Dell Inspiron 1720 CPU Manual Upgrade?

Hi,
I have had my Inspiron 1720 for 4 days now and I love it. However, due to financial constraints I had to go for the lesser processor option and picked the 1.66 Duo Core.

The best processor that the Inspiron 1720 can handle is a T7700 (I have a T5450 I think it is) - I know the T7700 works in the 1720 because it is an option that you can get when customizing with Dell; also it is the same socket and w/e.

Anyway - I have found on the internet a link or two for the T7700 which I could purchase; If I was to wait a while for prices to go down etc; what do people think to ME manually upgrading the CPU?

Is it hard to do? What is there that needs to be done? I have heard something that you need to replace glue or w/e which I am unsure of???

What can I do because I would really prefer a better processor

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

Simon

EDIT:

Also - I want to be able to play Crysis/Bioshock type of games 'well'; how could I do this without overclocking - and would getting more RAM help?

Thanks again!

EDIT 2:

I just found a 'service' manual which includes how to remove pieces and put them back etc.

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1720/en/SM/index.htm

What do you guys think to this as being help?
Thanks?
I would also like to note I have dealt with screwing and unscrewing and removal and (whatever the opposite of removal is) of parts - but mainly in Desktops - so I am not such a novice in the whole 'constructioning'

 

It is not hard to do, all you need to do, is be willing to take your entire machine apart. New dell's are not upgrade friendly, because Quanta decide to make the chassis open from the inside of the laptop rather than the underside. In order to get the system apart, you need to remove the screen, and all of the screws on the base. This will let you get the top bezel off, and then you can remove the keyboard, and gain access to the processor underneath.

I wouldnt upgrade for a while, as the new penryn chips will help cut the prices on the older processors.

K-TRON

 

Thanks for that bit of info
Where could I go or/and who could I ask to possibly make a YouTube video of me seeing the CPU lol!

 

Here is a pic of the inside of my dell e1505

Here is a pic of the inside of my Lenovo T61




Intel T7300:




I hope this helps

K-TRON

 

woah!!!!!! It sure does!!!! I think it makes it look harder than it is though cause it is all broken up!
I don't suppose you did these pictures just now for me lol!

It must be like listening to a hard piece of music but it is actually easier to play than it sounds; but perhaps scalic passages and arpeggios can deter one from its true difficulty which might be easier...(Yes I play piano)

lol....
With that instruction booklet it is literally a step by step guide - I would just need to be careful in doing it I guess hmm.....

(You are getting a Rep point

 

you really have to do all that for the 1720? On my Inspiron 1420 all I have to do is turn the computer open, remove 3 screws to remove the cover and then 4 more screws to remove the heatsink. On my new Dell it could possibly be done in less than 15 minutes, including applying thermal paste.

You could also return it while within your 30 day satisfaction period and order a new one with the better processor and save yourself the fact that upgrading the processor voids your warranty.

 

but then again;

I dont have to apply any thermal paste (no sources have indicated that anyway so far!)

Plus as the other person said in this thread with the new Penryn processors that are becoming available; perhaps in a years time when my warranty will have ended I will be able to buy the processor I want at a much more reduced price as of now.
But thanks.

 

You will have to reapply thermal paste when installing a new processor. You must thoroughly clean the old paste off of the heatsink, and then place a drop of arctic silver on the die of the processor. Then spread paste flat with a credit card or index card, then install the heatsink, and put the system back together.

K-TRON

 

Ahhhhh, I thought you were going to upgrade it soon. I'm in the same boat as I needed to choose a more affordable processor (because when my wife found out I was going to buy a laptop she talked me into buying her one too) I've already done my research and when the warranty is up I'll upgrade. If your 1720 is remotely similar to mine the upgrade of the processor will be relatively simple. You should apply good thermal paste (Actic Silver 5 it's about $6.00 a tube) as it will definitely reduce the heat generated by the cpu. The heatsink will probably have thermal paste from when Dell built your laptop, you should remove that (Isopropyl Alcohol and link free cloth) and install the Arctic Silver before reattatching the heatsink.

 

eep lol

I dont suppose when the time comes that you could possibly make a youtube video of you doing it? Or a set of screenshots? I would be so utterly greatful!!!!!!

Thanks

 

Hi there...
It has been a year, and I believe my warranty will expire in about 5ish days.
I am thinking about upgrading the CPU once again...what do you guys think?
The T9300 looks very interesting.

 

Go for it.

 

Any advice? lol...
I'm contemplating buying the CPU atm, and I have seen what it would look like inside my laptop thanks to the service manual and such, but I have a feeling that I would find some suprise or something unexpected lol

 

It depends on where you buy the CPU from and whether the ebay seller is reputable; and you'll get yourself a good CPU. My advice is to get a non-ES (Engineering Sample) chip so that you'll achieve temperature monitoring. Still, some ES chips do provide good stability overall.

As for upgrading "surprises"? What surprises could there be if you follow the instructions carefully?

Well, the fact that you have seen your 1720 once or a few times to see the insides, and Dell's "idiot-proof" instructions then it shouldn't be a tad difficult to upgrade either. And if you're an always hands on person, then its an added bonus.

After unscrewing the heatsink all you have to do is unscrew and let the CPU slide out to the right, pick it out, and place the T9300 pins onto the socket and screw it counterclockwise and it should slide back to where it was. And since it's fully opened and exposed, I would also advice you to clean your heatsink and fan cleaned from dust with a blower/compressed air unit. You can also get Arctic Silver 5 or MX cooling paste and apply it to the core of the T9300 for maximum cooling effect and even better - Undervolt it. With these acts performed on the T9300, watch its temps slide down to 25*C lowest and ~50*C on full load especially for the 1720 machines.

Upgraded to an X9000 and never looked back. (see sig) I know there's no OCing option but the couple of the extra 300Mhz does the job for my intensive needs and I'm possibly upgrading an M1730 later; Hence the X9000 and the OCing comes in handy.

 

Woah, you upgraded your own Inspiron 1720 too right.
To be perfectly honest it took me a while before I found out that the T9300 is compatible, and I know there is a guide to see which ones are compatible with which laptops...but anyway,
the X9000, is that 2.8 DUAL/DUO core? Or is that a single 2.8 core? lol...
And how have you got 6gb RAM in it :S

Thank you for the information btw
Oh, and what about having to put arctic silver and stuff on the CPU? Thanks.

Ah nvm I see you edited your post!

 

Ok now I see, Jesus 2.8 Dual Core for a Laptop - and my inspiron 1720?! That would be brrrilliant!

 

The X9000 is a Core 2 Duo Extreme processor, hence it's "X" designation in front the number. It's "faster" than the T9300 by 300Mhz.

LOL, well I wouldn't recommend the X9000 if you're just doing the basic stuff like MS Words, Powerpoint, Surfing the net, and etc. And the primary purpose of the X9000 is for OCing (Overclocking) purposes, so if that main feature is not even used, it's actually kinda "pointless". The X9000 features an unlocked multiplier in which you can overclock, (OC) up to 3.4GHz (On Dell XPS M1730) but you can't do that in the Inspiron 1720 as the BIOS is locked.

Why I "upgraded" to an X9000 is for testing its stability and if there's anything wrong with this chip before adding to the M1730. So far, so good. I'll switch back to the T9300 for my 1720 once the X9000 is added onto the M1730.

Overall, the 2.5GHz T9300 will do you well enough. May I know what kind of stuff will you doing on your 1720?

And yep, 6GB RAM does work for the Inspiron 1720.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=305464

Let me know if you need more help and with the coolling paste and etc.

 

Right, so I should probably opt for the T9300, I can tell it'll be cheaper lol