Upgrading my T5450 (Santa Rosa) on my HP DV9500 to (Insert Random Processor Number Here)

Lol yeah ok the title isn't EXACTLY as I intended it to be, just being stupid is all.

Anyways I'm new here, but I know my stuff, so I'll get right to the point.

I've got an HP DV9500 with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 processor at the time being, and I am hoping to upgrade it soon.

I've got a few questions though...

My BIGGEST question: Should I wait for the Penryn processors to come out, or should I get an older (Merom) processor??? When exactly am I gonna be able to order a PENRYN???? (I know when they COME OUT, but actually be able to order online or something).

I've got a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS GPU, not the best, but not bad. Whenever I play Call of Duty 4 at 1440x900 with higher quality settings, it lags...not surprising, my question, AM I GOING TO NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE WITH A) a core 2 EXTREME processor (x7900) , B) a Core 2 DUO (t7700, t7800 etc MEROM) C) Core 2 DUO (t8300/t9300/t9500 etc etc, PENRYN).

I know I'm confusing, heh heh. I'm stuck between buying the older processors or the newer ones. Money is not the issue, I'm gonna get about $800 in cash, but I have recently been wanting to save up, so should I spend like 300 bucks on an older merom processor and take home 500 cash or should I go all in. I NEED HELP HERE PLEASE!!!!!

(PS, I know it's sort of an opinion question I'm asking)


Oh if it helps, here are my specs:

Core 2 Duo T5450 @ 1.66 GHz
2 GB DDR2 PC2-5300 RAM
320 GB (160 GB x 2) HDD
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS with 256 MB DDR2 memory

 

oooooooooooooooooooooooo btw, I'd be voiding my warranty, so is it even WORTH IT to upgrade?

Should I suck it up and go HARDCORE next laptop I buy?

 

I'd have to say, I saw the biggest speed boost from installing the 2.2ghz T7500 chip in place of the original T5450 in my laptop. The extra cache helps (4mb instead of 2mb), and also the higher fsb. 667 to 800mhz.

The penryn is nice, but it spends all day idling at 1.2Ghz unless I'm gaming or flogging it- multitasking my usual 20 screens of crap.

Leave it together if your A. Unskilled/clutz, B. Want to keep your warranty- if your worried it will break, C. Or have better uses for $800 of Christmas money.

Sean

 

So overall, am I going to notice a perfomance difference if I install a T7500, T7700 or (extreme) X7900? Will the jumps between each individual processor be that great?

I think I'm pretty much decided on the Merom processors.

My other question that has just come up: WILL MY LAPTOP SUPPORT such chips? Can I get a T7500, T7700, T7800 or X7900 and WILL IT WORK on my laptop? PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!

I GUESS I have better use of the $800, but for the sake of this thread let's just say IF I DECIDE to get one, which one should it be?

 

You will see a jump going to a T7xxx series, how much between each.. well read the comparison reviews!! Not that much.

Now....beware your heatsink may not support 44w's of heat from an extreme version chip.. or the bios.

Well if you read the forums, my HP DV2500 series took an upgrade- why wouldn't your DV9500. Get the latest bios, readup and try it.

I doubt anybody has a concrete answer, it's new stuff. It works for me.
At least the T7500/7700 cpu is available in the DV9500, so they should work nicely- also open the ram bay cover, and look in and double check the cpu is socketed. I'll bet it is.

Now it's a matter of availability for the right price.

 

Alright I think I'm gonna go with a T7XXX. Which one, is the question? I want to take home as much $$$ as possible, yet I want something that will REALLY perform...

Any suggestions from the T7XXX series of Intel Core 2 Duo processors?

 

Ok.

At some point you will max out the gpu. Best way, use an 800mhz fsb chip.

So T7500 (2.2Ghz), T7700 (2.4Ghz), T7800 (2.6Ghz). All 800fsb versions.
I'd suggest the first two since your battery is running all this.

Which one. Your budget and luck on ebay, etc. Decides.

Can u confidently tear down your laptop to install it.. That is the question.

 

Well the thing is, I am satisfied with the processor I have now........somewhat, but it's a freaking T5450.....1.66 GHz...... wtf is that for a freaking processor?

I checked out another site with benchmarks of all processors, and it ranked 4000 processors (all god damn known processors) and it ranked mine 24th for mobile processors (keep in mind that ones behind mine were like damn celeron and pentium M crap LOL), while the T7XXXX took up spots, iunno, like 3 through till 15. I'm probably not going to upgrade at this point, but I need to convince myself that this laptop I got now is decent....

damn it this is pissing me off!!!!

 

I say, wait a month and let the T9300 be released. I'll be arounb $300 for the processor, even if you don't get the T9300 and settle for a T7XXX it'll drop those prices dramatically so it'll be a WIN - WIN situation.