Core2 Duo SP9400 ES swap for Pentium Dual T2370 - Problems

I have a Compaq Presario A931NR. The Stock CPU is a Pentium Dual T2370 (a dual-core Merom running @ 1.73 GHz but with only 1 MB cache). It does have the GM965 system board, which ostensibly supports Core2 Duo chips (Compaq made A9xx machines with Core2 Duos using the same mobo). It has the latest BIOS installed, and other than a 7200 RPM Scorpio Black, is bone stock.

So, is there any reason I shouldn't be able to swap in an SP9400 ES chip? Generally it's a solder on chip, but there are some (possibly questionable) engineering sample chips available with that chip on Socket P (for example, this one).

Some people have swapped in SP9400s with no problem (like this dude, on these very forums).

I, however, am having no such luck. In fact the SP9400 from the eBay auction linked above is in my machine now, and it won't boot. Switching back to the T2370, everything is fine.

This means either (a) I've gotten a bum/doa CPU from some dude halfway across the world, and am likely out 90 bucks, or (b) I'm an idiot, and there's some obvious reason why the SP9400 would never work in an A900. So, I thought I'd ask before starting an international incident. Any thoughts? I'd appreciate it.

 

The GM965 wont support that cpu. You'll need a 45 series chipset to use any of the newer cpu's with 1066Mhz bus.
Here's the list of supported cpu's for the GM965...
http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=28117

 

Thanks for the fast reply. I was kind of thinking the answer was "you're an idiot," but wanted to be sure. Looks like the SP9400 is going back on the auction block.