Hardware General Info Sticky Index **Read Before Posting**

This is an index of all major Hardware-related threads; the main ones are listed up top in large font and more minor ones at the bottom.
General Overviews/Knowledge Articles

The Ultimate CPU Guide
Can't make sense of the plethora of CPUs on the market? Look no further than this guide.

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Intel Processor Family Guide
This guide by serg89 gives a general overview of how a processor works and then goes into detail about Intel processors only (for AMD processor information, see the above guide).

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Upgrading Mobile Graphics Cards
Bottom line - you cannot upgrade your graphics card.
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What Hard Drive Should I Buy?
A thread explaining everything you need to know about notebook Hard Drives. Covers IDE/PATA, SATA, SSD, platter density, rotational speeds, etc.

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Measure your Dual/Multi Core Notebook CPU Speed - Bye Bye to SuperPI
A great thread with benchmarks for all types of notebooks with different CPUs. Run the benchmark and post your scores!

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7200RPM vs. 5400RPM hard drives - how much of a difference?
General discussion thread about comparisons between 5400 and 7200RPM hard drives. Definitely worth reading!

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Notebook Battery Guide
A thorough guide by Chrisyano that addresses the most common battery questions.

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Santa Rosa Supports Penryn
It is now a fact that the Santa Rosa platform supports Penryn.

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Please post any links to threads which you think should get a mention in here as a minor thread. Thanks for reading this index.

Minor Threads
Dual-Channel RAM Guide
All you wanted to know about dual-channel RAM.

The undervolting guide
A guide to undervolting using RMClock.

Changing optical drive
This thread includes some photos of the fascia mountings.

How much RAM do you have in your notebook? NEW POLL
So how much do you have? Vote and post here!

An Introduction to the Solid State Drive
Interested in SSDs? Visit this thread!

HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: Battle of The Next Generation Storage Devices
A breakdown of the two competing formats - a must read for those interested in buying one or the other.

Measure your Notebook CPU Speed
This is an older but still fun benchmark for CPU - post how fast your notebook calculates digits of Pi out to 2M places.

The quick guide to cloning a hard disk
Getting a new hard disk but don't want to reinstall everything? Try cloning.

The ThrottleStop Guide
The guide to using the ThrottleStop program to stop your CPU being throttled.

 

What?? Is this going to happen in all the forums, one uber-sticky?

 

I think this is a good idea to help prevent too many stickies in each forum.

Helps to link people easier too.

 

There are several forums in which many threads should be stickied, but we try to keep the sticky number to four or less. So, this is the one way to get both...less than four, but all the threads that need mentioning are linked.

 

I guess, I just think new members are less likely to read the actual threads this way.

 

I don't know what, but something on 5400 v 7200

 

Got it, I forgot about that thread.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=59053

 

yeah honestly this is less than helpful.
For instance. What is the deal with the core duo mobile socket? I am very confused about this whole 478/479 thing. I see both listed as socket m, I even see the same model listed in different places with 478 or 479 pins.
Merom is which?

 

Most of the Pentium M's were released in both 478 and 479, I believe. I think the Core Duo's were Socket 479, and the Core 2 Duo's were Socket M (for Merom).

 

Does anyone know which screws to remove to get to my HDD in my Toshiba Satallite 1100-S100 laptop? I've already bought a 60 Gb Toshiba Hard drive.

Thanks, for your time and knowledge

Candace

 

Are there any adapters to make a firewire peripheral work with the mini firewire port?

 

Here I'm buying a laptop with a T5270 and yet I can't find anyone online who sells any cpu that begins with a T. Is this an M socket? Can I upgrade later with a Merom?

 

I do believe the T5xxx were memron

 

This is not really the correct place to ask your question, however, I believe that the T5270 is a second generation Merom that's compatible with Crestline chipsets with Socket-P (generally known as Santa Rosa laptops). You could later upgrade to a T7300/T7500/T7700, or possibly even a T8xxx/T9xxx penryn.

 

Could we add this thread to the sticky? It shows that you can upgrade a Santa Rosa Laptop to Penryn.

 

I'd vote no, until there are more independantly verified results in, with multiple laptops from major OEMs. (Dell, HP, Toshiba, etc).

 

Good point. That was a HP, by the way.

 

Ok, So now the Penryn Upgrade questions are more plentiful, I ask Again, could we add a thread to the sticky? I even went to the trouble of making one, showing that it's possible.

 

Not a bad idea, my suggestion though. Maybe write a CPU upgrade guide. If I had the knowledge I would include CPU's and what chipsets they will work with so people would know since this is likely not the first time newer CPU's will fit in older platforms. Also while I know what you mean when you say "Santa Rosa" it is infact a misnomer ( yea I know strong opinion but I do feel) you are only really talking about two components of three having anything to do with the upgrade. So Santa Rosa is not what is critical I believe socket "P" 965 chipset 800Mhz FSB which is not necessarily "Santa Rosa". So I like what you say but as a sticky a little broader scope could help. A heads up Intel's web site not a lot of help with what chipset works with what CPU (I looked) incomplete info. If you wrote I am certain it would become a sticky, I can't write because the info is not out there in any structured way.

 

...and add a section to the somewhat confusing upgrade path for a processor in socket M or P, and sometimes both.

 

Done.

Do you have any threads in mind?

 

one thread that i wouldnt mind seeing in here is the one that ranks the mobile GPUs in order of performance (i believe it was by Chaz). I can never seem to find that thread when i need it (and now that the search feature is dead its even harder)

 

It's in the Mega Sticky in the Gaming forum. You've probably been looking in the wrong forum, which is why you couldn't find it.

 

I am new and I am not sure where to post. I have a Compaq EVO N600c. My desktop was sent back for service so I am on my laptop. Is there any way to turn the laptop screen off as I am using an external monitor?

 

Please cancel my registration, I have realized there is no point belonging. Thanks

 

Sweet summary of important posts.. It helped me a lot thanks!

 

I really learned alot from the guides in this thread. Thank you very much for all the helpful information..

 

Nice to join in.It is great!

 

This is an interesting discussion. thank you for sharing

 

Chaz, I just updated the Intel Processor Guide. Under a full rewrite, added more stuff, new layout. Link is in my signature.
Perhaps this could be useful?

 

Yes, I updated the link in the guide.

 

Thanks for the Update Chaz.
Can I ask you something else? To edit?
Intel Processor Family Guide
This guide by serg89 gives a general overview of how a processor works and then goes into detail about Intel processors only (for AMD processor information, see the above guide).
It goes like that currently, can you edit it to:
Intel Processor Information Guide
This guide by Serg gives a general overview of how a processor works and then goes into detail about Intel processors only (for AMD processor information, see the above guide).

I would greatly appreciate it, considering I had my username "updated". Thanks!

 

in regards to the not being able to upgrade your graphics cards part, thats not entirely true and more so as of late, many providers have aftermarket video card upgrades offered, there acer seems to be the biggest name brand player, though msi, dell, alienware, hp, sager, ocz, asus, and many others are exploring this option especially with some of the more midrange laptops, they are using more or less a loose standard thats slowly becoming more mainstream. MXM, more info thatll help people alot is on this link,

 

Hey there,
I was wondering, is it possible to 'steal' the inbuilt 3g connection in a netbook and put it in my laptop??
Thanks for your time guys (and girls)
David

 

Is there a guide for overclocking one's CPU? I didn't see any stickied anywhere or listed on the first post in this thread.

 

Yes, its called buying a new faster laptop after you killed the book when trying over clocking. Imagine a notebook running hotter with same sucky cooling system.

 

this thread needs massive upgrading.. some of the stuff is obsolete in it with no offense..

 

Agreed. The cpu thread is two generations old.....

Probably better off unstickied and starting over as they did in the gaming forum.

 

i do believe that it is in the process of being upgraded... but i hope it comes soon.. i need some help with i7.. its something completely different.. there should be some OC tips for i7-720qm etc too..

 

When I can grab a decent, well-reviewed 64GB SSD for under $80. I'll bite. Until then, my hard drive performs just about fine for everything.

 

Are you on the wrong thread?

 

Quick question, my laptops socket is an LGA 1156, can i put desktop LGA 1156 CPUs in there seeing the socket name is the same?

 

...what? Only Clevo ever did desktop X58 chipset into a laptop form factor. Laptops only use Socket P, Socket G1 aka PGA 988A, and Socket G2 with the introduction of Sandy Bridge.