The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Upgrading from 1.4 Pentium M

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by elliotm, May 16, 2006.

  1. elliotm

    elliotm Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Motherboard Chipset is Intel i855PM
    Current Processor is Pentium M 1.4GHz w/400MHz bus Socket 479

    I know the processor I upgrade to must be have a 400MHz bus per my chipset limitations. However, must it be a 479 Dothan or could I use 478?

    Which speed would be the best upgrade value?
     
    elliotm, May 16, 2006
    #1
  2. Tim

    Tim Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,752
    Messages:
    3,141
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    106
    What laptop do you have? I don't think updating the chipset is really worth it. You could get a new laptop with a better chipset and only end up paying a few hundred more. Just a thought.
    Tim
     
    Tim, May 16, 2006
    #2
  3. elliotm

    elliotm Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Thanks for replying, but I'm not considering upping the chipset, just the cpu.

    My question is, does the cpu I upgrade to have to be 479 pin?

    Thereafter, what's the best cpu performance/price value?
     
    elliotm, May 16, 2006
    #3
  4. boon27

    boon27 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    4
    Messages:
    340
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    you can upgrade pentium m dothan with any with 400mhz...

    I think best out there for 400mhz is the pentium 765 with 2.1 ghz
     
    boon27, May 16, 2006
    #4
  5. ez2remember

    ez2remember Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    28
    Messages:
    494
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yep thats the fastest pentium-m at 100fsb 2.1Ghz but is very expensive. I would go one or 2 steps down where prices are more reasonable. 1.8 or 1.9 or 2.0Ghz.
     
    ez2remember, May 16, 2006
    #5
  6. skywalker

    skywalker Business Notebook FTW!!

    Reputations:
    100
    Messages:
    2,126
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Hmm..I think any dothan is 479 not 478..cmiiw
     
    skywalker, May 17, 2006
    #6
  7. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    4,982
    Messages:
    34,001
    Likes Received:
    1,415
    Trophy Points:
    581
    Upgrading the hard drive or memory will offer a bigger performance boost.
     
    ZaZ, May 17, 2006
    #7
  8. Tim

    Tim Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,752
    Messages:
    3,141
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    106
    Sorry I must have read the wrong thing. lol
    Tim
     
    Tim, May 17, 2006
    #8
  9. elliotm

    elliotm Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I already have that covered. =)

    1GB RAM (512MBx2)
    100GB 5400RPM Seagate HDD
     
    elliotm, May 17, 2006
    #9
  10. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    4,982
    Messages:
    34,001
    Likes Received:
    1,415
    Trophy Points:
    581
    A 7200RPM drive will offer a performance boost. Unless you use apps that push the CPU, I don't think it is worth the time and expense.
     
    ZaZ, May 17, 2006
    #10
  11. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

    Reputations:
    1,581
    Messages:
    5,346
    Likes Received:
    126
    Trophy Points:
    231
    yes the 478 is the desktop socket.
     
    Thaenatos, May 17, 2006
    #11
  12. Lyshen

    Lyshen Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    96
    Messages:
    330
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I think your upgrade choices depend on what you can find available. When I was searching for a faster P-M processor just 3 weeks ago, I could not find very many. The only ones I could find commonly (and not many places carried them) were the 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8 Ghz ones. The 2.0 was very hard to find and the 2.1 I could not find at all in any stores.

    I did however finally find after a week of searching, a 2.1 priced at a very good bargain price of 200 dollars brand new on Ebay. Right afer I bought it with buy it now, the seller put another one up for 100 dollars more then what I paid... :eek:

    At 200 dollars it was cheaper then buying most of the other speeds. So for you, if you have to pay retail or near retail its probably better to go for 1.7 or 1.8 Ghz ones, maybe 2.0. Definetly not 2.1 if you have to pay near or at retail price. (Since the retail price for a 2.1 Ghz is around $450 or so.)

    Basically do a lot of searching to find the best prices and decide from there once you have all the information before you.
     
    Lyshen, May 18, 2006
    #12