Helping a relative newb choose a CPU

Hello all,

I've lurked around NBR for quite some time, but I've usually found all the information I need through searching. This would be the first time I've ever had to start my own thread

Okay, so I need to upgrade my CPU's (Celeron T1600 and C2D T6400) for both of my notebooks (listed in the sig).

T1600:
http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLB6J

T6400:
http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLGJ4

I have two main reasons for doing so:

1. Virtualization support.
Neither of my current CPU's (despite their young age) support virtualization, which is something I would like to take advantage of once W7 drops.

2. More power for demanding apps.
I do both audio production and video editing, and while I have a workhorse desktop that can handle these tasks well, I've found within the last year I've been doing more and more of this work on-the-fly with my laptops. Predictably, neither CPU has held up as well as I would have hoped (particularly the celeron). While I don't expect them to ever replace my desktop, I do need a bit more power to handle these apps as I use my laptops increasingly more for these apps.

I've read through both of the stickied CPU threads (Ultimate CPU guide and Intel processor family guide) in their entirety, and while both have helped me to understand what processors are out there and how processors work, they didn't quite answer all of my questions about which CPU's can be replaced with each other.

Both of my current CPU's are socket P, so it is my understanding that as long as the replacement CPU is socket P, it will fit. However, there's clearly a lot more to replacing a CPU than its socket.

The following are my questions. Bear with me, I know it's a lot.

1. My T1600 is 65 NM. Assuming the sockets are the same, can it be replaced with a 45 NM processor, or does the replacement have to be 65 NM? Likewise, can the T6400 (45NM) be replaced with a 65 NM processor?

2. TDP: I gather that, for safety's sake, you shouldn't go over the TDP of your current CPU. What if the replacement CPU has a TDP under your current CPU? Will this matter?

3. Heat: I've also gathered that just because two CPU's have the same TDP, doesn't mean they will produce the same amount of heat. How will I know what CPU's produce what heat and how to choose accordingly? Does this tie in with the thermal spec (below) ?

4. Thermal spec: Do I need to worry about this? The T6400, for instance, has a thermal spec of 105 C. What happens if the replacement is over/under this temp?

5. VID Voltage range: Do I have to keep it the same as the original processor, or can it vary by CPU?

6. Stepping: Must it remain the same as original CPU, or can it vary?

7. Bus/Core Ratio: Must it remain the same as original CPU, or can it vary? Does it even matter?

8. Bus Speed: I know it's the more the better, generally speaking. Say I replace my T1600 (667 MHz bus speed) with a CPU that has an 800 or 1066 MHz bus speed. Will any of the computer's hardware (ex. mobo) limit the bus speed, or can I go as high as whatever CPU I choose?

*Whew* end of novella. I apologize for the number of questions, but I'd rather pick the right CPU than buy one and run into problems.

Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

Are you positive that your comps' BIOS support virtualization before embarking on the CPU upgrade?

cheers ...

 

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it does, nor would I know how to find out.

I did a motherboard check on my 4330 using HwInfo32 and SANDRA and my motherboard simply came up as "Acer 4330", which would lead me to believe that acer manufactures their own mobos. Conveniently, there's no record of this motherboard anywhere on acer's website or online.

I'm also getting conflicting chipset results on my 4330. It either comes up as Mobile Intel® GL40 Express Chipset or Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset, which is strange because those chipsets are like polar opposites to one another. Needless to say, I'm a bit confused.

 

I don't think Acer makes motherboards. You might have to open up your computer and check the part number internally on the motherboard then Google it.