HP Elitebook 8760w CPU and GPU upgrade

Hi guys,

I own a HP Elitebook 8760w since 2014 and love this machine. Now as the title of this post suggest I want to upgrade the CPU and GPU. Reading and searching a lot about others upgrading their 8760w/8770w laptops i came to the conclusion to upgrade the CPU from a i7-2760QM to a i7-2860QM and the GPU from a NVIDIA Quadro 5010M to a GTX 980M.
Preparing my self for this upgrade is always a good thing. So any help or advice I can get will be great.

My laptop will be used mostly for designing in Photshop/Illustrator and playing games from a couple of years ago or even older ones.

My current laptop specs now before the upgrade:

HP Elitebook 8760w
Product number: LY530ET#ABZ
Bios: 68SAD Ver. f.50
Bios date: 18/05/2014
Operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit
CPU: i7-2760QM
RAM: 32 GB DDR3
GPU: NVIDIA Quadro 5010M
Storage: 2x 250GB SSD and 1x 300GB HD
I have a 200w power brick

After installing the new GPU I will be formatting my system with a fresh new Windows 10 PRO 64-bit.

The CPU and the GPU I bought comes from china but it's legit what i can think of. The seller says the GPU should work with my 8760w laptop.

CPU
€71,15 | Intel Core I7-2860QM SR02X Processor i7 2860QM notebook Laptop CPU Socket G2 rPGA988B Suitable for HM65 75 76 77 chipset laptop
https://a.aliexpress.com/_B1iF2h

GPU
€199,90 | New Original GTX 980M Graphics Card GTX980M with X-Bracket N16E-GX-A1 8GB GDDR5 MXM For Dell Alienware MSI HP via free DHL/EMS
https://a.aliexpress.com/_BOLvAZ

So the questions I have in a nutshell.

- Are the above specs compatible with my new CPU and GPU

- I do know some have problems installing the GTX 980M in a 8760w with Dreamcolor display is this still a problem because I do think I have a Dreamcolor display but cant figure it out if I have one actually. Installing the Dreamcolor software on my laptop works but I can't calibrate the Dreamcolor display because I don't have the colorimeter device.

- Will the CPU i7-2860QM work out of the box plug and play to say so.

- Will the GTX 980M work if i have a Dreamcolor display. It's not a must to have the Dreamcolor ability to work as long as the GPU works.

- Do I have to install custom drivers if so how to customize the drivers for this particular model laptop and GPU.

- Do i get problems or issues with the new Windows 10 64-bit OS and the GTX 980M

- Will my current heatsink work with the CPU and GPU upgrade.

- Whats the best cooling paste to use I prefer not to use any LM cooling.

- Can I use any aftermarket cooling pads for the GPU chips or should I go with the more expensive ones?

- Should I update the bios or is this not necessary if so what are the benefits of the new updated bios version and is it compatible with the new GPU GTX 980M.

- Is my power supply which is 200w sufficient to work with the upgrade.

- Any other advice or info I can get to get this upgrade going smoothly will be appreciated.

If this upgrades just keeps me going for 3 or 4 years I'm happy.

If you guys need any more info about my laptop please ask I will provide as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi,

1. yes, you do have a DreamColor display once you can successfully run DC software.
2. yes, the heatsinks you currently have will work with your desired choice of CPU and GPU.
3. 2860QM will work out of the box - PnP
4. GTX 980m on DreamColor is only possible on Windows 10 UEFI (GPT partition) mode and disabled FastBoot in Windows and bios.
5. You must modify the drivers (I will help you with this)
6. You can reuse your current cooling pads, but I do suggest Arctic/Gelid
7. The best cooling compound it your case would be Phobya Nanogrease extreme or Gelid GC Extreme
8. bios update is not required
9. 230W is your safest option, but 200W would work too

(btw, I don't suggest you to use RAID on 8760W as the QM67 chipset doesn't support TRIM when using RAID...)

Hope this helps...
Greetings

 

Thanks for the fast reply mirage_bg really appreciate it. And thanks for answering all the questions.

If i can get some help with the custon driver installs would be great. When i have installed the cpu and gpu i will let know so we can hopefully install the custom drivers.

Do you think this upgrade is worth the money and time. Or should i have upgraded to a different cpu or gpu. Whats your best advice specially for the gpu. I still can cancel my order if you think a different gpu is better.

 

I would say it is worthy, you have made the best choice for this platform.
I would only say that if you are not going to play a lot on it, may be quadro M5000M/Tesla would be better option if you need primarily quadro’s driver support for your work.

Now Tesla’s are really cheap (they are basically M5000M), but I am not sure if it will work straight from the box on 8760W without experimenting with the vBioses...:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/283943156201

 

Playing games wil be a part for this laptop so i think the 980m wil be a better choise just like you said. Beside that i dont have the proper programmer to flash vbioses.

For the cooling paste can i also use the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut . En also the cooling pads from the same manufactur. Or are the Phobya Nanogrease extreme or Gelid GC Extremea a better option. I have used gc extreme some time ago for this laptop its good bu you need to change it every year or so otherwise heat problems will show up. Thats my experience. I dont want to save money on cooling paste beacuse i know they are a imporant element for the cooling of the cpu and gpu. But i will get the one which you think is the best beacuse the experience you have with this custom build.
Also is this the correct thickness for the cooling pads which goes on top of the videp chips. This image comes from some sellers on aliexpress who are selling the gtx 980m


One last question are there any big issues with compatibilty on windows 10 which i should look out for.

When the cpu and gpu arrive and are installed i will let you know asap so you can help me out with custom drivers and maybe hopefully not other issues i ran in to.

Thanks again for your time and help i really appreciated.

 

Hi,

Here you are the right thickness of the thermal pads for 980m and 8760/8770W
I have tried it myself and can confirm it as working fine:




I don’t suggest you Kryonaut because its viscosity is not really high and pump out will happen in a matter of few months. It will become liquider with time of usage, especially if your temps are above 85C.
I think Phobya and Gelid are better on this regard (harder to apply, but will last longer)
In any way - the best solution is Conductonaut, but you need foam dam barriers to be on the safe side...

Win 10 has problems only with the fingerprint sensor driver (few attempts will be successful), everything else works fine.

 

Thanks a lot for the image it seems there is a diffirence between the your image and the sellers image. Should the small chips also be coverd with cooling pads or is that not that important.
I will be buying this one if you think this is oke
https://www.hardwarewebwinkel.nl/co...gelid-solutions-extreme-thermal-pad-1-mm.html

I wil be using the phobya cooling paste this time and see what happens also can i use this cooling paste for the cpu or should i use a diffirent one for the cpu. I heard when using LM cooling u have to replace the Lm every year or so is that true. Maybe in the future i will give that a try.

 

The small chips between the inductors don’t heat up, so you don’t need to cover them with thermal pads, but if you decide to do it, you need again 1.5mm thickness.
Gelid pads are great, I am using them on my 1070 and they do a perfect job. You will need both 1.5mm and 1.0mm thickness.
You don’t need to replace the LM every year, this was valid for Coolaboratory Liquid Pro/Ultra, but Conductonaut work really well and will last much longer.

 

I have orderd your recommended cooling pads en the cooling paste. I had to order the phobya cooling paste from germany very strange we didnt had this in the netherlands we did had the gelid and others but not this one.

I will let you know when the gpu and cpu arrive.

Thanks again for alle the knowledge you are sharing it seems you know your stuff when it comes to these elitebooks.

 

Thank you! It is my pleasure.

 

Ok got the cpu and gpu yesterday. Got the gpu earlier then the cpu but they both arrived in good condition. Will install them tommorow do you u have any more tips before i start tearing down my laptop.
After installing the cpu and gpu can i just go an install a new fresh windows 10 and then install the custom driver.

If i can get any instructions how to install the custom drivers that would be great. I will install the custom driver as soon as windows has been installed. Or should i install and try to the official drivers from nvidia and see what happens.

 

You don’t need to reinstall the Windows if you have already installed it under UEFI
You can give me your TeamViewer details and I can help you with installing the drivers

 

I will be installing windows 10. I now have windows 7 since 2013 which i still was planning to formst my laptop because it beginning to be slow. Windows 7 isnt installed under uefi mode so i still habe to format and install windows 10. is there an instruction i can follow how i can install the custom drivers for the 8760w and the gtx 980m on windows 10 my self. With teamviewer its a bit difficult to know when im on my laptop and when you have the time.

 

Should i also update my bios when im at it or isnt that needed. I will keep you updates with my progress first i need to transfer all my data to a new hdd i can only work for like 15 to 25 minutes on my laptop because i have a heat issue. My colling paste is old and need to repaste and laptop needs also a good cleaning inside.

 

This would be the safest way of installing the drivers, this guy has made a tutorial:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...drivers-for-gtx-980m-latest-9-30-2020.834247/

 

Sorry for my late reply i was really busy these 2 days. I think i have litlle as no time during this weekend to disassamble, wil do the the disassanbly saturday or sunday hopefully.
To just let you know the reason if my replies are late

Anyway thanks for the link that is very handy i will be following that when everything is ready.

Some question i had

-Is that custom driver from that link the newest GTX 980m driver availble at this momment. What if a new driver version comes out how do i install that one same method and what or how should i customize the new driver version for my gpu?. Or wil this gpu only work with some driver versions.

-And after installing the cpu and gpu and its assambled can i just go an install a new fresh windows 10 and then install the custom driver. In that order or is there a step i should be takong between windows 10 install and custom gpu driver install.

-What will happen if i try the official nvidia drivers for my gpu can i atleast try it out and check if it works without the custom driver. You probably have tried and checked this and what was the outcome. If it doesnt work then there is no reason i should do this i think.

-Last question
Should i also update my bios any advantages i can get over my old bios or should i just leave it.


Thanks in advance.

 

You need to mod the driver, or it wont install, because your laptop model doesn't exist in the Nvidia database has having that GPU, so it doesn't allow the driver to be installed, you will always need to use modded drivers, but you dont need to install each and every driver released, I was running the same GPU driver on my 2070 since April, only updated because Horizon Zero Dawn complained..
Just upgrade everything, check that all work, them do a clean OS install, after you install the rest of the drivers you can install the modded Nvidia driver.

 

Ok installed new gpu and cpu but its not working even puttibg my old cpu and gpu back i get a black screen. Im fair8ng for the worst whoch is mb gpu or cpu is fried.
When installong the new gtx gpu al i get is fan spinning full and then shutdown.

Whej i pit my old gpu back it worked for a couple of times but after that laptop starts but with black screeb leds are all on obly black screen.

Hope there is still a solution for this i thibk im regretting this upgrade by bow losing a lot of money and time.

If there is anything i can do. Please tell me every help will be greest this time i cant afford a new laptop for now.

I think the new gpy was a faulty one and it ruined the whole system.

 

Again installing old gpy and cpu still black screen no caps lock blinking codes just black screen fan is running.

 

Is my motherboard fried or just only the old gpu and the new gtx gpu. Hope someone put me in the right direction.

 

Do i need to put the cooling pads on the gpu chips after every test or isnt that needed when testing for some minutes.

 

Will try to hook up a monitor tommorow and see what happens. By the way im not getting any hp logo just black screen and fans are spinning normal wit leds on also normal with my old gpu which is the 5010m. With the new gtx 980m im getting fans spinning at full and shutting down and again repeating this.

Also no beeping sounds when starting.
I dont have any other laptop to tedt the gpu cards to narrow down the problem.

 

Tried with a external monitor still noting. Everything seems to be working normal fan spinning nornal with leds nornal but black screen. This is with my old gpu.

Installing new gpu gtx 980m is also black screen but fans spinnibg at full and then shutting down. Leds on the right front of the laptop will be at first start
Wifi orange. Power white. Power bolt no led i dont have the battrry in. Hdd orange.

Before its shutdown led will only show up on will power white and then to power bolt icon and then shutdown.

 

Did you try just using one RAM stick, try all the slots.
Did you already do a clear CMOS?

 

If your cpu fan is spinning like crazy, you‘ve forgotten to secure the cpu lock on the slot.
Check this, pls.
And doing CMOS reset is pretty good advice, too!

 

I had to reset CMOS when I installed a new processor (also black screen), I used this procedure: remove main battery and AC adapter, remove hard drives and RAM (not necessary but just in case), remove the CMOS battery and hold the power button for ~30 seconds then leave the battery unplugged for 5 minutes.

Plug everything back in and try powering it up, could take 2-3 attempts. Everything worked fine afterwards.

 

Thanks for the replies guys

Cpu lock is good i checked that.

Trying to do the hard reset merhod.
I tried it before but without putting out everything and waiting for 5 minutes or so.

Will report back when im done .
Fan is only spinning at fullest when the new gtx card is installed. When mine old gpu card is in there i dont get any crazy fan spinnning or so only black screen leds are also oke no flashing or bleeping.

 

Mirage_bg when installing the new gpu which is the gtx do i have to put chsnge the bios setting startuo to eufi. Cause i thibk forgot that part. And now trying to install my old gpu so i can change that but al i get is that black screen.

Could this be the problem with the new gtx

Or you think something else fried in one of the thibgd i did. I am mostly very carefull with handeling laptop its strange i cant get my old gpu back to work. I also had to change the x bracked on the new gtx and putting my old x bracked whichnis on the quadro on the new gpu.

 

Tried the cmos reset still no luck.

What would be the next step i can take. Should i just buy a gpu like the 3000m and see what happens so we can narrow the problem down. Im trying to figure out if this a gpu or motherboard problem. What else could this be? Very strange that it stopped working suddenly

What are the symptoms if install the new gtx card without changing the startup to uefi. Are thos symptoms the same like me. Fans spinning at fulles and then shuttin down it self.

 

You don‘t need to enable UEFI, but definitely need to disable „Secure Boot“ prior installing the new GPU.

 

What if i dont have done that disabling secure boot and still booting up with the new gtx card. Are those the same symptoms what im getting fans spinning fullest and then shytting down after a couple of seconds.

Problem right bow i have is i cant get in to bios because of this black screen problem with my old gpu. And also with the new gpu the symptoms im getting like i said above.

Any other things i could try before buying parts

 

I don‘t want to be the bad messenger, but the new GPU looks like making short circuit somewhere...
Did you remove the X-Bracket of the old one and transfer it to the new GTX?

 

No problem at all better getting the true.


Installing the new gpu without changing to uefi and disabling the secure boot what are the symptoms ? Have you ever tried that yet. So i can compare this with my symptoms.
Do you still get the hp logo at the start and is it possible to get in to bios.

Yes i did replace the x bracket with my old one. Even if that new gpu is a bad one why is my old gpu not working anymore is getting me more confused.

You think the new gpu is a bad one.

I think i will be buying a new gpu card .
Before i buy do you think this is only a gpu problem and not the motherboard.

Which card should i get this time which is my safest bet without any problems which is still a upgrade.
Or should i just get the same old card which is the quadro 5010m. I really hoped this could work with this gtx card. Seller also doesnt reply to my messages which is think i can forget to get a refund because its over 2 weeks i have received the gpu my fault i didnt installed asap when i got it. Aliexpress gives you 15 days after receving item to open dispute. It says on hes item.page that i have 6 months warranty but if hes not replying to me i dont think i can get any further.

 

If i only could know what hapoens if
Installing the new gpu without changing to uefi and and without disabling the secure boot what are the symptoms ?so not chaning those 2 settings .Have you ever tried that yet. So i can compare this with my symptoms.
Do you still get the hp logo at the start and is it possible to get in to bios.

Or is it the same like me fans spinning at fullest and restarting

 

When secure boot is enabled, your laptop won‘t post any screen, but it should be resolved by resetting the CMOS... which is not like this in your case...
I hope only your motherboard is alive, which is not sure for now, nor your CPU...
You‘ve made some unintentional mistake somewhere along the road of replacing the GPU.
Now you have to start from scratch to discover where the problem is and I won‘t suggest to invest in new expensive GPU for now, before you find which part in your notebook is gone...

 

Ok i understand but there is a possibilty that old gpu also has died right? I am having that feeling that my old also died maybe when getting of the x bracked i made have used some force to do it but again having no spare parts makes this more harder.


I will try to order my old gpu again the 5010m whoch cost about 80 euros on aliexpress this time lesson learned i will fit it in asap so there is time to open a dispute with seller.

But again when secure boot is enabled and uefi startup mode is off what will happen if install the gtx 980m card. Wil it still post and do i see the hp logo or havent you yried this yet. Im curios because maybe there is a chance the gtx is still fine but its giving this fan spinning full and black and restarting because of those settings not correctly set

 

No, you won‘t see any HP logo when secure boot is enabled, but you will see the logo no matter if UEFI is enabled or disabled.
As long as your two GPUs are in non-working condition, either you have broke them equally, using too much force to remove the X-bracked (you need hairdryer for that, you know..) or your MoBo is dead. Have you ever done all this procedure before or it was now your first try?

 

Ok thanks for clearing that up.

Yes i have opend my elitebook many times for upgrades or just for cleaning and repasting cpu and gpu. But removing the x braxk is my first time to be honest. Mobo seems to work good i dont see any issues when starting up with my old gpu fans spinnijg normal wich are all normal leds on. only black screen which i think i have broken my old gpu when removing the x bracket like i said before i did used some force anyway damage has already been done cant undo this. Maybe i also have screwd the heatsink back to tight which can cause for a shortage with the xbracket. I always have this problem where i seems to screw back the screws to much.

Anyway thanks for clearing that up. Just bought my old gpu. And maybe for future i will try this upgrade again. Will update this post when i got the new gpu hopefully its only the gpu which needs to be replaced.

 

Ok it seems seller is responsing and said i can send it back. Shipping vost on my side but thats no problem.

If i get a new hopefully working gtx 980m card.
Can i iust pop this in and start the laptop or secureboot must be disabled.
Because i think i have not disabled secureboot. Problem is i dont have any spare card to go in to bios and disable secure boot.

If i still need a spare card which is the cheapest i can buy so i can just use that for going in to bios
Any solutions for this.

 

If there's a short circuit, the laptop won't power on at all. I literally had this problem with a Quadro 4000m, it would power on without the GPU, but would not power on and would even trip the power supply with the card inserted. Turned out to be a failed capacitor. That card worked well for about a year after I replaced the cap myself lol, but then started freezing and shutting down. A new GPU solved that.

 

Hi all,

I have a quick question if anyone will like to help me out.
I have HP elitebook 8760w workstation with these specs:
i5 2540M 2.60ghz
16gb ram dual channel
ati amd radeon HD 6700M graphic card


I will like to know if I will have a chance to make upgrade like "terabyte first post at the top"
and if it worth the hassle ?

Im not sure if He succeeded with the upgrade.....