Is it worth spending $180 to upgrade from a T6600 CPU to a T9600 CPU?

I have a Sony Vaio FW laptop that I love. It has a great gpu, the ATI 4650, a 256gb m225 crucial ssd, 4gb ram, a bluray burner and Windows 7 fresh install optimized for SSDs. I play Starcraft 2, Portal 2 and Team Fortress 2 on it.

It has a 2.2ghz T6600 CPU with 2mb cache. It can support a 2.8ghz T9600 and possibly the extreme 3.0ghz c2d processors both of which have a 6mb cache. I sometimes see the system hang for a little bit while moving big files and think it's the CPU. Here are the upgrade instructions... http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/448716-upgrade-cpu-vaio.html

Do you think it's worth upgrading the processor? My goal is to minimize the bottlenecks on the laptop and use it for an year or two more. Do you think the CPU is my bottleneck?

 

Based on your setup, a CPU upgrade will probably net you a few more fps for SC2, that's about it, 4650 isn't a particularly powerful GPU. And moving files around doesn't stress CPU at all, it's your harddisk. However if you can somehow get a CPU like x9100 for cheap, then do it, otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

 

Why the x9100? What beyond the minor .2 increase in clockspeed does it have over the t9600? I really don't care about clockspeed, I'm considering the upgrade for the bigger L2 cache (going from 2mb to 6mb should make a big difference right?)

Im not 100% sure the x9100 upgrade would work. My laptop uses socket p so it should work, but the x9100 uses more power and produces more heat right?

 

Only x9100 provides unlocked multipliers, lower models have them locked. If a t9600 works for you, so should a x9100, they all use socket P, there is no reason it shouldn't work.

With throttlestop, you can easily overclock a x9100 above 3.3ghz+, 3.6Ghz+ if you are lucky. Forget about those TDP numbers, a x9100(3.06ghz default) and a t9900(3.06ghz default) should run equally hot given they both run at the same voltages/frequency although X9100 has a higher rated TDP than t9900.

Edit: x9100 has a higher rated TDP because intel took its overclocking potential into consideration.

 

If you get an Extreme processor make sure your cooling system can handle it..

 

buy this...

$110, 3.06, 6mb, 1066
Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile E8435 3.06GHz 6M 1066 SLAQD CPU | eBay

 

Awesome find. Thank you so much! You're sure it will work in a Sony FW with a socket p slot right. Are you sure the higher tdp won't be an issue?

It seems too good to be true to be honest.

I'm vary of jumping up from a 35 watt cpu to a 55 watt cpu.

 

unless sony uses a "whitelist" bios, it won't be an issue...

 

Oh my God. There are so many things wrong with what you just said... lol

Anyways I'd recommend against the SLAQD or any SLAxx CPUs because they run significantly hotter than SLGxx CPUs. (E0 stepping vs C0 stepping). If you want an E8435 get an SLGEA. I have an SLGEB and it pushes my GPU temp (same fan) up 8-15C depending on what I'm doing with it compared to my P8400. It runs 10-15C hotter, too. (~78C max).

 

As you should be.

If they existed. Anywhere.

Better bone up on electrical and component terminology if you want to have a chance in hell of changing things out successfully.

 

It's a last-last-generation laptop already. Unless you can find upgrades for very cheap, it won't be worth it, and won't give you noticeable gains in performance. Stick with what you have, and if it doesn't meet your needs, sell your FW and get a new computer.