) you will get around a 'raw' 40% performance increase (PassMark), the answer is, yeah, it is possible to increase performance on this 6 or 7 year old platform.

The right question is to ask 'why'? So, why do you want more performance? Even the highest performing and compatible chip suggested so far is still firmly in 'entry level, 2016' territory. An Atom powered system (eMMC/SSD based, of course), will almost run circles around this old platform (and at 11 times less TDP too...) for the same 'entry level' computing that is done today.

I would suggest to sell the (working) system as is and save for/buy a newer platform instead. Where you'll get 2x to 3x (200% to 300%, or more...) the performance of your current system (vs. ~40% 'raw' increase).

Good luck.

 

@tilleroftheearth this system will be closer to core M/i3 in terms of CPU performance, and will run circles around atoms and pentiums, which are usually limited by low amount of ram and slow emmc. Even at SATA2 speeds, real SSD will be much more responsive than this, and CPU+SSD upgrade won't cost more than $100, one may even get both for $50 or less (e.g. T9600 + 128GB SSD). While I agree that getting a new(er) machine instead of investing into this one is a great idea, in this topic @marvic_44 asks for upgrade possibilities, not our recommendations.

 

Agree with all you state below. A new platform is an upgrade too though.

(The Atom reference was more of just how far we've come (TDP) in a very short time...).

 

Thank you @Starlight5,, @tilleroftheearth, You gave me good information.

Regarding SSD, my laptop will support SSD?, is it must for this upgrade?

I think, getting these things done by repair shop should be fine.

But, you recommend to go for new one?

 

@marvic_44 SSD will greatly increase system responsiveness. I recommend against repair shop - laptops are not rocket science, most of them are quite easy to handle while repair shops charge crazy sums of money even for simple operations, and often try to rip people off.

Your current laptop has inferior display, very outdated weak GPU and poor battery life - and these are problems you won't be able to resolve, no matter how much money you throw at it. I suggest you create a thread in What notebook should I buy subforum and see what community has to recommend, then decide whether it would be better to upgrade the existing machine, or replace it with a new(er) one.

 

Well, this (new info) certainly changes things.

1)
If you'll get a shop to upgrade the CPU and put in an SSD; don't. Yeah, the final product (if Windows 10 was 'clean installed'...) will be somewhat worth it, but probably not for the price they'll charge you.

2)
Almost any older system will 'support' an SSD (2.5" 7mm or 9mm z height) with the right O/S installed (Win10x64 Pro highly recommended w/8GB RAM or more). A clean install of the O/S is a must if you want a stable, fast and reliable platform though...

3)
Still think that a new or at least a newer platform is the much better way to go.

See:
https://www.amazon.com/Transformer-T102HA-D4-GR-Touchscreen-Quad-Core-keyboard/dp/B01K1JW7RS


The above 'system' is the minimum I would be looking at in a Win based computer right now for general purpose computing. Don't be fooled; your current notebook may be more useable, overall, but it isn't this exact system I'm recommending you buy (but still consider it for your needs...), but it's the combination of features that make it so much better than the one you're using now.

What this hints at is the future of computing:
Win10x64
Cortana
Windows Hello (via the fingerprint reader).
Pen input.
Touch screen.
2 in 1 device (tablet/notebook configurations).
Long (enough) battery life.
Fanless (i.e. almost 100% solid state... no moving parts...).

Compared to your current notebook and depending on how heavily your workloads task your systems, even this example could be a considerable upgrade to your overall computing experience.


Do you have a budget (i.e. $$$ to be spent) towards a new system? Do you need to save up first? Do you have a buyer for your old system? Or, consider donating your current setup to someone less fortunate too...

With a workflow/workload in mind and a realistic budget, a better recommendation may be possible.

 

I think tiller makes some valid points. If you are going to pay a shop to install the components for you, it isn't that much more to just buy a new laptop. But I think we need more information here. You want to upgrade. What problem do you expect the upgrade to solve? You don't want to go through the trouble of upgrading only to find out that it doesn't solve your problem.

 

FYI, with the Atom 32 bit CPU's forget Linux for now. Forget other Win OS versions as well.

 

Just wanted to mention the following product too for less $$$...

See:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/stor...nature-Edition-2-in-1-PC/productID.3389258900


$279 and a possible further reduction (if student/educator) makes this one very hard to look over.

With 128GB eMMC storage, 4GB RAM, Win10x64 and a 1920x1200 screen, this is priced not only much better, but as a MS Signature Edition PC, it comes with a clean O/S install (no bloatware...).

I'm not sure if the latest Surface Pen will work with it (it should, afaik right now...), but it would be worth buying (well, worth it for me...) as testing the model (in the quote below) with the Surface Pen resulted in a much improved writing experience in a quick test for me.

See:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Pen/productID.325724000

The newest Surface Pen comes with 4 additional tips and a better design (eraser on top, easier to hold, etc.).

For less than $340, 'full price' or just over $300 with student discount, this is a very good buy matched to the right workflow/workloads.

 

I'll add Thinkpad X220 tablet to the mix, then - since it's my usual recommendation among cheap ($300 and below) machines. Also convertible tablet with IPS display, both touch and pen input, it is a durable business-class machine yet very cheap - sometimes they go as low as $150 - and runs latest Windows 10 well. It's major plus is easy upgradeability - one can increase RAM to 16GB, put one (or two) SSDs, replace wireless card with 802.11ac, add mobile broadband, couple usb 3.0 ports or external GPU; there's also a docking station with more ports and a bay for additional ssd/hdd/optical drive. Battery life is on par with recent convertibles once you replace battery with 9-cell aftermaket for $32. Upgrades and parts are extremely cheap, yet the fact that one can build it to full glory over time, without the need to shelve out full price right away like when buying a new machine, may be extremely appealing for those low on budget. There are a few cons, though - low 1366x768 display resolution, and without eGPU it's absolutely not suitable for gaming.