Upgrade T9300 2.5ghz to a new CPU in Acer Travelmate 5720?

Hello,
I have been perusing the internet quite some time to figure out a couple simple questions. I have a T9300 in my Acer TravelMate 5720 laptop. The socket is a socket 479 (MPGA479M). So I was wondering if this laptop supports quad core technology. I'm currently looking at the Q9100 and the E8435. I know this laptop supports dual core and 1066mhz, so the E8435 should be ok, but I really want a quad core processor like the Q9100! Also the cooling system is a normal heatsink attached from the CPU to the GPU with a fan in the middle to dissipate the heat, so I think I should be ok with the E8435 producing the extra heat compared to the T9900. I won't be gaming or putting my processor to the extreme, but I do want a speedy laptop.

Thanks,
Nick-

 

Yes you can upgrade to a Q9100. You can go all the way up to the extreme series but you wouldn't be able to make much use of it because of the locked multipliers. The Q9100 upgrade is cheap but I would suggest you think about getting a new laptop in a year or so.

EDIT: My bad I forgot to look up the chipset. As Wolf said, the GM965 chipset only supports Core 2 Duo.

 

According to a quick Google search, the 5720 has a 965 chipset, meaning you can't use any of the Socket P quads or the high-TDP E8xxx series. The only thing better than the T9300 is the T9500, which is a scant 100MHz faster, and really not worth the $90 or so they cost at the moment. I guess there is also the X9000, but that's expensive to the point that you might just buy another laptop.

 

Thanks for the help guys! So according to this website in the link below I can run some 1066mhz processors? I liked the x9000, but would it be possible to use the x9100? They are on eBay for around 100-150. I'm just trying to hold out for a while longer and not buy a super expensive laptop for the engineering program I am in. lol. I already upgraded to a max 4 gig ram and 120 gig SSD. And you were right! It is the GM965 chipset. I double checked on PC wizard.

Memory Upgrade Acer TravelMate 5720 Laptop TravelMate Upgrade Acer Memory RAM

 

No 965 chipset does not support 1066 FSB Core 2 Duo's, only 800 FSB. The only thing "better" is going to be an X9000 or an X7900 (for just pure clock speed) but a T9300 is Penryn so unless you want your current machine to run hotter, don't get the X7900.

 

Ok. Sounds good. I'll probably upgrade to the x9000 if I find it cheap. Also, would it be possible to upgrade graphics cards in this pc as well... I use it with an external monitor for movies etc...currently it is running ati mobility hd 2400 xt, and I don't think it's integrated so does that mean it's swapable?

 

Yes, you can do a 1066Mhz to 800MHz BSEL mod and then run a X9100 instead of a X9000. The E0-stepping version being the one to get as runs cooler so can be overclocked to somewhere b/w 3.6-4.2Ghz using Throttlestop and unlocked multipliers.

See http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...intel-gl960-gl40-useful-info-pll-modders.html for details.

 

So with this mod can I run a quad core 1066 fsb as well? Or just the dual core 1066 cpus? That's a very useful mod then. I'm going to have to try it!

 

The HDX9000 folks tried to get a quad running with their 965PM chipset as well. Problem was that the bios didn't natively support it nor was there some extra circuitry in the CPU socket to support it. A user 'RickiBerlin' did manage to add the extra circuitry but the bios would only run with a single core. So my advice is unless your system had a native quad option I'd avoid trying to retrofit it and just get a E0-stepping X9100, downclock it to 800Mhz FSB and multiplier-overclock it up to it's thermal limits. Should get you somewhere b/w 3.6-4.2Ghz.

You could also consider overclocking your current T9300. The way you'd do that is with a dual-IDA bios (+200Mhz with Throttlestop), then a 200->266Mhz PLL pinmod, with perhaps a CPU pin voltmod to support higher frequency. Admittedly it's a more complex set of steps than a X9100 upgraded but if your technically minded you may reach the same goal of ~3.6Ghz at no cost. Click the various links in my sig if you want to investigate this option,

 

Yeah, I don't know if I am yet to be that pc inclined to work with the t9300, I think I'm going to try the x9100 (preferably the E0 stepping), and look into the e8435 (if I underclock it to a lower voltage to decrease the heat?)...

 

Probably just dual core cpu's are the ones the mod would work on... but I would suggest you get the 800MhZ FSB variety just to be sure.

I tried putting a Q9000 into my laptop which has a PM45 chipset.
By all accounts and purposes, it should have worked, but alas it didn't because my chipset did not implement the necessary circuitry to run the quad (even though the socket and chipset were compatible - Acer apparently decided to retard my motherboard in that regard).

 

and I think you only need to try to run DUAL IDA on your T9300 and that's it. It may or may not work, depending on your laptop BIOS. If it works then you'll gain extra 200MHz, which you will not notice anyways but will make you feel better, lol.

the most CPU you can put in your laptop will be the x9000, which could run fine up to around 3.2GHz before start melting your keyboard up top due to heat. Considering acer laptops though I doubt you can run even that high for long time as their cooling abilities are not of the best.

also if you decide to go the way nando suggested, be prepared to put excessive work on your laptop, like be prepared to be able to cut out transistor number 3,234,223 from the CPU if needed, lol. But seriously, if you need more CPU just buy another laptop.

P.S.
If you somehow still want to deal with CPU upgrade, do search for person on here with nick triturbo, he did tons of work on his acer with the same chipset, so you can get some advice.

 

There is a dual-IDA bios for the Acer 5720 here. That would net you another 200Mhz (2.7Ghz) from your T9300.

One of the links below shows the temp difference b/w a E0-stepping X9100 and a C0-X9100 (which is believed to be the same as a X9000). Unfortunately the pic links can't be enlarged but I recall those pics.. the E0-stepping was over 20 degrees cooler at full load than the C0. That equates to much more overclockability. The CPU socket mod to support the X9100 running at 200Mhz is very easy. Please see links below:

266 to 200Mhz BSEL mod on the CPU socket to support a X9100 in a 965PM system:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...n-owners-lounge-part-2-a-462.html#post8142578

Temp comparison between two types of X9100's ("QHBQ" and "SLB48") in HDX:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...n-owners-lounge-part-2-a-425.html#post8062903

voltage requilrements for various overclocks:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...n-owners-lounge-part-2-a-423.html#post8057127

people getting X9100-E0 stepping CPUs for $148:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gateway-emachines/660722-x9100-e0-vs-c0.html .

 

I dont think an E0 chip for 150 bux is easy find. Or if one pops up then it would be an ES 99% of the time.

but let me clarify that it's not only putting the chip that solves everything, the laptop cooling abilities is of big importance. So as I said before, lots of work for little better results. Not worth IMO.